Description
Belief that tormented human spirits animate unpredictable forces of nature underlies this illustrated tale of the origin of the Kitano Tenjin shrine in Kyoto, dedicated to the ninth-century scholar and statesman Sugawara Michizane (845–903). Michizane died in exile, having been slandered by enemies at court. A series of natural disasters and plagues then caused the untimely deaths of his detractors. Michizane’s spirit revealed his wish to be enshrined in the northwestern section of the capital. First deified as god of agriculture and patron of the falsely accused, he is now venerated as the Shinto god of literature and music.Illustrated Legends of Kitano ShrineScroll a Sugawara Michizane (845–903) was not born in the usual way but appeared miraculously as a grown boy. His talents as a poet were revealed early on. He would become a distinguished statesman, enjoying great favor with the Emperor Daigo (885–930), which roused the jealousy of other aristocrats. Michizane’s political rival, the courtier Fujiwara no Tokihira (871–909), slandered him to the emperor and persuaded him to banish Michizane to Dazaifu, in Kyushu. Scroll b Michizane was thus forced to sail with his entourage away from his home. He appealed his innocence to heaven, but to no avail: he died of a broken heart on the twenty-fifth day of the second month of 903. As the carriage was transporting his body to his grave, the ox suddenly stopped at Tsukushi and refused to move any farther. Michizane’s retainers interpreted this to mean that his soul wished to be buried there, and they complied. Extraordinary natural disasters followed the death of Michizane, whose vengeful spirit, in the guise of the Thunder God, unleashed hail, lightning, and gales of wind against his slanderers. Kintada, a courtier who had been miraculously revived from death, visited Emperor Daigo to report that he had seen Michizane in the underworld, appealing his innocence to the King of Hell. The repentant emperor granted Michizane a posthumous promotion and then devoted himself to life as a Buddhist monk. In the end, however, Daigo was unable to save himself. Scroll c The tale now shifts to the itinerant monk Nichizo, who made a circuitous journey through paradise and hell. Tragically, Nichizo fell ill and died while in the midst of his religious practice, but water from the hand of a mysterious priest revived him. Afterward, he was led by monks into the mountains, where he met Sugawara Michizane’s spirit in the guise of the illustrious general Dajo Itokuten. Together, they traveled to the general’s palace. Scroll d Nichizo journeyed through Tsushita Heaven, encountering many celestial beings before descending into hell. Beyond a gate guarded by an eight-headed beast was a terrifying inferno, in which he saw the Emperor Daigo and his servants being tormented by flames and blackbirds. The besieged emperor explained to the monk how to pacify Michizane’s angry spirit, and Nichizo reported back to the imperial court upon his return to the human realm.Scroll e Other oracles delivered messages similar to Nichizo’s, claiming that the only way to pacify Michizane was to build a shrine in his honor. Michizane’s spirit, however, remained unsatisfied. When the imperial palace mysteriously burned down, a wooden plant appeared in its place. It was inscribed with a poem from Michizane, who vowed to repeatedly raze the palace until he was fully avenged. Michizane was thus conferred the high ministerial post of Dajo-daijin (Chancellor of the Realm), and he was named a tenjin, or heavenly spirit. His anger finally quelled, peace returned to Kyoto. Thereafter, the tenjin of Kitano Shrine was worshiped as the god of learning and calligraphy, as well as a protector of the unjustly persecuted.
