Norito for a Ship’s Departure

出船祭祝詞

12

Announcing the departure

Announcing the departure

Kakemaku mo kashikoki sumiyoshi no ōkamiwatatsumi no ōkaminomimae ni tsutsushimi uyamahi kashikomi kashikomi mo mōsaku掛巻も畏き住吉大神・海童大神の御前に、慎み敬ひ畏み畏みも白さく

Kefu no ikuhi no taruhi ni nanimuranani ga shigafunadeshite nanikunina ni tokoroniomomukamutosu今日の生日の足日に、何村何某が船出して何国何地に赴かむとす

A prayer for the voyage and return

Mikokoro mo akiraka ni shiroshimeshi unabara no shiho no yahoahi mo namikazetatazu tairaka ni御心も明らかに所知食し、海原の潮の八百会も波風立たず平穏に

Izanahi michibiki mashite hayakeku ko no minato ni kaheri tsukashime tamae to iyajiro no mitegura o tatematsuri kashikomi kashikomi mo mōsu誘ひ導き坐して、速けく此の湊に帰り着かしめ給へと、礼代の幣帛を奉り畏み畏みも白す

TranslationAnnouncing the departure

Includes interpretation

Before Sumiyoshi Ōkami and Watatsumi Ōkami, whose names are spoken with reverence, we humbly declare: on this auspicious day, a named person of a named village is setting out by ship for a named land and destination.

Editorial note

The village, person, country, and destination are variable places in the historical formula and should be replaced to suit the voyage being announced.

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Announcing the departure1 / 2

Norito for a Ship’s Departure

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Norito for a Ship’s Departure

About Norito for a Ship’s Departure

Overview

A Meiji-period departure prayer reporting a ship’s voyage to Sumiyoshi Okami and Watatsumi Okami and asking for a calm passage and safe return to port.

Structure
2sections
Japanese text
129characters
Notes
3notes

Purposes

  • To report the ship, departure, and destination to the kami
  • To pray for calm conditions during the voyage
  • To seek a safe return to port

Deities and subjects

Sumiyoshi Okami
Receives the petition for a peaceful voyage and return
Watatsumi Okami
Receives the petition for protection along the sea route

Background

Preserved as a model departure rite in an 1892 ritual handbook, the prayer contains variable places for the traveler, ship, point of departure, and destination and states the planned journey concretely.

Flow of the text

Across 2 sections, the text moves from “Announcing the departure” to “A prayer for the voyage and return.”

What to know before reading

  • Two sections report the departure and then petition for the voyage and return.

  • Placeholders such as nanimura, nanigashi, nanikuni, and nanichi are replaced by the actual person, ship, departure point, and destination.

  • This historical prayer does not replace practical maritime safety procedures.

Norito for a Ship’s Departure

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Norito for a Ship’s Departure

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Norito for a Ship’s Departure

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