Takeminakata

Takeminakata (タケミナカタ), also known as Minakatatomi or Takeminakatatomi, is a ''kami'' in Japanese mythology. Also known as or after Suwa Grand Shrine (Suwa Taisha) in Nagano Prefecture (former Shinano Province) in which he is enshrined alongside his consort Yasakatome, Takeminakata is historically worshiped as a god of wind, water and agriculture, as well as a patron of hunting and warfare, in which capacity he enjoyed a particularly fervent cult from various samurai clans during the medieval period such as the Hōjō or the Takeda. Takeminakata was also held to be the mythical ancestor of certain families who once served at the shrine as priests, foremost among them being the Suwa clan, the high priests of the Upper Shrine of Suwa who were also revered as living vessels of the god.

Whereas in the '' Kojiki'' (ca. 712 CE) and later derivative accounts, Takeminakata appears as one of the sons of the god Ōkuninushi who fled to Lake Suwa after being defeated by the warrior god Takemikazuchi, other myths (mostly of medieval origin) instead offer alternative explanations regarding the god of Suwa Shrine's origins and identity, portraying him either as an interloper who conquered Suwa by defeating the local ''kami'', as a king from India who manifested in Japan, or as a snake or dragon deity.

Name

The god is named 'Takeminakata-no-Kami' () in both the '' Kojiki'' (ca. 712 CE) and the '' ''Sendai Kuji Hongi'''' (ca. 807-936 CE).''Sendai Kuji Hongi'', Book 4 (先代舊事本紀 巻第四), in Variants of the name found in the imperially commissioned national histories and other literary sources include the following:

* Minakatatomi-no-Kami (南方刀美神)
* Minakatatomi-no-Mikoto-no-Kami (御名方富命神)
* Takeminakatatomi-no-Mikoto (健御名方富命 / 建御名方富命)
* Takeminakatatomi-no-Mikoto-no-Kami (建御名方富命神)

The etymology of the name '(Take)minakata(tomi)' is unclear. While most commentators seem to agree that ''take-'' (and probably ''-tomi'') are honorifics, they differ in how to interpret the other components of the name. Some of the proposed solutions are as follows.

*The Edo period ''kokugaku'' scholar Motoori NorinagaMotoori, Norinaga (1937)
古事記傳 (''Kojiki-den''), vol. 14
in Motoori Toyokai (ed.), ''Motoori Norinaga Zenshū'' (本居宣長全集), vol. 2. Tokyo: Yoshikawa Kōbunkan. p. 675. (Original work written 1764–1798) explained both ''take-'' (建) and ''mi-'' (御) as honorifics (称名 ''tatae-na''), with ''kata'' (方) as yet another ''tatae-na'' meaning "hard" or "firm" (堅). Basil Chamberlain followed Motoori's lead and rendered the god's name as 'Brave-August-Name-Firm' in his translation of the ''Kojiki''.Chamberlain, Basil (trans.) (1882)
Section XXXII.—Abdication of the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land.
''A translation of the "Ko-ji-ki" or Records of Ancient Matters.'' Yokohama: Lane, Crawford & Co.
* Ōta Akira (1926) interpreted ''take-'', ''mi-'' and ''-tomi'' as honorifics and took ''Nakata'' (名方) to be a place name: Nakata District ( 名方郡) in Awa Province (modern Ishii, Tokushima Prefecture), wher
Takeminatomi Shrine
(多祁御奈刀弥神社) stands. Ōwa Iwao (1990) explains the similarity between 'Takeminakata(tomi)' and 'Takeminatomi' by proposing that the name may have been brought to Suwa by immigrants from Nakata in Awa.
*''Minakata'' has also been linked to the Munakata (宗像) of Kyushu. Matsuoka Shizuo (1936) interpreted Minakatatomi as originally being a goddess – citing the fact that the deities of Munakata shrine were female – that was later conflated with the male god Takeminakata.
*Another explanation proposes ''minakata'' to mean "south(ern)" (南方). A variant of this hypothesis sees the name as hinting at a connection between the god and metalworking, in which the southern direction is important: Mayumi Tsunetada (1981) for instance proposed that Takeminakata's name refers to the southern pillar of a ''takadono'' (a high-roofed house housing a '' tatara'' furnace). Gustav Heldt's translation of the ''Kojiki'' (2014), where the name is translated as 'Brave Southward Smelter', follows this interpretation.
*Yet another theory interprets ''mi(na)-'' to mean "water" (水), pointing to the god being a water deity perhaps associated with Lake Suwa.Muraoka (1969). pp. 14–16.Okada, Yoneo (1966). ''Zenkoku jinja saijin goshintokki'' (全国神社祭神御神徳記), quoted in Muraoka (1969). p. 14.Miyasaka, Mitsuaki (1987). "Kyodai naru kami no kuni. Suwa-shinko no tokushitsu (強大なる神の国―諏訪信仰の特質)." In Ueda; Gorai; Ōbayashi; Miyasaka, M.; Miyasaka, Y. p. 31. The full name is thought to derive from a word denoting a body of water or a waterside region such as 水潟 (''minakata'', "lagoon" or " inlet") or 水県 (''mi(na)-'' "water" + ''agata'' "country(side)").
*An alternative explanation for the word ''-tomi'' (as well as the ''-tome'' in 'Yasakatome', the name of this god's consort) is to link it with dialectal words for "snake" (''tomi'', ''tobe'', or ''tōbe''), thereby seeing the name as hinting to the god being a kind of serpentine water deity (''mizuchi'').

''Suwa Daimyōjin''

During the medieval and early modern periods, the god enshrined in Suwa Grand Shrine – specifically, in the Upper Shrine (''Kamisha'') located southeast of Lake Suwa – was popularly known as ''Suwa Daimyōjin'' ( / 諏方大明神) or ''Suwa Myōjin'' (), a name also applied via metonymy to the shrine itself. The name '(Take)minakata(tomi)' was rarely used, if at all, during this period: indeed, medieval documents from Suwa Shrine simply refer to the god as ''sonshin'' / ''sonjin'' (尊神, "revered deity") or ''myōjin'' (明神, "bright deity" or "manifest deity"). This however is hardly unusual, as before the early modern period use of titles such as ''myōjin'' or ''gongen'' for various gods and their shrines were so widespread that these deities were rarely referred to by their classical names.

Other epithets applied to the Suwa deity include ''Nangū Daimyōjin'' (南宮大明神, "Daimyōjin of the Southern Shrine (''Nangū'')"), ''Hosshō Daimyōjin'' (法性大明神, " Dharma-Nature Daimyōjin"), a combination of the two such as ''Nangū Hosshō Daimyōjin'' (南宮法性大明神), or ''Suwa Hosshō Kamishimo'' (or ''Jōge'') ''Daimyōjin'' (諏訪法性上下大明神, "Dharma-Nature Daimyōjin of the Upper and Lower Suwa hrines). Some of the war banners used by Sengoku ''daimyō'' Takeda Shingen (a devotee of the god) for instance contain the inscription ''Suwa Nangū Hosshō Kamishimo'' / ''Jōge Daimyōjin'' (諏訪南宮法性上下大明神 / 諏方南宮法性上下大明神). A hanging scroll given by Emperor Go-Nara (reigned 1526–1557) to the Upper Shrine in 1553 (Tenbun 22), written in the emperor's own calligraphy, refers to the god as ''Suwa Shōichii Nangū Hossho Daimyōjin'' (諏方正一位南宮法性大明神, "Dharma-Nature Daimyōjin of the Suwa ''Nangū'', of Upper First Rank").

A number of explanations have been proposed for the origin of the term ''Nangū.'' One theory posits it to refer to the geographical location of the Upper Suwa Shrine, which is located ''southeast'' of Lake Suwa, at the ''southern'' half of Shinano Province, while another claims it to be derived from 'Minakatatomi' (南方刀美), one of the variant names for the deity, with ''minakata'' being apparently understood to mean "south(ern)" (cf. etymology of 'Takeminakata' above). Indeed, certain copies of the 'Register of Deities' (神名帳, ''Jinmyōchō'') section of the ''Engishiki'', in which this form of the name is used, include reading glosses (''furigana'') suggesting that 南方 was read during the medieval period as '' nanpō'', the characters' Sino-Japanese reading. The term has also been interpreted to come from the medieval belief that the Suwa deity was the guardian of the ''south'' side of the imperial palace or the Shinto-Buddhist concept that the god is an enlightened being who manifested in the world of men, which in Buddhist cosmology is the ''southern'' continent of Jambudvīpa.

Aside from Suwa Shrine, ''Nangū'' was also applied to Kanayamahiko Shrine in Mino Province (modern Nangū Taisha in Gifu Prefecture) and Aekuni Shrine (南宮大菩薩, ''Nangū Daibosatsu'') in Iga Province (modern Mie Prefecture). A song in the late Heian period anthology ''Ryōjin Hishō'' associates the three shrines together, with Suwa Shrine being identified as the "head" of the three ''Nangū'' shrines (南宮の本山, ''nangu no honzan''), the shrine at Mino as the "midmost shrine" (中の宮, ''naka no miya''), and the shrine at Iga as the "youngest shrine" (稚の宮, ''chigo no miya'')''.''

''Hosshō'', meanwhile, is believed to refer to the concept of the ''dharmakāya'' (法性身, ''hosshōshin''), the formless, transcendent ultimate truth that is the source of all buddhas, which are its physical manifestations (''nirmāṇakāya''). A certain medieval legend claims that the Suwa deity chose an eight-year-old boy to become his priest while declaring: "I have no (physical) body and so make this priest my body".

Mythology

In classical mythology

Parentage

Takeminakata is portrayed in both the ''Kojiki'' and the ''Sendai Kuji Hongi'' as a son of the god Ōkuninushi, although the former does not include him in its genealogy of Ōkuninushi's children. The ''Kuji Hongi'' meanwhile identifies him as the son of Ōnamuchi (Ōkuninushi) with one of his wives, Nunakawahime of Koshi.

Bout with Takemikazuchi

Takeminakata appears in both the ''Kojiki'' and the ''Kuji Hongi'' in the context of Ōkuninushi's "transfer of the land" (''kuni-yuzuri'') to the ''amatsukami'', the gods of the heavenly realm of Takamagahara.

When the heavenly deities, headed by the sun goddess Amaterasu and/or the primordial deity Takamimusubi, sent Takemikazuchi and another messenger to demand that Ōkuninushi relinquish his authority over the earthly realm of Ashihara no Nakatsukuni (the "Central Land of Reed-Plains") to Amaterasu's progeny, he told the messengers to consult his son Kotoshironushi, who immediately accepted their demands and advised his father to do likewise. Upon being asked if he had any other sons who ought to express their opinion, Ōkuninushi told the messengers that he had another son named Takeminakata.

As he was saying this, this same Takeminakata-no-Kami came bearing a tremendous boulder (千引之石, ''chibiki no iwa'', i.e. a boulder so large it would take a thousand men to pull) on his finger-tips and said:

"Who is it who has come to our land and is talking so furtively? Come, let us test our strength; I will first take your arm."

When akemikazuchi-no-Kamiallowed akeminakata-no-Kamito take his arm, he changed it into a column of ice, then again changed it into a sword blade. At this, he (Takeminakata) was afraid and drew back.

Then akemikazuchi-no-Kami in his turn, demanded he rightto take hold of the arm of Takeminakata-no-Kami.

When he took it, it was like taking hold of a young reed; he grasped it and crushed it, throwing it aside. Immediately, he (Takeminakata) ran away.

They pursued him, and caught up with him by the lake of Suwa in the land of Shinano (科野国州羽海). As they were about to kill him, Takeminakata-no-Kami said:

"Pray do not kill me. I will go to no other place. Also I will not disobey the commands of my father, Ōkuninushi-no-Kami, and will not disobey the words of the words of Yae-Kotoshironushi-no-Kami. I will yield this Central Land of the Reed Plains in accordance with the commands of the Heavenly Deities."

With Takeminakata's surrender, Ōkuninushi finally agreed to cede the land to the ''amatsukami'' and withdrew himself into the unseen spirit world.

Variants

The opening section of the '' Suwa Daimyōjin Ekotoba'', a medieval compilation of legends and other information regarding Suwa Shrine, its deity and its festivals, retells the ''Kuji Hongi'' version of this story, albeit with Takeminakata's shameful defeat notably omitted. This is believed to be an editorial decision by the compiler, Suwa (Kosaka) Enchū (a member of a cadet branch of the Suwa clan based in Kyoto), to portray Takeminakata in a more honorable light.Suwa Shishi Hensan Iinkai, ed. (1995). pp. 685, 689.

It is said in the ''Kuji Hongi'' that Amaterasu-Ōmikami gave a decree and sent two gods, Futsunushi-no-Kami (of Katori Shrine in Sōshū) and Takeikatsuchi-no-Kami (of Kashima Shrine in Jōshū), down to the land of Izumo, where they declared to Ōanamuchi (of Kitsuki in Unshū nd Miwa in Washū), "The Central Land of Reed-Plains is the land entrusted to our heir. Are you willing to give it up to the heavenly deities?"
Ōanamuchi said, "Ask my son, Kotoshironushi-no-Kami (of Nagata Shrine in Sesshū; eighth atron deity ofthe Jingi-kan); he will give you an answer."
Kotoshironushi-no-Kami said, "My father ought respectfully to withdraw, nor will I disobey."
he messengers said,"Do you have any other sons who ought to speak?"
"There is also my son, Takeminakata-no-Kami (of Suwa Shrine)."
ecame, bearing a heavy boulder on his fingertips, saying, "Who is it who has come to our land and is talking so furtively? I wish to challenge you to a test of strength."

When he took his hand, it turned into an icicle, and then it turned into a sword blade (or "he caused ice to appear, and then he took up a sword"). Upon arriving at the sea of Suwa in the land of Shinano, Takeminakata-no-Kami said, "I will go to no other place."

This is the story of he deity'smanifestation (垂迹の本縁 ''suijaku no hon'en'').

Similar attempts at retelling or reinterpreting the myth in a more positive way are found in certain later versions of the story. In one version, for instance, Takeminakata is portrayed as going to Suwa not so much to flee from Takemikazuchi but to pacify it under the orders of his father Ōkuninushi.

A variant found in a commentary on the ''Nihon Shoki'' penned by a 15th-century monk named Shun'yu (春瑜), the ''Nihon Shoki Shikenmon'' (日本書紀私見聞), claims 'Suwa Daimyōjin' (諏防大明神) to be the third son of the deity Sannō Gongen, the guardian deity of Mount Hiei. After engaging in a failed rebellion against Amaterasu, the deity surrendered and settled down in the land of Shinano.

Local legends from within Nagano Prefecture claim Takeminakata to have passed or stayed in various places within the region during his escape. A local legend in Shimoina District (located south of Suwa) for instance claims that Takemikazuchi caught up with the fleeing Takeminakata in the modern village of Toyooka, where they agreed to an armistice and left imprints of their hands on a rock as a sign of their agreement. The rock, bearing the gods' supposed handprints (''tegata''), is found in Otegata Shrine (御手形神社) in Toyooka. After Takemikazuchi's departure, Takeminakata temporarily resided in the neighboring village of Ōshika, where he discovered hot springs of saltwater whilst hunting for deer.

The contest between Takemikazuchi and Takeminakata has also been sometimes interpreted as an origin myth for sumo wrestling and aiki. This interpretation apparently follows an alternative reading of the text which sees Takemikazuchi as not so much crushing and tearing Takeminakata's arm(s) off but seizing him by the arm and throwing him into the ground.

In later mythology

Entry into Suwa

A myth from the Suwa area portrays Suwa Myōjin as being opposed during his advent by the local god Moriya (Moreya).

A document supposedly submitted to the Kamakura shogunate in 1249 by Suwa Nobushige, then high priest or ''Ōhōri'' (大祝) of the Upper Shrine of Suwa, known as the ''Suwa Nobushige Gejō'' (諏訪信重解状 "The Petition of Suwa Nobushige"), relates a story from "the ancient customs" (舊貫) that the Suwa deity came down from heaven in order to take possession of the land of 'Moriya Daijin' (守屋大臣). The conflict between the two escalated into a battle, but as no winner could be declared, the two finally compete in a tug of war using hooks (''kagi''): Suwa Myōjin, using a hook made out of the wisteria plant (藤鎰), emerges victorious against Moriya, who used an iron hook (鐵鎰). After his victory, the god built his dwelling (what would become the Upper Shrine) in Moriya's land and planted the wisteria hook, which became a grove known as the 'Forest of Fujisuwa' (藤諏訪之森 ''Fujisuwa no mori'').Suwa Shishi Hensan Iinkai, ed. (1995). pp. 811–814.Miyasaka (1992). pp. 92-93.Fukuda; Nihonmatsu; Tokuda, eds. (2015). pp. 121-124. Whereas the ''Kojiki'' portrays Takeminakata as an earthly god defeated by a deity from heaven, this myth notably features the opposite scenario, in which the deity of Suwa descends from heaven and conquers the land below.

The ''Suwa Daimyōjin Ekotoba'' relates a variant of this myth as an origin story of Fujishima Shrine (藤島社) in Suwa City, one of the Upper Shrine's auxiliary shrines where its yearly rice-planting ceremony is traditionally held.Suwa Shishi Hensan Iinkai, ed. (1995). pp. 681-683. In this version, the deity of Fujishima Shrine (藤島の明神 ''Fujishima no Myōjin'') - usually equated with Suwa Myōjin - defeats "Moriya the evil outlaw" (洩矢の惡賊, ''Moriya no akuzoku'') with a wisteria branch:

Regarding the so-called 'Fujishima no Myōjin': long ago, when the revered deity (尊神 ''sonshin'') manifested himself, Moriya the evil outlaw sought to hinder the god and fought him with an iron ring (鐵輪), but the Myōjin, taking up a wisteria branch (藤の枝), defeated him, thus finally subduing heresy (邪輪 ''jarin'', lit. "wheel/circle/ring of evil") and establishing the true Dharma. When the Myōjin swore an oath and threw the wisteria branch away, immediately it took root n the ground its branches and leaves flourishing in abundance, and proutedbeautiful blossoms, leaving behind a marker of the battleground for posterity. Fujishima no Myōjin is named thus for this reason.

Two extant medieval genealogies of the Suwa (Miwa) clan also begin by recounting the legend of a battle between the Suwa deity, accompanied by the first high priest of the Upper Shrine, and 'Moriya' (守屋) during the reign of Emperor Yōmei (585-587).

In later versions of this story which combine it with the ''kuni-yuzuri'' myth, Moriya opposes Takeminakata after the latter had fled from Izumo. After being defeated, Moriya swears fealty to Takeminakata and becomes a faithful ally.Imai (1960). pp. 3-15.Imai (1976). p. 41. Moriya is reckoned as the divine ancestor of the Moriya (守矢) clan, one of the former priestly lineages of the Upper Shrine.Moriya, Sanae (2017). ''守矢神長家のお話し (Moriya Jinchōke no ohanashi),'' in

While medieval sources such as Nobushige's petition and the ''Ekotoba'' situate the battle between the two gods in the slopes of Mount Moriya

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