About Prayer of Reverence to the Sae no Kami
Overview
A historical morning prayer to three boundary kami at the great crossroads, asking them not to let disruptive forces from Ne no Kuni and Soko no Kuni pass farther within.
- Structure
- 3sections
- Japanese text
- 65characters
- Notes
- 2notes
Purposes
- To revere the Sae no Kami who guard the boundary
- To prevent disruptive forces from crossing into the protected space
Deities and subjects
- The three Sae no Kami
- Guard the great crossroads and bar disruptive forces from crossing the boundary
Background
This nineteenth-century prayer reflects worship of kami who guard roads, crossings, and boundaries. It names Yachimatahiko, Yachimatahime, and Funado no Kami as a group rather than as a single deity.
Flow of the text
Across 3 sections, the text moves from “The boundary at the great crossroads” to “Closing words of reverence.”
What to know before reading
After locating the three kami at the boundary, the prayer specifies the forces they are asked to hold back.
It contains difficult historical terms, including yutsu-iwamura, whose reading and sense are not entirely certain.