Futsunushi
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, also known as , is a
warrior A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have be ...
god In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
in Japanese mythology. Also known under the epithet Katori Daimyōjin () after his shrine in northern
Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama Prefecture to t ...
(historical
Shimōsa Province was a province of Japan in the area modern Chiba Prefecture, and Ibaraki Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Shimōsa''" in . It lies to the north of the Bōsō Peninsula (房総半島), whose name takes its first ''kanji'' from ...
),
Katori Jingū The is a Shintō shrine in the city of Katori, Chiba, Katori in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is the ''ichinomiya'' of former Shimōsa Province, and is the head shrine of the approximately 400 Katori shrines around the country (located primarily in ...
, he is often revered alongside
Takemikazuchi is a deity in Japanese mythology, considered a god of thunder and a sword god. He also competed in what is considered the first sumo wrestling match recorded in history. He is otherwise known as "The ''kami'' of Kashima"" (Kashima-no-kami), th ...
(the god of
Kashima Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Kashima, Ibaraki in the northern Kantō region of Japan. It is dedicated to , one of the patron deities of martial arts. Various dōjō of '' kenjutsu'' and '' kendō'' often display a hanging scroll emblazoned ...
), with whom he is closely associated. He is regarded as a legendary ancestor of the Mononobe clan, and like Takemikazuchi is one of the tutelary deities of the
Fujiwara clan was a powerful family of imperial regents in Japan, descending from the Nakatomi clan and, as legend held, through them their ancestral god Ame-no-Koyane. The Fujiwara prospered since the ancient times and dominated the imperial court until th ...
.


Name

One theory interprets the ''futsu'' (
Old Japanese is the oldest attested stage of the Japanese language, recorded in documents from the Nara period (8th century). It became Early Middle Japanese in the succeeding Heian period, but the precise delimitation of the stages is controversial. Old Jap ...
: ''putu'') in Futsunushi's name as an onomatopoeic sound of a sword swinging and cutting something, while another theory proposes it to be derived from the
Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...
word for 'fire' or 'brilliance', ''pul'' (불). A connection with the term ''furu'' ('to shake') has also been proposed. ''Nushi'' (OJ: ''nusi''), meaning 'master' or 'ruler', is derived from a contraction of the possessive particle ''no'' and ''ushi'' (OJ: ''usi''), of the same meaning. The name ''Iwainushi'' ( historical orthography: いはひぬし, ''Ihahinushi''; OJ: ''Ipapinusi'') meanwhile is a contraction of ''iwai no ushi'' (斎之大人), 'master of worship'.


Mythology


Parentage

A variant account of
Izanagi Izanagi (イザナギ/伊邪那岐/伊弉諾) or Izanaki (イザナキ), formally known as , is the creator deity (''kami are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can b ...
and
Izanami , formally known as , is the creator deity A creator deity or creator god (often called the Creator) is a deity responsible for the creation of the Earth, world, and universe in human religion and mythology. In monotheism, the single God ...
's begetting of various gods ('' kamiumi'') cited in the '' Nihon Shoki'' states that when Izanagi killed the newborn fire god
Kagutsuchi Kagutsuchi (カグツチ; Old Japanese: ''Kagututi''), also known as Hi-no-Kagutsuchi or Homusubi among other names, is the kami of fire in classical Japanese mythology. Mythology Kagutsuchi's birth burned his mother Izanami, causing her deat ...
(whose birth caused the death of his wife Izanami), the drops of blood from his sword congealed to form the rocks by the heavenly river (天の安河, ''ame no yasukawa'') from which Futsunushi was born. The blood which dripped from the sword's hilt ring then turned into two gods named Mikahayahi-no-Kami (甕速日神) and Hihayahi-no-Kami (樋速日神); Mikahayahi is here identified as Takemikazuchi's parent. Another variant meanwhile states that Kagutsuchi's blood spurted out and transformed into two gods named Iwasaku-no-Kami (磐裂神) and Nesaku-no-Kami (根裂神). Their children, the male Iwatsutsunoo-no-Kami (磐筒男神) and the female Iwatsutsunome-no-Kami (磐筒女神), begat Futsunushi. This is the version followed in the main narrative of the work's second volume. Likewise the ''
Kogo Shūi is a historical record of the Inbe clan of Japan written in the early Heian period (794–1185). It was composed by Inbe no Hironari (斎部広成) in 807 using material transmitted orally over several generations of the Inbe clan. Backgroun ...
'' identifies Futsunushi as the son of Iwatsutsunome.


Subjugation of the land


''Nihon Shoki''

Both Futsunushi and Takemikazuchi are closely associated with the 'transfer of the land' (''
kuni-yuzuri The was a mythological event in Japanese prehistory, related in sources such as the ''Kojiki'' and the '' Nihon Shoki''. It relates the story of how the rulership of Japan passed from the earthly ''kami'' ('' kunitsukami'') to the ''kami'' of Hea ...
'') myth cycle, which relates how the deities of
Takamagahara In Japanese mythology, Takamagahara (高天原, "Plain of High Heaven" or "High Plain of Heaven", also read as Takaamanohara, Takamanohara, Takaamagahara, or Takaamahara), is the abode of the heavenly gods ('' amatsukami''). Often depicted as locat ...
(the 'Plain of High Heaven') sent various messengers down to earth, to
Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni is, in Japanese mythology, the world between Takamagahara (Heaven) and Yomi (Hell). In time, the term became another word for the country or the location of Japan. The term can be used interchangeably with Toyoashihara no Nakatsukuni (豊葦原 ...
(the 'Central Land of Reed-Plains,' i.e. the land of Japan), in order to demand that its inhabitants submit to their rule. The main narrative of the second volume of the ''Nihon Shoki'' relates that after the failure of the earlier messengers, Ame-no-Hohi and Ame-no-Wakahiko, to perform their mission, the gods of heaven headed by the primordial deity
Takamimusubi Takamimusubi (高御産巣日神, lit. "High Creator") is a god of agriculture in Japanese mythology, who was the second of the first beings to come into existence. It is speculated that Takamimusubi was originally the tutelary deity for the J ...
decide to send Futsunushi, the son of Iwatsutsuno'o and Iwatsutsunome, as their new emissary. Hearing this, the god Takemikazuchi - here identified as the son of Hihayahi - indignantly protests that he is also a stalwart warrior (''masurao'') like Futsunushi; the gods then agreed to assign him as Futsunushi's companion. The two then make their way to the shores of Itasa (五十田狹之小汀, ''Itasa no ohama'') in the land of Izumo, demanding that the earthly deity Ōnamuchi (
Ōkuninushi Ōkuninushi ( historical orthography: ''Ohokuninushi''), also known as Ō(a)namuchi (''Oho(a)namuchi'') or Ō(a)namochi (''Oho(a)namochi'') among other variants, is a ''kami'' in Japanese mythology. He is one of the central deities in the cycle ...
), the ruler of Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni, relinquish his authority. At the counsel of his son,
Kotoshironushi , also known as is a Shinto ''kami''. In the ''Kojiki'', Kotoshironushi is the son of Ōkuninushi, the earthly deity of Izumo province. When the heavenly deities sent Takemikazuchi to conquer Izumo, Ōkuninushi deferred the decision over whether ...
, Ōnamuchi agrees to cede the land and withdraws into invisibility. After this, Futsunushi and Takemikazuchi proceeded to slay all those who refused to submit to them. A variant account adds that the two finally dispatched the god of weaving, Takehazuchi-no-Mikoto (建葉槌命), to subdue the last remaining rebel, the star god Kagaseo (香香背男). With all resistance gone, the two gods went back to heaven to report the success of their mission. A variant account has Futsunushi and Takemikazuchi putting to death the evil deity Amatsumikaboshi (Kagaseo) in heaven first before they descend to Izumo. The account adds that it was at this time that Iwainushi-no-Kami (possibly another name for Futsunushi), the deity enshrined in Katori, received the epithet ''iwai no ushi'', 'master of worship.' In this version, Ōnamuchi initially refuses the demand of the two envoys. After Futsunushi goes back to Takamagahara to report, Takamimusubi sends him back to Ōnamuchi, this time with promises of rewards should he comply. Ōnamuchi finally accepts their terms and appoints the god of roads and borders, the '' funato no kami'' (岐神) as his replacement. He then finally disappears into the unseen world. Futsunushi, with the ''funato no kami'' as his guide, then makes his way around Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni, killing those who resisted him and rewarding those who submitted.


Other texts

Two legends from Ou District (意宇郡) of Izumo Province (modern
Yasugi is a city located in Shimane Prefecture, Japan. As of March 1, 2017, the city has an estimated population of 38,875 and a population density of 92 persons per km². The total area is . History The ruins of Gassantoda Castle are in Yasugi. Acco ...
, Shimane Prefecture) recorded in the Izumo ''Fudoki'' feature Futsunushi. The ''Fudoki'' of
Hitachi Province was an old province of Japan in the area of Ibaraki Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Hitachi fudoki''" in . It was sometimes called . Hitachi Province bordered on Shimōsa (Lower Fusa), Shimotsuke, and Mutsu ( Iwase -17 ...
(modern Ibaraki Prefecture) also refers to a deity named 'Futsu-no-Ōkami' (普都大神) who is often identified with Futsunushi. The ''kuni-yuzuri'' myth featured in the ''Izumo no Kuni no Miyatsuko no Kanʼyogoto'' (出雲国造神賀詞 "Congratulatory Words of the Chieftain of Izumo"), a ritual declaration (''
norito are liturgical texts or ritual incantations in Shinto, usually addressed to a given ''kami''. History The first written documentation of ''norito'' dates to 712 CE in the ''Kojiki'' and 720 CE in the '' Nihongi''. The Engishiki, a compilatio ...
'') delivered by the province's governor or ''
kuni no miyatsuko , also read as "kokuzō" or "kunitsuko", were officials in ancient Japan at the time of the Yamato court. Yamato period Kuni no miyatsuko governed small territories (), although the location, names, and borders of the provinces remain unclear. K ...
'' at the imperial court upon his appointment, has Futsunushi being dispatched with the deity Ame-no-Hinadori-no-Mikoto (天夷鳥命), the son of Ame-no-Oshihomimi, son of the sun goddess Amaterasu and the Izumo magnate clan's divine ancestor. Futsunushi is absent in the ''Kojiki'', where the envoys sent by the heavenly ''kami'' are Takemikazuchi and the bird-boat deity Ame-no-Torifune. The ''Kojiki'''s ''kamiumi'' myth identifies Takemikazuchi - here given the aliases 'Takefutsu-no-Kami' (建布都神) and 'Toyofutsu-no-Kami' (豊布都神) - as one of three gods born from the blood that fell from the blade of Izanagi's sword (the other two being Mikahayahi and Hihayahi), although the ''kuni-yuzuri'' portion refers to him as the son of the deified sword itself, there given the name Itsu-no-Ohabari (伊都尾羽張).


The Sobataka deity

Sobataka Shrine (側高神社) in Ōkura, Katori is reckoned as the first and most important auxiliary shrine of Katori Jingū. Its deity, whose identity is kept secret since antiquity and thus is known merely as the 'Great Deity of Sobataka' (側高大神 ''Sobataka-no-Ōkami''), is the subject of a legend involving the god of Katori Shrine. The story relates that the Sobataka deity, acting under the orders of the god of Katori, raided the land of Mutsu and stole 2,000 horses from the local ''kami''. When the god of Mutsu gave chase, the Sobataka deity drained
Lake Kasumigaura is the second-largest lake in Japan, located 60 km to the north-east of Tokyo. In a narrower sense and officially, Lake Kasumigaura refers to a waterbody with an area of 167.63 km2. In a wider sense, Lake Kasumigaura can also refer t ...
using a ' tide-ebbing jewel' (干珠 ''kanju''), allowing the horses to cross over to the other shore. After the horses have safely crossed, the Sobataka deity then used a 'tide-flowing jewel' (満珠 ''manju''), to restore the lake to normal, trapping the pursuer in an island in the middle of the lake known as Ukishima (浮島 'floating island', part of modern Inashiki,
Ibaraki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,871,199 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...
).


Offspring

The deity Ame-no-Naemasu-no-Mikoto (天苗加命), worshiped in Matami Shrine (又見神社) in Katori, is considered to be Futsunushi's son. Ame-no-Naemasu is reckoned as the ancestor of the Katori clan (香取氏), which traditionally served as priests in Katori Shrine. The Katori later assumed the name 'Ōnakatomi' (大中臣) after a grandson of
Ōnakatomi no Kiyomaro was a Japanese noble of the Nara period. Born the seventh son of the ''chūnagon'' Nakatomi no Omimaro of the Nakatomi clan, he changed his name and founded the Ōnakatomi clan. He reached the Ritsuryō#Establishment of court rank, court rank of ...
, of the influential Nakatomi (Ōnakatomi) clan, was adopted into the clan.


Worship


Shrines

As the deity of Katori Jingū, Futsunushi also serves as the deity of shrines belonging to the Katori shrine network (香取神社 ''Katori Jinja''). In addition, Futsunushi is also enshrined in
Kasuga Grand Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. It is the shrine of the Fujiwara family, established in 768 CE and rebuilt several times over the centuries. The interior is famous for its many bronze lanterns, as well as the many stone lan ...
alongside Takemikazuchi and
Ame-no-Koyane Ame-no-Koyane-no-mikoto ( 天児屋命, 天児屋根命) is a ''kami'' and a male deity in Japanese mythology and Shinto. He is the ancestral god of the Nakatomi clan, and Fujiwara no Kamatari, the founder of the powerful Fujiwara clan. An ''Ama ...
(the divine ancestor of the Nakatomi and Fujiwara clans), in Shiogama Shrine in Miyagi Prefecture alongside Takemikazuchi and
Shiotsuchi-no-Oji is a Shinto shrine located on Aoshima Island, Miyazaki prefecture, Japan. It is dedicated to Hikohohodemi, Toyotama-hime or Luxuriant-Jewel-Princess is a goddess in Japanese mythology in the episode of the "Luck of the Sea and the Luck of the ...
(the ''kami'' of salt making), in Nukisaki Shrine (貫前神社 ''Nukisaki Jinja'') in Tomioka,
Gunma Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Gunma Prefecture has a population of 1,937,626 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,362 Square kilometre, km2 (2,456 Square mile, sq mi). Gunma P ...
alongside a goddess known only under the generic epithet 'Hime Ōkami' (比売大神), and as an auxiliary deity in Chiba Shrine in
Chiba City is the capital city of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It sits about east of the centre of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay. The city became a government-designated city in 1992. In June 2019, its population was 979,768, with a population density of 3,605 people p ...
. A number of other shrines throughout the country also enshrine Futsunushi in an auxiliary capacity.


As patron of martial arts

Both Futsunushi and Takemikazuchi were reckoned as eminent war gods (軍神 ''ikusagami'', ''gunjin'') since antiquity. The ''
Ryōjin Hishō is an anthology of ''imayō'' 今様 songs. Originally it consisted of two collections joined together by Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa: the ''Kashishū'' 歌詞集 and the ''Kudenshū'' 口伝集. The works were probably from the repertoire of ...
'' compiled in 1179 (the late
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 ...
) attest to the worship of the gods of Katori and Kashima as martial deities at the time of its compilation: The two ''kami'' have been worshiped by many eminent swordsmen such as Iizasa Chōisai, the founder of
Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū Written as 天眞正傳香取神道流 before adoption (1946) of Tōyō kanji. is one of the oldest extant Japanese martial arts, and an exemplar of '' bujutsu''. The Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū was founded by Iizasa Ienao, born in ...
, and
Tsukahara Bokuden was a famous swordsman of the early Sengoku period. He was described as a '' kensei'' (sword saint). He was the founder of a new Kashima style of kenjutsu, and served as an instructor of Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshiteru and Ise provincial governor ...
, the founder of
Kashima Shintō-ryū is a traditional ('' koryū'') school of Japanese martial arts founded by Tsukahara Bokuden in the Muromachi period (c.1530). Due to its formation during the tumultuous Sengoku Jidai, a time of feudal war, the school's techniques are based on ...
. Indeed, Chōisai was reputed in legend to have developed his swordsmanship style after being taught secrets of strategy by Futsunushi in a dream. Even today, many
kendo is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords (shinai) as well as protective armor (bōgu). Today, it is widely practiced within Japan and has spread ...
dōjō A is a hall or place for immersive learning or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts, but has been seen increasingly in other fields, such as meditation and software development. The term literally means "place of the ...
in Japan enshrine either or both of these deities.


Under ''shinbutsu-shūgō''

A collection of medieval legends, the '' Shintōshū'', identifies the Katori deity as a
manifestation Manifestation is the act of becoming manifest, to become perceptible to the senses. Manifestation may also refer to: * Manifestation of conscience, a practice in religious orders * Manifestation of God (Baháʼí Faith), the prophets of the Bah ...
of the eleven-faced form of the
bodhisattva In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood. In the Early Buddhist schools ...
Avalokiteśvara In Buddhism, Avalokiteśvara (Sanskrit: अवलोकितेश्वर, IPA: ) is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He has 108 avatars, one notable avatar being Padmapāṇi (lotus bearer). He is variably depicted, ...
(
Kannon Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She w ...
).


See also

*
Takemikazuchi is a deity in Japanese mythology, considered a god of thunder and a sword god. He also competed in what is considered the first sumo wrestling match recorded in history. He is otherwise known as "The ''kami'' of Kashima"" (Kashima-no-kami), th ...
*
Katori Shrine The is a Shintō shrine in the city of Katori in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is the ''ichinomiya'' of former Shimōsa Province, and is the head shrine of the approximately 400 Katori shrines around the country (located primarily in the Kantō ...
*
Isonokami Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the hills of Furu in Tenri, Nara prefecture, Japan. It is one of the oldest extant Shinto shrines in Japan and has housed several significant artifacts. Isonokami shrine was highly regarded in the ancient era, and ...
*
Kasuga-taisha is a Shinto shrine in Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. It is the shrine of the Fujiwara family, established in 768 CE and rebuilt several times over the centuries. The interior is famous for its many bronze lanterns, as well as the many stone lan ...
*
Kuni-yuzuri The was a mythological event in Japanese prehistory, related in sources such as the ''Kojiki'' and the '' Nihon Shoki''. It relates the story of how the rulership of Japan passed from the earthly ''kami'' ('' kunitsukami'') to the ''kami'' of Hea ...
* Mononobe clan *
Nakatomi clan was a Japanese aristocratic kin group (''uji''). Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Nakatomi," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 39 retrieved 2013-5-5. The clan claims desce ...
*
Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū Written as 天眞正傳香取神道流 before adoption (1946) of Tōyō kanji. is one of the oldest extant Japanese martial arts, and an exemplar of '' bujutsu''. The Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū was founded by Iizasa Ienao, born in ...


Notes


References

{{reflist


External links

*http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/entry.php?entryID=54 Japanese gods Japanese mythology Japanese swords Shinto Shinto kami War gods