Konohanasakuya-hime

Last updated
Konohanasakuya-hime
Nature deity
Konohana Sakuyahime.jpg
Konohanasakuya-hime
Other namesKonohananosakuya-hime
Sakuya-hime
Sengen
Asama no Okami
Japanese木花咲耶姫
木花開耶姫
Affiliation Blossoms, life, Mount Fuji, volcanoes
Major cult center Asama shrines
Abodes Mount Fuji
Symbol Sakura cherry blossom
Texts Kojiki , Nihon Shoki
GenderFemale
Region Japan
Personal information
Parents Ōyamatsumi
Siblings Iwanaga-hime
Consort Ninigi
Offspring Hoderi, Hosuseri, Hoori

Konohanasakuya-hime is the goddess of Mount Fuji and all volcanoes in Japanese mythology; she is also the blossom-princess and symbol of delicate earthly life. [1] [2] She is often considered an avatar of Japanese life, especially since her symbol is the sakura (cherry blossom).

Contents

Shinto shrines have been built on Mount Fuji for Sakuya-hime, collectively known as the Asama or Sengen Shrines. It is believed that she will keep Mount Fuji from erupting, [3] but shrines to her at Kirishima have been repeatedly destroyed by volcanic eruptions. She is also known for having torn up the Yatsugatake Mountains, because it was higher than Fujiyama.

Name and etymology

Konohanasakuya-hime or Konohananosakuya-hime (木花咲耶姫 or 木花開耶姫; lit. "[cherry] tree blossom blooming princess" (princess, or lady of high birth explains hime; her name also appears in a shorter form as "Sakuya-hime", [4] and she is also called Sengen [5] ))

Myths

Ninigi and Sakuya-hime

Sakuya-hime met Ninigi on the seashore and they fell in love; Ninigi asked Ohoyamatsumi, the father of Sakuya-hime for her hand in marriage. Oho-Yama proposed his older daughter, Iwa-Naga-hime, instead, but Ninigi had his heart set on Sakuya-hime. Oho-Yama reluctantly agreed and Ninigi and Ko-no-hana married. Because Ninigi refused Iwa-Naga, the rock-princess, human lives are said to be short and fleeting, like the sakura blossoms, instead of enduring and long lasting, like stones.

Sakuya-hime became pregnant in just one night, causing suspicion in Ninigi. He wondered if this was the child of another kami. Sakuya-hime was enraged at Ninigi's accusation and entered a doorless hut, which she then set fire to, declaring that the child would not be hurt if it were truly the offspring of Ninigi. Inside the hut, Ko-no-hana had three sons, Hoderi, Hosuseri and Hoori. [6] [7]

Yosoji's camellia tree

Konohanasakuya-hime guiding Yosoji to the stream --illustration by Ella Du Cane YOSOJI'S CAMELLIA TREE.jpg
Konohanasakuya-hime guiding Yosoji to the stream
—illustration by Ella Du Cane

According to an 11th-century legend, a small village in the Suruga Province named Kamiide was struck by smallpox epidemic. In the village, there lived a young boy named Yosoji and his mother, who was infected by the disease. To cure his mother, Yosoji went to a fortune teller who told him to give his mother water from a small stream near Mount Fuji.

Konohanasakuya-hime flying Fuji goddess flies.jpg
Konohanasakuya-hime flying

The next day, Yosoji decided to go to the river, but then stumbled upon three different paths, not knowing which one to take. A young girl in white came towards Yosoji from the forest and guided him to the stream. Yosoji scooped up water from the stream and gave it to his mother to drink.

Days later, Yosoji went back to the area where the three paths met, and met the girl in white once again. She told him to come back in three days, and that she would meet him there. She also told him that it would take five trips to the stream to treat all the villagers.

Five trips later, Yosoji's mother was healed, and so were many other villagers. The villagers thanked him, but he knew that he owed it all to the girl in white. So he went back to the stream to give thanks to the girl in white. However, he found that the stream was completely dried up and the girl was nowhere to be seen. Thus, Yosoji prayed that the girl would reveal herself, so that he might thank her for her actions.

The girl appeared before him and Yosoji said that he wished to tell her how deeply grateful he was to her and that he wished to know who she was, so he could tell the villagers whom to thank. The girl in white said that her identity was not important and said farewell to Yosoji. She then swung a branch of camellia over her head and a cloud from Mount Fuji came down and picked her up. Yosoji realized the woman was none other than the Goddess of Mount Fuji. [8]

Genealogy

Amaterasu [9] Takamimusubi [10] [11] [12]
Ame-no-oshihomimi [9] Takuhadachiji-hime [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] Ōyamatsumi [16] [17]
Ninigi-no-Mikoto [13] [14] [15] [9] [18]
（天孫）		 Konohanasakuya-hime [16] [17] Watatsumi [19]
Hoderi [16] [17] [20] Hosuseri [16] [17]
（海幸彦）		 Hoori [16] [17] [18]
（山幸彦）		 Toyotama-hime [19] Utsushihikanasaku  [ ja ] Furutama-no-mikoto  [ ja ]
Tensori no Mikoto  [ ja ] [20] Ugayafukiaezu [18] [21] Tamayori-hime [19] Azumi people （ Owari clan
Yamato clan)
Hayato people [20] Itsuse [21] Inahi [21] Mikeiri [21] Jimmu [21] Ahiratsu-hime
Imperial House of Japan Tagishimimi [22] [23] [24]
  • Red background is female.
  • Green background means groups
  • Bold letters are three generations of Hyuga.

In Persona 4 "Konohana Sakuya" is a persona owned by Yukiko Amagi. [25]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ōyamatsumi</span> Japanese god

Ōyama-tsumi or Ohoyama-tsumi, also Ōyama-tsumi-mi'oya-no-mikoto (大山祇御祖命), is a god of mountains, sea, and war in Japanese mythology. He is an elder brother of Amaterasu and Susanoo. His other names are Watashi-no-Ōkami (和多志大神) and Sakatoke (酒解神).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ninigi-no-Mikoto</span> Shinto god

Ninigi-no-Mikoto is a deity in Japanese mythology.. Grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu, Ninigi is regarded according to Japanese mythology as the great-grandfather of Japan’s first emperor, Emperor Jimmu. The three sacred treasures brought with Ninigi from Heaven and divine ancestry established the Japanese Imperial Family.

Umisachi-hiko (海佐知毘古/海幸彦), in Japanese mythology and folklore, was a deity of the bounty of the sea and enchanted fisherman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hoori</span> Figure in Japanese mythology

Hoori, also known as Hikohohodemi no Mikoto (彦火火出見尊), is a figure in Japanese mythology, the third and youngest son of Ninigi-no-Mikoto and the blossom princess Konohanasakuya-hime. He is one of the ancestors of the Emperors of Japan as the grandfather of Emperor Jimmu. He is also known as Yamasachi-hiko (山幸彦).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toyotama-hime</span> Japanese goddess

Toyotama-hime is a goddess in Japanese mythology who appears in Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. She is the daughter of the sea deity, Watatsumi, and the wife of Hoori. She is known as the paternal grandmother of Emperor Jimmu, the first emperor of Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ugayafukiaezu</span> Figure in Japanese mythology and Shinto

Ugayafukiaezu no Mikoto (鵜葺草葺不合命) is a Shinto kami, and is in Japanese mythology, the father of Japan's first Emperor, Emperor Jimmu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Miwa</span> Mountain in Sakurai, Nara, Japan

Mount Miwa or Mount Mimoro is a mountain located in the city of Sakurai, Nara Prefecture, Japan. It has been an important religious and historical mountain in Japan, especially during its early history, and serves as a holy site in Shinto. The entire mountain is considered sacred, and is home to one of the earliest Shinto shrines, Ōmiwa Shrine. Several burial mounds from the Kofun period can be found around the mountain.

Watatsumi, also pronounced Wadatsumi, is a legendary kami, Japanese dragon and tutelary water deity in Japanese mythology. Ōwatatsumi no kami is believed to be another name for the sea deity Ryūjin and also for the Watatsumi Sanjin, which rule the upper, middle and lower seas respectively and were created when Izanagi was washing himself of the dragons blood when he returned from Yomi, "the underworld".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tenson kōrin</span> Japanese mythological event

In Japanese mythology, the tenson kōrin (天孫降臨) is the descent of Amaterasu's grandson Ninigi-no-Mikoto from Heaven (Takamagahara) to Ashihara no Nakatsukuni; according to legend, the direct place of descent is at Takachiho-gawara in Japan. Following the tenson kōrin, Ninigi's son, Hoori, was born.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ame-no-oshihomimi</span>

Amenooshihomimi (天忍穗耳尊,天之忍穂耳命) or Oshihomimi for short, is the first son of Amaterasu.

Takamimusubi is a god of agriculture in Japanese mythology, who was the second of the first beings to come into existence.

Iwanaga-hime is a kami in Japanese mythology. She is also the daughter of Ōyamatsumi, and sister to Konohanasakuya-hime. She is said to be enshrined at Kifune Shrine.

Hosuseri (火須勢理命) is a god that appears in Japanese mythology. Second child of Ninigi-no-Mikoto and Konohanasakuya-hime. He is considered to be the great-uncle of Emperor Jimmu.

Ahiratsu-hime was the first wife of Emperor Jimmu, first Emperor of Japan. Jimmu later married Himetataraisuzu-hime who became the first Empress of Japan, and whose children inherited the throne. Her son Tagishimimi would attempt to seize power violently due to not inheriting the throne.

Inahi no Mikoto was a Japanese legendary character. In Japanese traditional mythology, he was a brother of Emperor Jimmu, the first Emperor who according to tradition lived in the 7th century BC. His name Inahi means "boiled rice".

Takuhadachiji-hime (栲幡千千姫命), is a deity that appears in the creation story of the "Kojiki" and "Nihon Shoki." She is the daughter of the god Takamimusubi and younger sister of Omoikane. She is the goddess of textiles and mother of Ninigi-no-Mikoto and Amenohoakari, and thus an ancestor of Jimmu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Itsuse no Mikoto</span> Older brother of the first Emperor of Japan

Itsuse no Mikoto is a Japanese deity. He was the older brother of Emperor Jimmu.

Mikeiri no Mikoto is a Japanese deity. He was the older brother of Jimmu.. While playing a minor role in the Nihon Shoki, he has a prominent local tradition at Takachiho Shrine of which he is the main deity. There is an annual festival for him called Shishikake Festival.

Konohanachiru-hime is a Japanese goddess.

References

  1. ↑ Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697, translated from the original Chinese and Japanese by William George Aston. Book I, page 71. Tuttle Publishing. Tra edition (July 2005). First edition published 1972. ISBN   978-0-8048-3674-6
  2. ↑ Coulter, Charles Russell; Turner, Patricia (2013-07-04). Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities. Routledge. ISBN   978-1-135-96390-3.
  3. ↑ "In A.D. 806 a local official built a shrine near the foot of the volcano to keep it from erupting. The priests assigned the task of pacifying the mountain apparently neglected their duties because Fuji erupted with great violence in 864, causing much damage in a nearby province. The governor of that province blamed the priests for failing to perform the proper rites and constructed another shrine in his own territory, where he could make sure everything was done correctly. A fiery god of the mountain became at a later date the more peaceful Shinto goddess of Mount Fuji-- Konohana Sakuya Hime-- the Goddess of Flowering Trees." "Konohana Sakuya Hime originally had little or no connection with Mount Fuji. Sometime between the 14th and 16th centuries, the belief arose among the people of the region that she would protect them from eruptions of the volcano as she had her newborn son from the flames of the burning bower." Konohana is now the principal goddess of Mount Fuji. Members of Fuji-ko have altars in their own home in which they worship Konohana Sakuya Hime. This group also lights a torch for Konohana Sakuya Hime at the fire ceremony at Fuji-Yoshida.
  4. ↑ "Creation stories". gly.uga.edu/. Archived from the original on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  5. ↑ Cartwright, M ark (12 April 2017). "Mount Fuji". Ancient History. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  6. ↑ Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697, translated from the original Chinese and Japanese by William George Aston. Book II, page 73. Tuttle Publishing. Tra edition (July 2005). First edition published 1972. ISBN   978-0-8048-3674-6
  7. ↑ "According to the 'Kojiki', the great 8th century A.D. compilation of Japanese mythology, Konohana Sakuya-hime married a god who grew suspicious of her when she became pregnant shortly after their wedding. To prove her fidelity to her husband, she entered a benign bower and miraculously gave birth to a son, unscathed by the surrounding flames. The fire ceremony at Fuji-Yyoshida recalls this story as a means of protecting the town from fire and promoting easy childbirth among women."
  8. ↑ Richard Gordon Smith (1908). "Yosoji's Camellia Tree". Ancient Tales and Folklore of Japan. Illustrated by Ella Du Cane – via Google Books.
  9. 1 2 3 Borgen, Robert; Ury, Marian (April 1990). "Readable Japanese Mythology: Selections from Nihon shoki and Kojiki" (PDF). The Journal of the Association of Teachers of Japanese. American Association of Teachers of Japanese. 24 (1): 61–97. doi:10.2307/489230. JSTOR   489230 . Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  10. 1 2 "万幡豊秋津師比売命 – 國學院大學 古典文化学事業". kojiki.kokugakuin.ac.jp. Retrieved 2023-01-17.
  11. 1 2 "Encyclopedia of Shinto - Home : Kami in Classic Texts : Futodama". eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  12. 1 2 https://archive.today/20230406174104/https://d-museum.kokugakuin.ac.jp/eos/detail/?id=9716
  13. 1 2 "タクハタチヂヒメ". nihonsinwa.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-01-17.
  14. 1 2 "栲幡千千姫命（たくはたちぢひめのみこと）ご利益と神社". xn--u9ju32nb2az79btea.asia (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-01-17.
  15. 1 2 "Ninigi". Mythopedia. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697, translated from the original Chinese and Japanese by William George Aston. Book II, page 73. Tuttle Publishing. Tra edition (July 2005). First edition published 1972. ISBN   978-0-8048-3674-6
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 "According to the 'Kojiki', the great 8th century A.D. compilation of Japanese mythology, Konohana Sakuya-hime married a god who grew suspicious of her when she became pregnant shortly after their wedding. To prove her fidelity to her husband, she entered a benign bower and miraculously gave birth to a son, unscathed by the surrounding flames. The fire ceremony at Fuji-Yyoshida recalls this story as a means of protecting the town from fire and promoting easy childbirth among women."
  18. 1 2 3 "みやざきの神話と伝承101：概説". 2021-08-04. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
  19. 1 2 3 Akima, Toshio (1993). "The Origins of the Grand Shrine of Ise and the Cult of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu Ōmikami". Japan Review. 4 (4): 143. ISSN   0915-0986. JSTOR   25790929.
  20. 1 2 3 Tsugita, Masaki (2001) [1977]. 古事記 （上） 全訳注[Complete Translated and Annotated Kojiki, Part 1]. Vol. 38. 講談社学術文庫. p. 205. ISBN   4-06-158207-0.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 The History of Nations: Japan. Dept. of education. Japan. H. W. Snow. 1910.
  22. ↑ Norinaga Motoori (2007). The Poetics of Motoori Norinaga: A Hermeneutical Journey. University of Hawaii Press. p. 191. ISBN   978-0-8248-3078-6.
  23. ↑ Gary L. Ebersole (1992). Ritual Poetry and the Politics of Death in Early Japan. Princeton University Press. pp. 108–109. ISBN   0-691-01929-0.
  24. ↑ The Kojiki: Records of Ancient Matters. Tuttle Publishing. 19 June 2012. p. 218. ISBN   978-1-4629-0511-9.
  25. ↑ Persona 4 Visual Data. Atlus. 2008. p. 60.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.