smallpox legends

- BACK to the Daruma Museum -
. Japanese legends and tales 伝説　民話 昔話 - Introduction .
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

hoosoo 疱瘡 伝説 Hoso - Legends about Smallpox
tennentoo　天然痘　/　toosoo 痘瘡 smallpox, variola

Hoosoogami, Hoosooshin 疱瘡神（ほうそうがみ、ほうそうしん)
Hosogami, the God of Smallpox



. Daruma, Smallpox and the color Red .
- Introduction -

hoosoo-e 疱瘡絵 prints to protect children from smallpox
red prints 赤絵 aka-e
. Smallpox prevention in the Edo period .

. hashika 麻疹 measles / suitoo　水痘　/ 水套 chicken pox .

. 疫病神 / 厄病神 Yakubyogami, Deity of Diseases .
eyami no kami えやみのかみ / gyooyakujin 行疫神 gyoyakujin / ekijin, yakujin 疫神

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
- - - - - ABC List of the prefectures :

..................................................................................................... Aomori 青森県

The Smallpox Deity comes clad in a red hood and red robes and looks like a child, or looking like an Amazake hag with the voice of a child. She knocks at doors. If anyone answers her call, he gets ill. To keep her away, a cedar leaf is placed in the doorway.

. Amazake babaa 甘酒婆 Amazake hag .




..................................................................................................... Fukuoka 福岡県

Sasara Sanpachi 佐々良三八
a samurai in the clan of 名護屋山三郎 Nagoya Sansaburo
and the God of Smallpox 疱瘡神
Once he helped a weak dog who was surrounded by a strong crowd of other dogs. This dog was in fact the Deity of Smallpox. To show his gratitude, he said he would protect anyone who writes the following into the shell of an abalone with seven holes 7穴のあわび貝 and hangs it at the entrance of his home:
佐々良三八様御宿 - This is a dwelling of Sasara Sanpachi!




..................................................................................................... Osaka 大阪府

. Oni densetsu 鬼伝説　Regional Demon Legends .
Based on the legend of 源為朝 Minamoto no Tametomo driving out the demons of 鬼ケ島 Onigashima (Momotaro legend).
A ema 絵馬 votive tablet with Tametomo driving out the demons, depicted as 疱瘡神 Hosogami. This amulet was quite popular when an epidemy of smallpox occured, before the Meiji period.

. Minamoto no Tametomo 源為朝 (1139 – 1170) .

- quote
Chinzei Hachirō Tametomo and the Smallpox Deity
（Chinzei Hachirotametomo Hosogami 鎮西八郎為朝　疱瘡神）
Hōsō-e, literally "smallpox pictures," were used as charms to ward off smallpox.
This picture shows the smallpox demon and papier-mâché toys given to sick children under the demon's control, together with the hero Chinzei Hachirō Tametomo, also known as Minamoto no Tametomo. Tametomo had vanquished the smallpox demon.
Hōsō-e, literally "smallpox pictures," were used as charms to ward off smallpox.
Smallpox caused more havoc in Japan than any other infectious disease, and almost everybody fell ill with the disease during childhood.
Some were left with pockmarks on the skin or vision impairments,
which led to the disease being known as "the illness that determines one's looks."
There were no effective therapies, so people turned to prayers and incantations to fight the disease.
One belief that existed in many places was that the demon of the smallpox disliked, or liked, the color red.
Among other things, people kept hōsō-e pictures colored in red close at hand,
and had their sick children play with toys painted red.
Hōsō-e were given as get-well presents to children afflicted with smallpox,
and would be burned and thrown into a river if the children recovered.
This picture shows the smallpox demon and papier-mâché toys given to sick children under the demon's control,
together with the hero Chinzei Hachirō Tametomo, also known as Minamoto no Tametomo.
Tametomo had been exiled to the island of Hachijō-jima after the Hōgen Rebellion,
and a legend arose that there was no smallpox outbreak on the island
because Tametomo had vanquished the smallpox demon.
This resulted in Tametomo being used as the subject matter for hōsō-e like this one.
. source - Tokyo Metropolitan Library .




..................................................................................................... Tokyo 東京都

. Kaminarimon 雷門 Kaminari Mon "Thunder Gate" .


..............................................................................................................................................

- source : reference yokai database 妖怪データベース -
痘瘡 / 天然痘 - ok
疱瘡神 25 legends to collect
疱瘡 69 entries to collect


CLICK for more photos !

This kind of owl image and toy was used in the Edo period to ward off the smallpox.

..............................................................................................................................................

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

- Yookai 妖怪 Yokai Monsters of Japan -
- Introduction -

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



. Join the friends on Facebook ! .

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- #smallpoxlegends #hoosoo #tennento #toso -
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::