北海道の地神塔の儀軌

概要

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The stone markers honoring Earth Divines or Earth Spirits are found in certain areas of Japan with varieties of form. The Earth Divine cult is no ancient faith of Japanese peasants but has been invented in rather modern times by religious savants and organized denominations. In Hokkaido, this cult has pervaded widely over the farming regions colonized after the Meiji Restoration and erection of markers have become culturally ascribed item. These markers would be divided roughly into two types in form, that is the naturally formed rock-post type and the pentagonal pillar one. The latter is shaped stone and the appellations of five-partite divines are inscribed on the five lateral facets separately, (see Photo. 6) The former is the single rock, unworked and in its natural form except for the inscription of a few ideograms tersely expressing the creed such as 'ji-jin-gu' (literally, Shrine of the Earth Divine), (see Photos. 1 and 2) The natural rock post si one of the fundamental and generalized forms of stone marker, so it is hard to trace its orgin in Japan proper from the morphological standpoint only. Meanwhile, the pentagonal pillar type is peculiar one and it is found on the Setouchi Area prominent in Tokushima Prefecture and on the Island of Awaji, a part of Hyogo Prefecture, and in the Kanto District. It is generally accepted that worship was promoted by the government of Awa Province (equal to the domain of the present Tokushima Prefecture and the Island of Awaji) as the History of Tokushima Prefecture describes. In 1790, Hayakumo Furutomi, the Shinto priest of Tomida Hachimangu, recommended to Lord Haruaki the promulgation of a decree to enshrine an Earth Divine in each village and to make the headman of that village the liturgy-serving priest. However, the contents of this decree is as yet unknown. In the Geographical description of Awaji known as Kakiwagusa (compiled by WATANABE Gesseki about 1832) the followingis recorded: Recently, Ko no kyokuhitsu (OE Tadasuke) edited the textbook entitled Shanichishogi or "On the Celebration of Earth Divines" and each village celebrates this divinity under the orders of our government. He assigns five-partite divines to this mission from pantheon of the mythical age and this creed has come into fasion. Oe instructs on the installation of the sanctuary and on the performance of rites at semi-annual holidays for good harvest. In the Tokugawa era, as mentioned above Awaji was governed as a part of Awa Province. So the orders described in Kaki. wagusa must mean the decree of the government of Awa. Though the divine names on the pillars show some differences, the common pentad is simillar to the denoted appellations in Shanichishogi. Besides, we can see other accord between them. So, the decree of the Hachisuka clan had to refer to Shanichishogi, and the people of Awa Province including Awaji might conform to its rites as the catechism. The History of Mihara County, Awaji points out, rites of the Earth Divines were performed by the celebrants served by the village headmen in the feudal age and nowadays peasants retain these associations. Associates on duty perfonm the roles of celebrants in turn. It is one of the interesting instances showing the formations of folk customs. The same type markers are dispersed in the Kanto Disatrict. They might be set up by the devotees of Oe's doctrine, but we can find no organizations concerning this creed. Otherwise, some other patterns of markers honoring Earth Divines are found there. (For example, see Fig.) One of them is the stone inscribed the ideograms 'ken-ro-ji-jin'. (see Photo. 8) This term means Immovable Earth Divine (Skr. drdha-prthivl-devata) originating in the Buddhist sutra (Skr. Suvarna-parbhasa) and has been converted into the agrarian Guardian Divine and propagated by the hands of the Buddhist missions. Furthermore, images represented in Buddhist scriptures have been reproduced on hanging scrolls (see Photo. 10) or engraved on stone posts, (see Photo. 9) Religious associations carried out their rites in front of them twice a year in spring and fall. These types of markers have never been observed in Hokkaido. This may be attributud to the sociological and economical situation during the island's development, (see Photo. 4)
札幌大学の論文
1984-09-30

著者

梅原達治
札幌大学教養部

北海道の地神塔の儀軌

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