In Japanese religion, Yahata (八幡神, ancient Shinto pronunciation) formerly in Shinto and later commonly known as Hachiman (八幡神, Japanese Buddhist pronunciation) is the syncretic divinity of archery and war, incorporating elements from both Shinto and Buddhism .
40-660: The first mention of this kami is found in the Shoku Nihongi as it contains the information that offerings were sent 794 CE to Hachiman shrines on the occasion of conflict with the kingdom Silla in Korea. In Shinto religion, he is mortally Emperor Ōjin (応神天皇, Ōjin Tennō ) by birth who reigned in the 3rd–4th century and the son of Empress Jingū (神功皇后, Jingū-kōgō ), later became deified and identified by legend as " Yahata-no-kami " meaning "Kami of Eight Banners", referring to
80-739: A divine spirit of the Emperor Ojin, he was placed as both the ancestor and Kōso-shin (皇祖神, "Imperial Ancestor Deity") of the Imperial Family of Japan . He was considered to be the guardian deity of the Imperial Household after the Grand Goddess Amaterasu written down in the "Chronicle of the Jōkyū Era" ( 承久記 Jōkyūki ) to the "Compilation of the Grand Goddess Amaterasu of Ise and Hachiman Daibosatsu on
120-454: A leader, came to be regarded and respected as the ideal samurai through the ages. After Minamoto no Yoritomo became shōgun and established the Kamakura shogunate , Hachiman's popularity grew and he became by extension the protector of the warrior class that the shōgun had brought to power. For this reason, the shintai of a Hachiman shrine is usually a stirrup or a bow. Following
160-674: A non-fiction book on Japanese history is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Tamayori-hime (mother of Jimmu) Tamayori-hime is a goddess in Japanese mythology . Her name is spelled as 玉依毘売命 in the Kojiki and 玉依姫 in the Nihon Shoki . Tamayori-hime is the daughter of the sea-dragon god Watatsumi and the younger sister of Toyotama-hime . When Toyotama-hime abandoned her husband Hoori , she sent Tamayori-hime to care for their son Ugayafukiaezu , although in
200-405: A regular occurrence, and even in the few cases where they have occurred, there has never been a marriage with a mother's younger half-sister. This has led some to believe that the genealogy of Ukusa-thatching-furinushi-no-mikoto and Emperor Jimmu is a corruption of the tradition of sister marriages common among horsemen, and that Toyotamabihime and Tamayoribihime were sisters who married Hoori , with
240-400: A song and provide for her child. Later, Ukagusabuhuri-no-mikoto married Tamayoribihime and had four children with her. According to the Nihon Shoki , Toyotama-hime came to the seashore from the sea to give birth to her child with Hoori , a thatch-thatched goddess, but at this time Toyotama-hime was accompanied by her sister, Tamayori-hime. Later, Tamayorihime became the consort of nephew of
280-499: A spirit descends" and that the intimate relationships between the two helped generate belief in mother-son pair deities. In addition, since the line of succession is based on grain spirits, and the sons of Tamayorihime are also named Gose no mikoto ( 厳稲の命 ) , Inahiron no mikoto ( 稲氷の命 ) , Mogonuma no mikoto ( 御食主の命 ) , and Wakamogonuma no mikoto ( 若御食主の命 ) , it is thought that they were priestesses who possessed grain spirits. Miyaura Shrine ( Miyazaki Prefecture Nichinan City )
320-608: Is a mitsudomoe , a round whirlpool or vortex with three heads swirling right or left. Many samurai clans used this mon as their own, including some that traced their ancestry back to the mortal enemy of the Minamoto , the Emperor Kanmu of the Taira clan ( Japanese : 桓武平氏 , Kanmu Heishi ). Shoku Nihongi The Shoku Nihongi ( 続日本紀 ) is an imperially-commissioned Japanese history text. Completed in 797, it
360-527: Is a dedicated prayer for safe childbirth in the Shinto shrine of Umi Hachimangū (宇美八幡宮) in Umi , Fukuoka prefecture . The three Munakata goddesses (宗像三女神 Munakata Sanjoshin ) born from the divination ritual Ukehi or Ukei (宇気比, 誓約, 祈, 誓, 誓占, lit. "pledge divination") between the goddess Amaterasu and the god Susanoo - that is Tagitsu-hime (多岐津姫命), Ichikishima-hime (市杵嶋姫命) and Tagairi-hime (多紀理姫命) -
400-501: Is believed that Toyotama-hime and Tamayori-hime were sisters who became the wives of Hienori-no-mikoto , and based on genealogical comparisons with other clans, there is a theory that they were actually daughters rather than sisters of Utsushihikkinasei-no-mikoto. ( see below ). According to the Chronicles, Tamayori Biyori-no-mikoto's husband, Ukusabifune no Mikoto, was the grandson of Emperor Ninigi-no-mikoto, and Emperor Jimmu
440-466: Is depicted to represent a Buddhist monk and is then called Sogyō Hachiman (僧形八幡神, "Buddhist Priest-Form Hachiman"). Because Emperor Ōjin was an ancestor of the Minamoto warrior clan, Hachiman became its tutelary kami ( 氏神 , ujigami ) . Minamoto no Yoshiie , upon coming of age at Iwashimizu Shrine in Kyoto , took the name Hachiman Taro Yoshiie , and, through his military prowess and virtue as
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#1732790788363480-677: Is said to be the site of Tamayorihime's residence. There is also a place in Miyazaki Prefecture Nichinan City that is said to be the mausoleum of Princess Tamayori. At the Ryūkomyō Shrine [ ja ] , she is considered the ancestor of the Kaijin Tribe , which unites Ryujin , and the princess herself is worshipped as Ryujin. According to the Kiki, her father is Watatsumi . Her mother's name
520-463: Is said where they descended from the heavens as the "Three Pillars of Usanoshima (宇佐嶋) of the ancient province of Tsukushi (筑紫)", located in a temple complex on Mt. Omotosan (御許山) in Usa. The Munakata goddesses are thereby the matriarchs of an ancient tribe and clan Munakata-shi (宗像氏, 宗形氏) which fishermen worshipped collectively as a whole. It is thought that the worship of Munakata goddesses by
560-533: Is the second of the Six National Histories , coming directly after the Nihon Shoki and followed by Nihon Kōki . Fujiwara no Tsugutada and Sugano no Mamichi served as the primary editors. It is one of the most important primary historical sources for information about Japan's Nara period . The work covers the 95-year period from the beginning of Emperor Monmu 's reign in 697 until
600-711: Is unknown but her older sister is Toyotama-hime . The Yamato Shukune [ ja ] and Uminao genealogies in the Hyakuke Genealogy and the Shukune and Uminao genealogies in the Shukune and Uminao have Utsushihikanasaku [ ja ] (Hotakami-no-mikoto, ancestor of the Azumi people ) and Furutama-no-mikoto [ ja ] (ancestor of the Owari Kuni-no-miyatsuko , Yamato no Kuni no Miyatsuko , etc.) as brothers. However, it
640-663: The Kamakura Period says he denies the theory and assumes the true form of Hachiman Daibosatsu is Shakyamuni Buddha (i.e. Gautama Buddha) . Thereafter in the Heian Period , veneration of Shinto shrines of Hachiman have been received and gathered throughout the nation by the samurai clans Seiwa of the Genji clan (清和源氏) and Kanmu of the Taira clan (桓武平氏). When the theory of syncretism has spread during this period, Hachiman
680-537: The Munakata clan was due to Empress Jingū's success in the "Conquest of the Three Kingdoms (of Korea) " (三韓征伐 Sankan Seipatsu ). Therefore, they are old Shinto folk deities (地主神 jinushigami ) before the presence of Hachiman. Himegami (比売神) is thought to be the consort or aunt of Hachiman, whereas Tamayori-hime (玉依毘売命 or 玉依姫尊) possibly and perhaps as the mother viewed by opinion aforementioned. Since
720-510: The 10th year of Emperor Kanmu 's reign in 791, spanning nine imperial reigns. It was completed in 797 AD. The text is forty volumes in length. It is primarily written in kanbun , a Japanese form of Classical Chinese , as was normal for formal Japanese texts at the time. However, a number of senmyō ( 宣命 ) or "imperial edicts" contained within the text are written in a script known as "senmyō-gaki", which preserves particles and verb endings phonographically. This article about
760-560: The Emperor's mother, Empress Jingū. This trio, known as Hachiman Mikami (八幡三神) is enshrined there. Amongst the Hachiman Mikami , there are many shrines that enshrines other figures apart from the trio, like Emperor Chūai (仲哀天皇, Chūai-tennō ) instead of Empress Jingū, the legendary hero and Shinto deity Takenouchi no Sukune or Takeshiuchi no Sukune (武内宿禰) and the female deity Tamayori-hime (玉依毘売命 or 玉依姫尊), where there
800-912: The Imperial Throne of Japan". The founding of Konda Hachiman-gū (誉田八幡宮) Shrine at Habikino in Osaka Prefecture have been a long time linked with the connection to Emperor Ojin, therefore the Imperial Family also both revered the Usa Shrine (宇佐神宮 Usa Jingū , also known as 宇佐八幡宮 Usa Hachiman-gū ) at Usa in Oita Prefecture , and the Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine (石清水八幡宮 Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū ) at Yawata in Kyoto Prefecture , as
840-632: The Imperial family) were incorporated to shrines in Buddhist temples (寺 tera ). This transition happened when the Great Buddha of Tōdai-ji (東大寺, Eastern Great Temple ) was being built and recorded in the era of the "First Year of Tenpyō-shōhō (天平勝宝 "Heavenly Peace and Victorious Treasure")" under the reign of Empress Kōken in 749 AD, an oracle was declared by Hachiman to a senior Shinto priest (禰宜 negi ) and nun from Usa Shrine to proceed to
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#1732790788363880-527: The International Research Centre for Japanese Studies considers it more likely that Tamayori-hime is not the sister of Toyotama-hime, but that the two should be considered as aspects of the same, single deity. The word tamayori-hime is a generic term for shamanesses who dedicated their lives exclusively to their deities. The Japanese folklorist Kunio Yanagita espoused the view that tamayori-hime means "a consecrated women to whom
920-477: The Nihon Shoki version of the legend, Tamayori-hime accompanies her sister to the human world when she was about to give birth. When the child grew up, he married his aunt, who bore him four children, the youngest of which became Emperor Jimmu , the first emperor of Japan. She is the mother of Emperor Jimmu (the first Emperor ) and the sister of Toyotama-hime , the Emperor's grandmother. Toshio Akima of
960-522: The Three Kingdoms (of Korea)" is also worshiped in various places. It is said by tradition in commemoration after the conquest, Empress Jingu set up eight big military flags on Tsushima (対馬) which then became the origin of the name " Hirohatano Yahata Ōkami (広幡乃八幡大神) ", also the origin of the name " Yahata (八幡) " to the Empress' son, the then-emperor Ojin. Since Hachiman was considered to be
1000-462: The age of the samurai, descendants of both samurai clans, Seiwa Genji (清和源氏 Seiwa Gen-ji , a line of the Minamoto clan descended from Emperor Seiwa ) and Kanmu Taira (桓武平氏 Kanmu Taira'u-ji/ Hei-shi/ Hei-ji , a line of the Taira clan descended from Emperor Kanmu ) honored Hachiman, from which the tradition is derived nationwide in which samurai clans (武家 " buke" in Japanese) honor Hachiman as
1040-518: The capital (in Nara ) that Hachiman would cooperate in the construction of a "Great Buddha" dedicated to him. From this recognition Hachiman was syncretised into Buddhism from early on. Then in the "First Year of the Era of Ten'ō (天応)" under the reign of Emperor Kōnin in 781 AD, the Shinto imperial court granted the Shinto deity Usa Hachiman (Hachiman of Usa ) with Buddhist deity Hachiman Daibosatsu as
1080-481: The deity sacred to them. His other roles include determining a samurai's fate—i.e., whether they are a success or failure in battle; controlling and protecting the martial arts; and proclaiming the victory of an army. Although often called the god of war, he is more strictly defined as the tutelary god of warriors. He is also the divine protector of Japan , the Japanese people and the Imperial House . In
1120-654: The description of Hachiman as the Emperor Ōjin appeared in the "Digest Record of Todai-ji Temple (東大寺要録 Tōdai-ji Yoroku )" and "Records of the Age of the Gods from the Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine (住吉大社神代記 Sumiyoshi-Taisha Jindaiki ), the practice of merging Emperor Ōjin into Hachiman is estimated to have begun in the Nara Period or the Heian Period . There are also different theories and opinions concerning
1160-451: The eight heavenly banners that signaled the birth of the divine and deified emperor, and is also called Hondawake (誉田別命). His messenger is the dove , symbolizes both the bow and arrow found in samurai banners associated to him where he is called " Yumiya Hachiman " (弓矢八幡). Since ancient times Hachiman has been worshiped by farmers as the god of agriculture and by fishermen, who hoped that he would fill their nets with many fish. During
1200-597: The establishment of the Kamakura shogunate, the worship of Hachiman spread throughout Japan among not only samurai, but also the peasantry. There are now about 2,500 Shinto shrines dedicated to Hachiman, who has more shrines dedicated to him than any other deity except Inari . Usa Shrine in Usa , Ōita Prefecture is head shrine of all these shrines; other important Hachiman shrines are Iwashimizu Hachiman-gū , Hakozaki-gū and Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū . Hachiman's mon (emblem)
1240-473: The former giving birth to Ugayafukiaezu and the latter to Emperor Jimmu and his siblings. According to this theory, Ukusabufurinushi-no-mikoto and Emperor Jimmu were both sons of Hiotorinushi-no-mikoto, making them half-brothers, and the number of generations is consistent with those of other related authors. According to Kojiki , Toyotama-hime left her child ( Ugayafukiaezu ) after giving birth, but later sent her sister, Tamayoribirinomikoto, to offer her
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1280-403: The goddess of thatched roofs (from Tamayorihime's point of view) and gave birth to four children. According to the first sentence of the tenth section, after giving birth to her child, Toyotama-hime returned to the sea, leaving her child behind. According to the third book, Toyotama-hime left her child at sea after giving birth, but later sent Tamayor-ihime to give a song to Fire Ori and nourish
1320-453: The goddesses Amaterasu and Kukuri-hime (菊理媛神 or 菊理媛命, a Shinto goddess venerated as Shirayama-hime (白山比咩), in which both called the goddess Himegami Himiko (卑弥呼, or Pimiko , also known as Shin-gi Wa-ō (親魏倭王, "Ruler of Wa, Friend of Wei"), a shamaness -queen of Yamatai-koku in Wakoku (倭国) around c. 170–248 AD. Emperor Ojin was already destined to ascend the throne from
1360-534: The guardian god for the spiritual protection of the state. As a result, the spread of worship to Hachiman is transferred and received to Buddhist temples or shrines throughout the country where the "theory of Shinto and Buddhist syncretism (本地垂迹 Honji Suijaku )" is established, therefore considered Amitabha to be the Buddha manifestation of Hachiman. However, the Japanese Buddhist priest Nichiren (日蓮) of
1400-460: The king. In the fourth book of the same name, the story goes that Toyotama-hime took the child in her arms and left for the sea after giving birth, but later sent Tamayori-hime to take the child in her arms and send her back to land. According to the Old History of Japan , Toyotamahime-no-mikoto gave birth to a child, a child of Hiori-no-mikoto, and then left the child in her arms and went to
1440-524: The moment in the womb of his mother and Empress, is called "Emperor in the Womb", is based and interpreted sometimes in her belief as being the "mother deity" to the child-to-be who would be deified. The Three Munakata Goddesses, the Three Sumiyoshi Gods (住吉三神 Sumiyoshi Sanjin ) and the goddess Amaterasu who were revered by the tribal clan Munakata-shi due to their aid in the "Conquest of
1480-410: The present form of Shinto, Hachiman is the divine spirit of Emperor Ōjin. Emperor Kinmei (欽明天皇, Kinmei-tennō ) in his Regnal Year 32 (571 AD ) decreed that the deified Emperor Ōjin was revealed for the first time in the land of Usa (宇佐の地)—the present-day city of Usa , in Oita Prefecture —where he became the patron deity of this city, along with a lesser Shinto female deity called Himegami (比売神) and
1520-409: The sea (or let Tamayori-hime-no-mikoto take care of the child and leave, and later let Tamayori-hime-no-mikoto take the child and send it to land). Later, Toyotama-hime no Mikoto sent Tamayorihime no Mikoto to give a song to Hiori no Mikoto, and have her feed the infant Kusabufuri no Mikoto. It was at this time that Tamayorihime no Mikoto and Hiori no Mikoto were born. Later, Tamayorihime-no-mikoto became
1560-513: The second ancestral shrine after the dominant Ise Grand Shrine (伊勢神宮 Ise Jingū ) . After the arrival of Buddhism in Japan, Hachiman became a syncretistic deity , fusing elements of the native kami worship with Buddhism ( shinbutsu-shūgō ). In the 8th century AD, he joined the Buddhist pantheon as Great Bodhisattva Hachiman ( 八幡大菩薩 , Hachiman Daibosatsu ) where his jinja (神社 - Shinto shrines) and jingu (神宮 - Shinto shrine of
1600-609: Was his great-grandson. However, if we compare the generations of those who accompanied the descendants of the gods [ ja ] with those involved in the Jimmu East Expedition , we find that the Nakatomi-ren , Imbibe shu , Kume nao , and other related clans are always grandfather and grandson, and only the imperial lineage is somehow one generation older. However, intergenerational marriages between nephews and their aunts are rare and cannot be said to be
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