Izumo-Taisha
Izumo Taisha (Japanese出 云 大 社, the Izumo no official reading is Ōyashiro, literally Great Shrine of Izumo ) is one of the oldest and most important Shinto shrines in Japan. He belongs to the Chokusaisha. In him Ō- kuni -no- mikoto - nushi worshiped as the main Kami.
It is located in the district of the city Izumo Taisha in Shimane prefecture.
History
About the exact original date of construction are no records. The earliest Japanese writings, the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, the, date the origins of the shrine back in the mythical Kami Age. The place of construction is to be identical with the mythical place where, according to the Kojiki Susanoo a fence of clouds moved to sit down in it with his wife Kushinadahime to rest.
The priesthood at the shrine is hereditary and is in the families Senge (千家) and Kitajima (北岛) - until the second half of the 14th century one family - passed ( but in fact only in the Senge family). The office of high priest ( Kokuzo here with the otherwise mundane title of provincial governor or kuni -no- miya -tsu -ko ) is said to have been found at the beginning of the fifth century in the 17th generation. According to legend, was the first high priest of Ame -no- hohi -no- mikoto, the second son of Amaterasu, one born of their gems Kami. The 17th high priest, Miyamoke -no- Sukune is in a separate shrine, the Ujino - yashiro worshiped.
Below the high priest still exist Kyoto ( teacher ) and then the two gon - Guji ( assistant chief priest ), the negi and their assistants ( gon - negi ), including the Kujo and finally the Shuten. Within the families, special breathing techniques and other spiritual exercises (such as the obscure mu -tions ) to be given in a special straw hut (o- hido - koro ) practiced on the grounds therefor cry.
The Izumo Taisha was and is still the center of the Shinto sect Izumo Ōyashiro - kyō, whose president ( Kancho ) is also the Kyoto of the shrine.
The history of Izumo Taisha is characterized by a strong rejection of Buddhist influence. Buddhist idols were never placed in the shrine ( Shinto shrines rare for ). As early as 1662, long before the Shinbutsu - Bunri, the daimyo Matsudaira Naomasa ( Tokugawa Ieyasu's grandson ) had reported all Buddhist priest from the shrine.
Construction
A statue of Kuhzüchter Kami Ushikai -jin (also waka futsu - nushi -no- kami ) is located within the dogs. A specific architecture style, taisha - zukuri (大 社 造), owes its name to the dogs of the Izumo Taisha. This hall (the last building dates from the year 1744) and the adjacent thereto buildings are national treasures of Japan. Near the dogs is the Mikei, a fountain whose water is used only for the preparation of the food offering ( shinsen ). Among the guest Kami ( aidono -no- kami ) in dogs include Umashi - ashi - kabi - hiko -ji and Ame -no- toko - tachi
In Harai -no- yashiro ( a massha ), the four cleaning Kami ( Harai -no- kami ) Haya -aki -tsu -hime -no- mikoto, I- buki -do nushi - no-kami, Se - oritsu -hime and Haya - sasura -hime -no- kami worshiped.
The individual sections of the shrine are separated by fences that have special names here: the outermost is ara- gaki, then the mizu - gaki and Tama - gaki. The lake of the shrine also has a special name: kiyome -no- ike ( in other shrines: shin- chi). The same applies to the cooking hall, usually shinsen - the, here shinsen - shō.
Probably the whole complex was significantly greater in earlier times and stood on a high platform, which suggest recent archaeological finds of very old and large pillars.
Festivals
On the night of the 14th and 15th August, the Kami is taking a ride (mi - Nige ) to the shrines of Minato and Akahito, as well as to the sacred beach of Shiotaki. The residents of these places traditionally go to bed early and all the lights so as not to see the Kami. On the day of August 15, the Tsumamagi -sai is then celebrated on the Izumo Taisha. For this purpose, the Kami a special shinsen is prepared, inter alia, consisting of half a lemon on a willow branch from which the pulp is removed and the resulting cavity was filled with water. In addition, missing in this shinsen any meat, egg and alcohol.
On January 15, has been held since the year 709 the Yone -ura -sai instead of a Divination ceremony similar to the Okayu -ura -go- shinji of Hiraoka Shrine in Osaka.
On the morning of November 26 is a thanksgiving ceremony, the Kenkoku -sai instead. Farmers sacrificing the Kami small bag of rice. After the ceremony, a lottery will be held under the supervision of a special priest ( Tengi ). The farmers can win three prizes: a Kami statue of gold (kin -go zō ), silver ( gin -go zō ) or wood ( on- zō ).
On the evening of November 26 then finds the Koden - Shinjō -sai haiden place in honor of the chief priest. Originally this festival came from the Kumano Shrine, was then transferred to the 16th century to Kamosu Shrine in Oba and eventually found his current Ausrichtungsort in Izumo Taisha after the Meiji Restoration. The high priest sits on a high seat, which resembles a sea lion, and kindled with ancient rites celebrated a fire by means of a wooden board ( hi - kiri - usu ) and a wooden stick ( hi - kiri - gine ). He then cooks rice and three stones from the village Manai, after which he acts as if he would bite into these ( Hagatame ). He and two other priests 200 Blocking shrub branches ( tagusa ) from the near Uga -yama are then offered in a special ceremony. Meanwhile, seven other priests sit around a koto - ita, which they beat with willow branches while singing 50 times the Aun -no- Kokyu, the strikingly similar to the Hindu Om. Then " Sume - kami -o- matsurishi Asuyoyiwa " to which the reply other six with " Asuyoyiwa Akeno - koromo - okegoromo sen ," which translates roughly as much means as one of them sings: "On this auspicious day, Oh Kami, we celebrated the Matsuri. Let us carry from now on, [ and yet then ] every day fine (red ) clothes [ as the harvest turned out well ]. " At the end of the ceremony surrounded a negi three times a cauldron ( ō - kama - sama ) in haiden, where he carries on a bar two bundles of rice and a red pot ( heishi ) and continuously "ana - tanushi " ("how happy! " ) sings.
According to legend, leave on 11 October every Kami (except for the deaf ) their normal shrines and take a trip after Izumo, Izumo Taisha for first ( where they remain until October 17 in two long halls in juku -sha), then to Sada -no- yashiro and last for Mankusen -no- yashiro. For this reason, the month of October in Izumo known as " month full of kami " ( kami -ari - zuki ), in the rest of Japan, however, as " month with no kami " ( kami -na- zuki ). In almost all shrines farewell celebrations are celebrated on 11 October, to celebrate their return tually occur as good as not, because it is believed that this date varies from year to year. Some kami, it is said, to remain until February of the following year in Izumo.