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Tesso

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"Tesso" ( thiết chuột ) from theGazu Hyakki YagyōbyToriyama Sekien.The text on the top left reads, "it is the place known to the world where Raigō's spirit turned into a rat" ( lại hào の linh ( linh ) chuột と hóa (かす)と thếNgươi (に) chí (し)る sở cũng )[1]
"Mii-dera Raigō Ajari Akunen Nezumi to Henzuru Zu" from theShinkei Sanjūrokkai SenbyTsukioka Yoshitoshi.It faithfully depicts the writings in theGenpei Jōsuiki.[2].
"Raigō Ajari Kaisoden" ( lại hào a đồ lê quái chuột vân ) byTakizawa Bakinand illustrated byKatsushika Hokusai.The big rat that appears in front of Nekoma Michizane is written in the text to be the size of about an ox, but the illustration exaggerates it and depicts it as a giant beast.[3].

Tesso( thiết chuột ) is a Japaneseyōkairelated to the vengeful spirit (onryō) of theHeian periodmonk Raigō and a mouse. The name "tesso" is a name given byToriyama Sekienin theEdo periodcollection of yōkai pictures, theGazu Hyakki Yagyō,[4]and this yōkai can also be called the Raigo-derived nameRaigō-nezumi( lại hào chuột ) as from theEnkyōhon( Duyên Khánh bổn, alternatively readEnkeihon), ayomihonversion of theHeike Monogatari,[5]orMii-dera-nezumi( tam giếng chùa chuột ) derived fromMii-derainŌtsu,Shiga Prefectureas in the Edo period yōkai themedkyōkapicture book, theKyōka Hyaku Monogatari.[6]They became known starting in theHeiseiperiod from its adoption in the mystery novelTesso no Ori(The Tesso's Cage) byNatsuhiko Kyogoku.[7]

Story[edit]

Heike Monogatari[edit]

According to theHeike Monogatari,in the Heian period, Raigō, on the basis of a promise withEmperor Shirakawaof receiving as much reward as desired if it had effect, continuously prayed for the birth of the emperor's crown prince, and in 1074 (in the Jōhō years) on December 16, it was finally succeeded. As a reward, Raigō requested for the construction of an ordination platform (kaidan) building for Mii-dera, but opposition forces fromEnryaku-jiatMount Hieiobstructed this and prevented it from being granted.

In resentment, Raigō then proceeded to make prayers to drag the crown prince who was born from his prayers, Prince Atsufumi, down to the clutches of evil, and went into a fast. After 100 days, Raigō ended up looking like an evil ogre and died, and starting since then, an ominous white-haired old priest would appear by Prince Atsufumi's pillowside. Emperor Shirakawa was fearful of Raigō's curse and grasped around for prayers, but they had no effect, and Prince Atsufumi died barely at the age of 4.[8]

In theyomihonversions of theHeike Monogatarisuch asEnkyōhon( Duyên Khánh bổn, alternatively readEnkeihon) andNagatohon( đích tôn bổn ) and in the different bookGenpei Jōsuiki,among other sources, the grudges of Raigō became a giant rat and ate away at the sacred books in Enryaku-ji. Enryaku-ji was fearful of Raigō's grudge and built a shrine at Higashisakamoto to enshrine Raigō as a god in order to quell this grudge. The name of the shrine has been passed down to be "Nezumi no Hokura" ( chuột の tú thương, The Rat Shrine). It is also said that after this, large rats have been called "Raigo-nezumi."[5][9][10]

Taiheiki[edit]

According to the military chronicle (Gunki monogatari)Taiheiki,the grudges of Raigō turned into 84,000 rats with stone bodies and metal teeth and climbed up Mount Hiei and ate away at not just the sacred texts, but also the Buddha statues.[11]

Raigō Ajari Kaisoden[edit]

In the late Edo Period, the yomihon authorTakizawa BakinwroteRaigō Ajari Kaisoden( lại hào a đồ lê quái chuột vân ) based on the Raigō legend. While the elegant Shimizu Yoshitaka ( thủy nghĩa cao, also known as Minamoto no Yoshitaka or nguyên nghĩa cao ), the orphan ofKiso no Yoshinakawas traveling across several provinces, Raigō appeared to her in a dream and talked about how because Yoshinaka once contributed a request form to Raigō's mini shrine (hokora) to becomeSeii Taishōgun,so he will offer his help to Yoshinaka, and told her about how Nekoma Michizane has been targeting her life due to having a grudge against her, and instructed Yoshinaka on some rat sorcerery.

In the story, the scene when Mitsuzane tried to cut down Yoshinaka and a giant rat appeared and stopped this, the scene when Yoshinaka called out an eerie person with the face of a rat in order to lure out her father's enemy Ishida Tamehisa, and the scene when Yoshinaka stopped Michizane's torture of her mother-in-law by summoning countless rats, among other scenes, were all given illustrations by theukiyo-eartistKatsushika Hokusai.[3]

Historical background[edit]

In history, Raigō died in 1084 and Prince Atsufumi died in 1077, meaning that Raigō's death comes after Prince Atsufumi died, which is not consistent with the story, leading many specialists to posit that this legend is clearly made-up fiction.[12][13]

However, certain parts, such as Mii-dera's request to the emperor for the construction of an ordination platform building, the prolonged declining of this request due to opposition from Enryaku-ji,[12]and Raigō's efforts at getting this ordination platform building built, are seen as historical fact.[13]Furthermore, according to theJimon Denki Horoku( cửa chùa vân nhớ bổ lục ), the temple records of Mii-dera, as a result of the imperial court not approving the request to the emperor to build the ordination platform building, Raigō fell into gloom and did not leave the temple, resulting in a great rumble at the Shinra shrine at Mii-dera.[12]Both Mii-dera and Enryaku-ji were in the Tendai sect, and after the death of the founder of the sect,Saichō,the sect split into two factions that engaged in violent disputes, and Enryaku-ji has had a history of being burned down several times as a result, so it is thought that this Tesso legend was born from the background of the confrontation between the two factions of the Tendai sect at that time.[13][14]

Furthermore, stories in which not just metal rats (tesso), but also rats in general cause harm to people can be found in theTōhoku region,theNagano Prefecture,and other places all over Japan, but this is interpreted to be because in the past, rats did cause a lot of harm,[15]and temples that held many books and sacred texts had some serious problems with rats causing damage, so there is the view that the existence of rats became the basis for legends about vengeful spirits and yōkai.[14]

Landmarks[edit]

The "Nezumi no Hokura" noted in theHeike Monogatarito be for calming the vengeful spirit of Raigō exists at theHiyoshi Taishain Sakamoto,Ōtsu,Shiga Prefecture.However theKeizai Zasshisha( thần đạo bí mật nhớ ) written in theAzuchi–Momoyama periodat the Hiyoshi Taisha notes that the "Nezumi no Hokura" enshrines theRatof the TwelveEarthly Branches.The way the Nezumi no Hokura is talked about in relation to Raigō is seen to be because as previously noted, rats were actually a source of misfortune bringing harm to people, or because Enryaku-ji was in the kimon (demon's gate) direction from Kyoto resulting in a lot of sorcerery activity in the past and Hiyoshi Taisha is there to protect against that, leading to legends about neutralizing vengeful spirits to take root.[7]

It appears that the Nezumi no Hokura had already become famous by theKamakura period,and in theIsetsu Hishō Kuden no Makipublished in 1319 (in theGen'ōera), there is the lyrics "At the base of Wagatatsusoma (meaning Mount Hiei) is a rat god, and by sounding its name once again, maybe it'll bring forth some good fortune" (さればや ta lập 杣 の lộc にも chuột thần といははれ cấp ひて, kỳ danh をあらたにとどめき, dạng 々 の Chery をなせりとか) and in therengacollectionTsukubashūcompiled in theNanboku-chō period,there are renga based on the Raigō legend such as "this is the rat around the mountain base" ( trần にまじはる chuột とこそあれ) and "at our mountain, it is one of the gods worshipped" ( ta sơn にこれもあがむる thần の うち), among others.[12]Originally, this hokura (shrine) was told to be bringing benefit by warding off rats, but starting in the Shōwa and Heisei periods when anti-rat measures have started to become sufficient, it has gradually lost its role of warding off rats.[7]

The Jūhachi Myōjin ( mười tám minh thần ) to the side of the stone steps at Mii-dera is also called "Nezumi no Miya" (Rat Palace), and it is said to pacify the spirit of the Tesso and others, and it is built facing the direction of Mount Hiei.[16]

Another idea is that the Tesso was slain by a big cat who appeared because of the Buddhist power of a high priest at Mount Hiei, and towards the "Nezumi no Miya" at Mii-dera, there is the "Neko no Miya" (Cat Palace) deifying the big cat at Sakamoto in Sakamotogō,Shiga District,Ōmi Province,known to be the town in front of the Enryaku-ji gates, where it is built glaring in the direction of Mii-dera.[15]

In a legend inShimotsuke Province(nowTochigi Prefecture), it is told that 84,000 rats went around several provinces ravaging the fields, but when the rats tried to attack Shimotsuke, Shōgun Jizō ( thắng quân mà tàng, generaljizō) appeared and stopped this, and sealed them in a mound.[17]According to "Oyama no Densetsu" (Legends of Oyama) by the Oyama City Area Cultural Research Society ( tiểu sơn thị hương thổ văn hóa nghiên cứu sẽ ), this mount is the Atagozuka ( ái đãng trủng ) in Dotō,Oyama,and another name for it is "Raisozuka" ( tới chuột trủng, Come Rat Mound) and it is said that within it is a cave where rats were sealed inside. It is also said that by taking a rock from on top of this mound and leaving it in a field, it can avoid any harm due to rats.[18]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^Đạo điền hết lòng tin theo・ điền trung thẳng ngày biên ・Cao điền vệGiam tu, ed. (1992).Điểu núi đá yếnHọa đồ bách quỷ dạ hành.Quốc thư phát hành sẽ.p. 62.ISBN978-4-336-03386-4.
  2. ^Đức tuấn ngạnBiên, ed. (2001).Thời thanh xuân yêu quái trăm cảnh.Quốc thư phát hành sẽ. p. 85.ISBN978-4-336-04202-6.
  3. ^abKinh cực 2004,p. 98
  4. ^Nhiều điền khắc kỷ(2006).Trăm quỷ giải đọc.Giảng nói xã kho sách.Giảng nói xã.pp. 81–84.ISBN978-4-06-275484-2.
  5. ^abCửa cốc biên 2001,pp. 61–65
  6. ^Kinh cực hạ ngạn・ nhiều điền khắc kỷ biên (2008).Yêu quái họa bổnCuồng ca trăm vật ngữ.Quốc thư phát hành sẽ. pp. 272–274.ISBN978-4-3360-5055-7.
  7. ^abc"Thiết chuột ( đại Tân Thị )".Kinh đô tin tức.Kinh đô tin tức xã.2007-05-16.Retrieved2010-06-09.
  8. ^Bình gia vật ngữ.Tam di giếng cổ điển kho sách. Vol. Thượng.Phúc điền hoảngHắn giáo trung. Tam di giếng hiệu sách. 1998. pp. 159–161.ISBN978-4-8382-7008-8.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: others (link)
  9. ^Ma nguyên mỹ tửHắn biên, ed. (2004).Đích tôn bổn bình gia vật ngữ.Vol. 2.Miễn thành xuất bản.pp. 5–6.ISBN978-4-585-03114-7.
  10. ^Xong 訳Nguyên bình thịnh suy nhớ.Hiện đại ngữ で đọc む lịch sử văn học. Vol. 2.Trung thôn hoảng訳. Miễn thành xuất bản. 2005. pp. 190–191.ISBN978-4-585-07054-2.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: others (link)
  11. ^Xong 訳Thái bình nhớ.Hiện đại ngữ で đọc む lịch sử văn học. Vol. 2.Thượng nguyên tác cùng・ tiểu phiên đạt giam tu linh mộc ấp 訳. Miễn thành xuất bản. 2007. pp. 210–212.ISBN978-4-585-07074-0.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: others (link)
  12. ^abcdCàn 1986,pp. 941–942
  13. ^abcThôn thượng 2008,p. 206
  14. ^abChí thôn giam tu 2008,p. 47
  15. ^abThế gian 1994,pp. 142–143
  16. ^"ねずみ の cung と lại hào a đồ lê".Tam giếng chùa.2002.Retrieved2008-11-17.
  17. ^Đuôi đảo lợi hùng biên (1978).Về vườn の vân nói.Đệ nhất pháp quy xuất bản.p. 74.NCIDBN16162299.
  18. ^Vũ giếng hạo nói hắn biên (1992).Tiểu sơn の vân nói.Đệ nhất pháp quy xuất bản. pp. 39–40.ISBN978-447406168-2.

References[edit]

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

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