February 08, 2018

YAMANOKAMI - Tengu legends Gunma

https://japanshrinestemples.blogspot.jp/2017/08/yama-no-kami-03-tengu.html

....................................................................... Gunma 群馬県 .....

山の神は天狗 Yamanokami is seen as a Tengu in most regions of Gunma.

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群馬郡 Gunma district 倉渕村 Kurabuchi

O-Tengu Sama お天狗様 is Yamanokami.
On the 15th day of the 9th lunar month, all villagers celebrate with miki お神酒 ritual Sake and sekihan 赤飯 red auspicious rice.

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甘楽郡 Kanra district 南牧村 Nanmoku

Ogura no Yamanokami 小倉の山の神 at 小倉山 Mount Ogurayama
Tengu is the kenzoku 眷属 attendant of Yamanokami.
Tengu likes fire, so he is venerated in places where houses can not be seen.

Okubo no Yamanokami 大久保の山の神 at 大久保山 Mount Okubo
On the top of 四ツ又山 mount Yotsumatayama is venerated.
On the peak on the right ロクヤサン Rokuya san is verneated. (rokuya 六夜 ?)
On the peak to the left Atago san 愛宕サン is venerated.

Ogami no Yamanokami 大上の山の神 is venerated at 大上山 Mount Ogami
On the 24th day of the first lunar month, the village headman makes a ritual wand and prays to Tengu and Inari.
Yamanokami is a male deity and protects the forest workers.

Shimohoshio no Yamanokami下星尾の山の神 at 下星尾山 Mount Shimohoshiosan
The deity of this mountain is a Tengu.

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みどり市 Midori town 東町 Azumacho

A madogi 窓木 "window tree" has branches bent like a window. Yamanokami and Tengu like to sit there and watch below.
These trees are not to be cut down.

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多野郡 Tano district 上野村 Uenomura

At 笠丸山 Kasamaruyama (1,124 m) villagers come to venerate Yamanokami on the night of tookanya 十日夜 tenth day of the tenth lunar month.
On this night, Tengu sama is off to Izumo and Yamanokami has to be the rusuban 留守番 caretaker.

On the night of the tenth people prepare special mochi 餅 ritual rice cakes and make offerings to the small shrines of 八幡様 Hachiman Sama, 十二様 Juni Sama, 道陸神 Dosojin, the Wayside Deities and お天狗様 O-Tengu sama, the local Tengu.
The Mochi for the Tengu are especially long and narrow, called O-Tengu Sama no Obi お天狗様の帯 Belt of the Tengu. They are placed on the roof of the small sanctuary, cut in 108 small stripes.
Other offerings are long radish and chrysanthemums.
In some regions, people take the Mochi home after making an offering and eat them.
In 三ノ倉 Sannokura they are called Tengu no Sawa Mochi 天狗のサワ餅. People either place them on the sanctuary and leave or they take home an offering that had been made by a person before them. This is called Tengu Sama no Omigoku 天狗様のオミゴク Offering for the Tengu.

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利根郡 Tone district 片品村 Katashina

. juuni sama 十二様 Juni Sama, "Honorable 12" deities, .
Trees with forked roots or trunks belong to Yamanokami (as Juni sama) and the Tengu. They are not to be cut down.

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碓氷郡 Usui district 松井田町 Matsuida

A tree with a three-forked trunk belongs to Yamanokami. Tengu also come to sit here. These trees are not to be cut down.

. Yamanokami and legends from Gunma .

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