Ca’ Foscari Japanese Studies

Series | Ca’ Foscari Japanese Studies
Edited book | Itineraries of an Anthropologist
Chapter | The Localisation of Kumano Gongen Cult and Mountain Beliefs: From engi to kagura

The Localisation of Kumano Gongen Cult and Mountain Beliefs: From engi to kagura

Abstract

This paper discusses the Kumano Gongen cult, which played an important role for Japanese religious beliefs and mountain beliefs. The first part is the analysis of the engi of Kumano in comparison with that of Hikosan in medieval times. The second part focuses on the localisation of Kumano Gongen cult tracing and explaining the shift from engi to kagura in medieval and modern times. This paper analyses the contents of the Kumano Gongen gosuijaku engi focusing on three themes: 1) mountain beliefs found in engi narratives; 2) the concept of kami; and 3) the diffusion and localisation of religious concepts about Kirime no Ōji, showing how the shift from Gongen to Ōji occurred.


Open access

Published Oct. 18, 2021 | Language: en

Keywords KumanoEngiRitualShugendōMountain beliefsKaguraPilgrimage


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