Dosojin, Dososhin Legends

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. Japanese legends and tales 伝説　民話 昔話 - Introduction .
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Doosojin 道祖神 Dosojin, Dososhin - Legends about Wayside Gods

Chimatagami 岐神, the Gods of the Crossroads, is said to represent the legendary gods of Old Japan, especially
Sarutahiko no Mikoto 猿田彦神 and his fair maiden,
Ame no Uzume no Mikoto 天鈿女 Ama no Uzume (O-Kame san).

Dosojin matsuri 道祖神祭り Dosojin Festival
Dondo-yaki, which is the burning of the New Year's gate decorations on Lunar New Year, is held in many parts of Japan.
In some regions it was celebrated on the 8th day of the 2nd lunar month.
It has fairly long history and is recorded as a courtly event at the imperial court by the nobility in Heian period.
Eating dumplings roasted in the fire will keep people healthy during the coming year.
Dosojin are also called
"Dorokujin 道禄神," "Sainokami 塞の神," or "Saenokami塞の神."
They are respected as a god which prevents disaster and is enshrined in the stone statues at the boundary between two villages or at a street corner.




In the famous “Narrow Road to the North”Oku no Hosomichi　奥の細道, Matsuo Basho writes about the stone statues of the wayside gods.

. Dōsojin 道祖神 Dosojin - Roadside Gods .
- Introduction -




. . . a man and a woman snuggled against each other, who are wearing the clothes of Heian period . . .
. Dooso Jinja 道祖神社 Doso Jinja "Shrine for the Wayside Deities".
Kyoto

. Sarutahiko densetsu 猿田彦伝説 Sarutahiko Legends .

. Ame no Uzume no Mikoto 天鈿女 Ama no Uzume .
お多福 O-Tafuku、お福 O-Fuku - Okame, Okamesan おかめ【お亀／阿亀】
is another name for O-Tafuku.

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Toono chuujoo Sanekata 藤中将実方 Tono Chujo Sanekata
Fujiwara no Sanekata 藤原実方
(? - 998)

A waka poet of the Heian period, during the reign of the Emperor Ichijo (986-1011).
He has one poem in the collection "100 poems from 100 poets".
Ogura Hyakunin Isshu Poems 小倉百人一首



Legend knows that he was quite a quarreler, and after an argument in the palace with Fujiwara Yukinari he was ordered in exile, as Governor of Mutsu province　陸奥の国.
One day he passed a small shrine of the wayside deities Dosojin 道祖神 of Kasajima without getting off his horse. As divine punishment he was thrown from his horse and died.

. Fujiwara no Sanekata Ason 藤原実方朝臣 .
(? - 998)

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- ABC list of the prefectures -


................................................ Aichi 愛知県 　...................................................
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北設楽郡 Kita-Shitara district 振草村 Furikusa village

. doorokugami どうろく神 Dorokugami, Doroku no Kami .
This Wayside Deity has only one leg.




................................................ Iwate 岩手県　...................................................
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平泉町 Hiraizumi

Dorokujin 道祖神

At the shrine for the Dosojin, 道祖神の宮, three is a huge stone in the form of a male symbol 男根様 Dankon Sama, about 50 cm high and 80 cm in diameter. But about 10 years ago, this stone was lost. Then a couple suddenly got a high fever and called out to "dig it out". They found the Dosojin stone at the river Koromogawa 衣川 and it was brought back.
Now people come here to pray for good health.




................................................ Nagano 長野県 　...................................................
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東御市 Tomi city

. Getting pregnant after a prayer .




................................................ Yamanashi 山梨県　...................................................
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Nagano 三富村 Mitomi village

There is a black boulder seen as shintai 神体 the Dosojin deity itself. This stone is always warm.

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Nagano 丹波山村 Tabayama village

Doosojinba 道祖神場 Place for the Dosojin

In many parts of this region the Dondoyaki is celebrated on the place before the Dosojin statues.



On the 14th and 15th day of the first lunar month (now January) the villagers come together to grill mayudama dango マユダマの団子 rice dumplings in the form of silk cocoons and eat them when they are just a bit grilled. This prevents disease of the teeth and keeps villagers healthy during the year.
The ash from the fire is taken home and spread around the house to purify it and prevent poisonous snakes, illness and fire from reaching the house.

. silk　絹 kinu and related legends .

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source :　aotodaidai.exblog.jp

seppun 接吻道祖神 kissing Dosojin

The character 祖 indicates a penis in ancient Chinese characters, and the Dosojin are part of the the old fertility cults.

And the round shape of the surrounding stone of many statues is maybe a symbol of a placenta ?

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -
113 entries to collect

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. Dōsojin 道祖神 Dosojin - Roadside Gods .

. Japanese Legends - 伝説　民話　昔話 – ABC-List .

. minwa 民話　folktales / densetsu 伝説　Japanese Legends .
- Introduction -

- Yookai 妖怪 Yokai Monsters of Japan -
- Introduction -

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. Join the friends on Facebook ! .

- #heianlegendsdosojin #dosojin #dososhin #doosojin #dorokugami -
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