Prayer of Reverence to the Sae no Kami

拝塞神等詞

13

The boundary at the great crossroads

Kotowakete ōyachimata ni yutsuiwamura no gotoku sayarimashite殊別て、大八衢に湯津石村の如く塞坐して

Nenokunisokonokuni yori arabi utobi komu mono o kokoyorina ku to mamoritamau根国底国より荒び疎び来む物を、此よりな来と守給ふ

Sahe no kamimihashira no mimae o塞神三柱の御前を

Tsutsushimi uyamahi kashikomi kashikomi mo ogami matsuru慎み敬ひ、畏み畏みも拝み奉る

TranslationThe boundary at the great crossroads

Above all, at the parting of the great roads, they stand like a sacred gathering of rocks, closing and guarding the boundary.

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Prayer of Reverence to the Sae no Kami

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Prayer of Reverence to the Sae no Kami

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.

Prayer of Reverence to the Sae no Kami

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Prayer of Reverence to the Sae no Kami

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Prayer of Reverence to the Sae no Kami

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