The , which is Japanese for "falcon-people", were a people of ancient
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
who lived in the
Satsuma Satsuma may refer to:
* Satsuma (fruit), a citrus fruit
* ''Satsuma'' (gastropod), a genus of land snails
Places Japan
* Satsuma, Kagoshima, a Japanese town
* Satsuma District, Kagoshima, a district in Kagoshima Prefecture
* Satsuma Domain, a sou ...
and
Ōsumi regions of southern
Kyushu
is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...
during the
Nara period
The of the history of Japan covers the years from CE 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the cap ...
. They frequently resisted
Yamato
was originally the area around today's Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan, which became Yamato Province and by extension a name for the whole of Japan.
Yamato is also the dynastic name of the ruling Imperial House of Japan.
Japanese his ...
rule. After their subjugation they became subjects of the government under
Ritsuryō
, , is the historical law system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Chinese Legalism in Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei" (律令制). ''Kyaku'' (格) are amendments of Ritsuryō, ''Shiki'' ( ...
, and the
Ministry of the Military Military of the Military may refer to:
* Ministry of Military Affairs (Poland), a Polish government ministry during the Second Polish Republic and World War II
*Ministry of War (imperial China) (兵部), a Chinese government ministry between the S ...
had an office known as the in charge of their governance. The name also came into use by samurai as a title, . In modern times, Hayato is a Japanese male given name.
History and culture
The Hayato might have been the same as the
Kumaso
The were a mythical people of ancient Japan mentioned in the '' Kojiki'', believed to have lived in the south of Kyūshū until at least the Nara period. The last leader of the Kumaso, Torishi-Kaya was killed by Yamato Takeru in 397. The name o ...
group of around the same time, but while the Kumaso are mentioned in the more legendary portions of the
Nihon Shoki, the Hayato are recorded in various historical texts until the beginning of the
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...
. Though the Kumaso are generally portrayed as rebellious, the Hayato are listed among the attendants of emperors and princes from as early as
Emperor Nintoku
, also known as was the 16th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Due to his reputation for goodness derived from depictions in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, he is sometimes referred to as the .
While his existence ...
's reign. This, along with a mention of Hayato crying before the grave of
Emperor Yūryaku
(418 - 8 September 479) was the 21st legendary Emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 雄略天皇 (21) retrieved 2013-8-28. according to the traditional order of succession. He is remembered as a patron of sericulture.Nippon ...
after his death, suggests that the Hayato were naturalized as personal servants by the late 7th century.
Even after pledging allegiance to the Japanese court, the Hayato continued to resist its rule. After the establishment of
Ōsumi Province
was an old province of Japan in the area that is today the eastern part of Kagoshima Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Ōsumi bordered on Hyūga and Satsuma Provinces.
Osumi's ancient capital was near modern Kokubu. During the Sengoku a ...
in 713, the Ōsumi Hayato fought back in 720 with the
Hayato Rebellion, but were defeated in 721 by an army led by
Ōtomo no Tabito
was a Japanese military leader and poet, best known as the father of Ōtomo no Yakamochi, who contributed to the compilation the ''Man'yōshū'' alongside his father.
In the year 720, the Hayato Rebellion erupted in Kyushu. Otomo was ordered ...
. The
Handen-Shūju system was implemented in their lands in 800. The population of
Yamato
was originally the area around today's Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan, which became Yamato Province and by extension a name for the whole of Japan.
Yamato is also the dynastic name of the ruling Imperial House of Japan.
Japanese his ...
immigrants in Kagoshima prefecture in the early 8th century has been estimated at around 9,000 people and one-seventh of the total population. By this estimate, the Hayato population of the time can be calculated as consisting of around 54,000 people (not including Hayato emigrants to Honshū).
The Hayato were made to emigrate to the
Kinai
is a Japanese term denoting an ancient division of the country. ''Kinai'' is a name for the ancient provinces around the capital Nara and Heian-kyō. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Kinai''" in . The five provinces were called ''go-kinai ...
region, and were active in the protection of the court, the arts,
sumo
is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by thr ...
, and bamboo work. Many lived in
Yamashiro Province
was a province of Japan, located in Kinai. It overlaps the southern part of modern Kyoto Prefecture on Honshū. Aliases include , the rare , and . It is classified as an upper province in the ''Engishiki''.
Yamashiro Province included Kyoto its ...
, in the south of modern Kyoto. There remains an area called in
Kyōtanabe, Kyoto
is a city located in the southern part of Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. As of October 1, 2020 the city has an estimated population of 73,753 and a population density of 1,718 persons per km². The total area is 42.92 km².
History
Kyōtanabe wa ...
, where many Ōsumi Hayato lived. These were the Hayato governed by the ''Hayato-shi''.
The language spoken by the Hayato is not known, except for two words and several personal names documented in contemporary sources. Based on this material, it has been proposed that the Hayato may have been of
Austronesian origin. Their culture is also believed to be unique from those of other regions of Japan. In particular, their folk song and dance became famous in the Kinai region as the . An excavation of
Heijō Palace
was the imperial residence in the Japanese capital city Heijō-kyō (today's Nara), during most of the Nara period. The palace, which served as the imperial residence and the administrative centre of for most of the Nara period from 710 to 794 ...
discovered wooden shields with a distinctive reverse-S-shaped marking. These shields match those described in the ''
Engishiki
The is a Japanese book about laws and customs. The major part of the writing was completed in 927. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Engi-shiki''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 178.
History
In 905, Emperor Daigo ordered the compilation of the ...
'', which the Hayato used in court ceremonial functions. The Hayato had roles in various state ceremonies, including those for the new year, imperial enthronement, and visiting foreign officials.
According to the
ancient records of
Hizen province
was an old province of Japan in the area of the Saga and Nagasaki prefectures. It was sometimes called , with Higo Province. Hizen bordered on the provinces of Chikuzen and Chikugo. The province was included in Saikaidō. It did not incl ...
, the
Gotō Islands
The are Japanese islands in the East China Sea, off the western coast of Kyūshū. They are part of Nagasaki Prefecture.
Geography
There are 140 islands, including five main ones: , , , , and .
The group of islands runs approximately fr ...
were also inhabited by a people resembling the Hayato. The
New Book of Tang
The ''New Book of Tang'', generally translated as the "New History of the Tang" or "New Tang History", is a work of official history covering the Tang dynasty in ten volumes and 225 chapters. The work was compiled by a team of scholars of the So ...
describes a minor king of , and this Haya has also been interpreted as referring to the Hayato.
There are three types of graves archaeologically associated with the Hayato: the widely distributed around the border of Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures, the of the southern Satsuma peninsula, and the found north of the Satsuma peninsula. Another large group of tunnel tombs is located near the Ōsumi area of Kyotanabe. Because of the proximity and because the gravelly soil of the area is not suited to such tombs, these may also be associated with the Hayato.
In Japanese mythology, the deity
Umisachihiko is considered the ancestor of the ruler of the Ata Hayato. The Hayato Dance may be intended to portray Umisachihiko's pain at being outdone by his younger brother Yamasachihiko.
Regional distribution
;, or Satsuma Hayato
:A Hayato tribe who lived on the
Satsuma Peninsula. Before the establishment of
Satsuma Province
was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Satsuma" in . Its abbreviation is .
History
Satsuma's provincial capital was Satsumasendai. Durin ...
, the area was known as Ata. The ''
Nihon Shokis section on 682 calls them the Ata Hayato, while the section of the ''
Shoku Nihongi
The is an imperially-commissioned Japanese history text. Completed in 797, it 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 ...
'' on the year 709 refers to them as the Satsuma Hayato.
;
:A Hayato tribe who lived in the northern
Ōsumi Peninsula
261x261px, Satellite image of Ōsumi Peninsula
The projects south from the Japanese island of Kyūshū and includes the southernmost point on the island, Cape Sata. Its east coast lies on the Pacific Ocean, while to the west it faces the Satsuma ...
, or by another theory the
Kimotsuki plain region. They are mentioned in ''Nihon Shoki'' article on 682.
;
:A Hayato tribe who lived in
Tane Province
was an old province of Japan in the area of Kagoshima Prefecture, roughly corresponding to Kumage Subprefecture.
History
Kofun burial mounds on Tanegashima and two very old Shinto shrines on Yakushima suggest that these islands were the south ...
. In 702, the court dispatched an army and conquered the region.
;
:A Hayato tribe who lived on the
Koshikijima Islands
The in the East China Sea are an island chain located 38 km west of the port city of Ichikikushikino, Kagoshima.
Major islands
Minor islands
All minor islands are currently (as in 2017) uninhabited.
#seems to undergo significant eros ...
. They are mentioned in the ''Shoku Nihongis section on 769.
;
:A Hayato tribe who lived in
Hyūga Province
was an old province of Japan on the east coast of Kyūshū, corresponding to the modern Miyazaki Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Hyūga''" in . It was sometimes called or . Hyūga bordered on Bungo, Higo, Ōsumi, and Sats ...
. The ''Shoku Nihongi'' records that in 710, their leader submitted to the court and was awarded the rank of . However, this was before the separation of Ōsumi province from Hyūga Province in 713. The history of
Usa Shrine
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territor ...
records that later, in 719, the Ōsumi and Hyūga Hayato attacked Japan, perhaps a precursor to the rebellion of 720.
Skeletal findings
Anthropological research on human skeletons of the
Kofun period
The is an era in the history of Japan from about 300 to 538 AD (the date of the introduction of Buddhism), following the Yayoi period. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes collectively called the Yamato period. This period is ...
on southern Kyushu has shown that male skeletons found inland differ from those on the Miyazaki plain. Inland skeletons resembled those of
Jōmon people and northwestern Kyushu
Yayoi people, and some groups on the plain also resembled northern Kyushu Yayoi people.
Additionally, skeletons excavated from late Yayoi-period ruins on
Tanegashima
is one of the Ōsumi Islands belonging to Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The island, 444.99 km2 in area, is the second largest of the Ōsumi Islands, and has a population of 33,000 people. Access to the island is by ferry, or by air to New ...
are smaller than those found on Kyushu, and show signs of
artificial cranial deformation
Artificial cranial deformation or modification, head flattening, or head binding is a form of body alteration in which the skull of a human being is deformed intentionally. It is done by distorting the normal growth of a child's skull by applying ...
.
Notes
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hayato People
Nara period
Tribes of ancient Japan