History of Asia

The legend of Fujiwara no Narimichi, a master of Kemari called Kemari, and Yatagarasu

soccer Was told by a British soldier as a leisure time for a naval school student in the Meiji era, and was called a kickball at that time.

Kemari in Japan A ball game called was being performed. It was popular among aristocrats during the Heian period, and it is said that many kemari masters were discharged, and during the Muromachi period, the shogun was also a samurai.

A large number of Kemari masters were discharged in each era, but among them, the Heian period lord, Fujiwara no Narimichi (Narimichi) is said to be a rare master, and is also called Kemari in the Kemari book.

This time, a super famous master in the Kemari world, Fujiwara no Narimichi I would like to write about the Kemari legend.

Kisei Fujiwara no Narimichi's career path

Fujiwara no Narimichi is a lord who follows the tradition of the Fujiwara Kita family, and his grandfather is Emperor Shirakawa . It was a family that climbed up to the Minister of the Right as an aide to. Seitsu is Emperor Toba, Emperor Sutoku, Emperor Konoe He encouraged loyalty under the sword, and although he was the fourth child, he was promoted steadily. He also served as a lieutenant general and a servant.

And Emperor Konoe At that time, he was ranked second and Dainagon Was entrusted to.

Good-looking, versatile and versatile, knowledgeable and factual He is also familiar with this person, and may say that he was outstanding in whatever he did and gave two or three things to heaven. Since he is a Heian aristocracy, poetry and waka poetry are commonplace, but the fact that he had an outstanding talent for flutes and eikyoku can be seen in his versatility.

It is said that the people of Chu, the capital of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Warring States period, sang well, and the songs sung there were called eikyoku.

Also, he seems to have been a master of equestrian, and his dignified riding appearance fascinated the female officers in the palace, and it seems that he was a person of both Bunbu and Budo.

Fujiwara no Narimichi was sick in his childhood! ??

He was a Seitsu of both Bunbu and Budo, but it is said that he was sick in his childhood because of his slender figure.

At the age of nine, he had a tantrum with a seizure at a certain date and time. I was suffering from. When the seizure occurred, the body trembled due to the heat. His father, Sotsu, was trying to cure Seitsu's illness by calling in the trainees and praying on a daily basis.

Prayer by a trusted practitioner was the main treatment for the illnesses of this era. However, it was not worth the prayer, and my father said that he repeated the prayer in place of the trainee.

However, one day, Seitsu headed for his father [ It is not in-law to change the examinees one after another, so the examiners who have been indebted until now are fine. Fortunately, my illness is not life-threatening, so don't worry too much ... ] It seems that he said.

In this way, Seitsu is often written as a very kind-hearted human being, and is actually Emperor Toba, Emperor Sutoku, Emperor Konoe . I think it was this personality that made him a successful success in his career.





Fujiwara no Narimichi's Kemari Spirit Legend

To maintain good health, Seitsu adopted the kemari that was popular among aristocrats and practiced it all the time. On a rainy day, he went into the palace hall and practiced secretly.

Seitsu has vowed to practice kemari every day for a thousand days to improve his kemari.

And on the night of the day when the vow was fulfilled, in his dream the spirit of the Temari in the shape of three monkeys Has appeared.

The names are [ Natsuyasubayashi (Ali), Chunyang Flower (Yau), Taoyuan (Ou) ], It is said that it became a shout when kicking the ball. These three monkeys are currently enshrined at Hirano Shrine in Otsu and Shiramine Jingu Shrine in Kyoto City as the guardian deities of Kemari.

As a result of these efforts, he has finally become known as the Kemari Master.

At one point, only ten of his followers sat side by side, and Seitsu ran over his shoulders, brilliantly performing his kemari technique. At this time, Seitsu stepped on the shaved head and ran too much, and everyone was surprised, but the stepped on the shaved head [ I felt only a hat on my head . ] It seems that.

In another anecdote, his father, Fujiwara no Munemichi When I went to Kiyomizu-dera according to the above, I came up with the idea of ​​kicking the ball while wearing a sword on the high section of the stage, kicking the ball from the west to the east, and then returning to the west, which surprised the viewer's eyes. It is said that the color was lost.

Only at this time, his father was angry and made him absent for about a month.

It's no wonder his father gets angry because he's lifting on the stage of Kiyomizu. However, Seitsu met the spirit of Kemari and said that he was blessed, so his lightness may have been superhuman.

In addition to Kemari, a girl appeared from the temple when she sang an improvised waka poem in a low voice when she was temporarily suspended due to the weather at a Kemari party.

There was a mad woman in this temple, and there was no medicine or doctor's treatment, and everyone was in trouble. I'm asleep now without any identity. I think this is because I was sensitive to your waka poems and voices, so I would like to hear your beautiful voices to the mad woman again. ]

Seitsu entered the temple and sang in front of the woman after accepting two replies.

From the wishes of Izure Buddha

Thousands of oaths

Withered vegetation instantly

When the flowers bloom

When the madwoman heard this song, she returned to her original heart when she thought she would get up and cry, and the people who were there admired her and said, "Sir Seitsu's feat is here."

In addition, it is reported that Sir Seitsu himself went to visit him when he heard that Seitsu's nanny was suffering from sickness and the prayers of the trainees were not effective.

Yatagarasu, soccer and Fujiwara no Narimichi

Fujiwara no Narimichi Kumano 詣 to pray for improvement in Kemari Is known to have been done more than 50 times.

" Kokon Chomonju ], The feat "Back Temari" is Kumano's Okami There is a record of dedication in front of.

The emblem of the Japanese national football team is Yatagarasu , known as the three-legged crow. It is well known that this Yatagarasu is the service of Miko Iezu, the deity of the Kumano Hongu Taisha Shrine, which was also visited by Fujiwara no Narimichi.

In addition, Yatagarasu is also considered to be the incarnation of Kamotaketsunumi, the deity of Kamogamo Shrine, so it is known to be closely related to Kamogamo Shrine, which has the "Kemari Hajime" event.

There is also a tradition in Yatagarasu that during the eastern expedition of Emperor Jimmu, he was sent by the order of Takami Musubi and led Emperor Jimmu from Kumano to Kashihara in Yamato.

Unfortunately, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics have been postponed due to the influence of the coronavirus, but at the 2021 tournament after the corona is over, I would like to ask Yatagarasu and Fujiwara no Narimichi to win the Japan national football team.