Yudate - Yudate

A purification and exorcism event in which water is boiled in a large cauldron in front of the altar, the gods' will is asked, and the water is sprinkled around while waving bamboo leaves. It is also called "yutate" or "yudachi." In ancient times, there was an event called "kukatachi," in which people were made to feel the boiling water in front of the altar with their hands to judge whether it was true or false. In the Middle Ages, there was a type of divine trial called "yugisho," in which people were made to put their hands in boiling water to determine whether something like theft was true or false. As some places call yutate "toiyu," it shows that it was a way of asking the gods' will. One famous yutate ritual, which was once held at the spring Setsubun festival at Miho Shrine in Shimane Prefecture, aimed at asking the gods' will, was the yutate ritual, in which a head priest called the one-year priest entered the yutate kettle, became possessed by a god, and gave a prophecy. Yutate was incorporated into Shugendo, and became a practice to demonstrate the miraculous powers of the ascetic, and was also combined with Kagura to become a performing art known as Yutate Kagura.

[Nobuo Watanabe]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

神前の大釜(おおがま)に湯を沸かして神意を問い、笹(ささ)を振りつつ湯を周りに振りかける清め祓(ばら)いの行事。「ゆたて」「ゆだち」ともいう。古代には「盟神探湯(くかたち)」という行事があり、神前で沸かした熱湯を手で探らせ、真偽正邪の判断を行った。中世には「湯起請(ゆぎしょう)」とよばれる一種の神判があり、盗みなどの実否をただすために熱湯に手を入れさせて判定した。湯立を問湯(といゆ)とよぶ所もあるように、神意を問う方式であったことを示す。神意を問うことを目的とした湯立は、島根県の美保神社で春の節分祭にかつて行われた湯立神事が名高く、一年神主とよばれる頭人が湯釜の中に入って神がかりとなり、託宣をした。修験道(しゅげんどう)に取り入れられた湯立は、修験者の験力を示す行法にもなり、また神楽(かぐら)と結び付いて湯立神楽として芸能化した。

［渡辺伸夫］

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