Kumano Hongū Taisha

The Kumano Hongu Taisha (Japanese熊 野 本 宫 大 社, even just HONGU (本 宫), formerly known as Kumano -ni - masu -jinja (熊 野 座 神社) ) is a Shinto shrine in the district HONGU the city Tanabe, Prefecture Wakayama. He belongs with Kumano Taisha Hayatama, Kumano Nachi Taisha and two Buddhist temples to Kumano - Yong Jiang, the southernmost of the holy places and pilgrimage routes in the Kii mountains that were taken in 2004 by the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage. He is considered the main shrine of over 3,000 Kumano shrines throughout Japan.

He is said to have been built by Sujin - tennō to the worship of Susanoo ( here under the name Ketsumiko -no- kami ). The shrine was, however, mentioned in writing until the year 859.

Prior to his relocation to the present site he was deeper, on a sandbank (O- yu -no- hara ), where the rivers Kumano, Otonashi and Iwata flow together. In 1889, he was there but so badly damaged by a flood, that he had to be rebuilt from a few buildings again and he was transferred at the same time in 1891.

In dogs, there is not, as usual, a shintai. Nevertheless, take to the priests, Kuni - toko - tachi (a very obscure and ancient Kami ) would reside there.

In the shrine there is a whole range of side shrines where many other Kami are worshiped (also by Buddhists under her Buddhist name ). These include, among others, the water - Mizu Kami -tsu -hime ( Taki -hime -jinja ), Waku - musubi -no- kami and Mizu -no- me -ha ( born from the urine of Izanami ), the clay - Kami Hani - yasu -hime together with fire ( Kagu - tsuchi -no- kami ) -, water -, and growth - Kami, the Hara - edo -ten- jinja, Ame -no- koyane Ame -no- tajikara - where in Mito - haraki -jinja and the three cleaning Kami Soko- tsu - wata -tsu -mi -no- kami, Naka- tsu - wata -tsu -mi -no- kami and Wa -tsu - wata -tsu -mi -no kami.

Takakuraji -no- mikoto, a vassal of Jimmu - tennō who helped this during the conquest of Japan, is also worshiped in an adjoining shrine.

Another companion Jimmus and alleged ancestor Chemosh (the first high priest of the Kamo -wake - Ikazuchi -jinja ) is the three-legged Yatagarasu, the Celestial Crow and Kamo -no- taketsu - numi -no- mikoto worshiped here under the name of the Yatagarasu -jinja. On January 7, according to the Lunar calendar, the hoin (also Yatagarasu shinji ) committed shinji in haiden. For this purpose, a previously with a pine torch at the edges purified image of Yatagarasu ( go- ō -no- shimpu ) is passed to the shrine by a priest. Prints of this image are then distributed throughout the country to believers.