hayariyamai epidemic legends

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. Japanese legends and tales 伝説 民話 昔話 - Introduction .
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hayariyamai はやり病 / Ryukobyo 流行病と伝説 Legends about epidemics
ekiri 疫痢 plague

. densenbyoo 伝染病 Densenbyo contagious diseases / pandemic .

. coronavirus spreading　コロナウイルス .
- The situation in Japan -
COVID-19 // 2019-nCoV



The whole world is under the influence of this pandemic.

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. Gion matsuri 祇園祭り Gion festival .
In 869, the people were suffering from plague and pestilence which was attributed to the rampaging deity Gozu Tennō (牛頭天王).

Emperor Seiwa ordered that the people pray to the god of the Yasaka Shrine　八坂神社, Susanoo-no-mikoto. Sixty-six stylized and decorated halberds, one for each province in old Japan, were prepared and erected at Shinsen-en, a garden, along with the portable shrines (mikoshi) from Yasaka Shrine.


- Yasaka Shrine in Kamakura


. Daruma, Smallpox and the color Red .
疱瘡神 Hosogami, the God of Smallpox

. Yakubyoogami 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 / byoshin 病神 / yakushin 厄神 (ヤクシン)

. Gozu Tenno Legends 牛頭天王伝説 .

. Yasaka Jinja 八坂神社 Yasaka Shrine - Legends .


. geri 下痢と伝説 Legends about dysentery, diarrhea - Durchfall .
sekiri 赤痢 red diarrhea, bloody dysentery // ribyoo 痢病


. kaze 風邪と伝説 Legends about catching a cold .


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Itsumade(以津真天) is an eerie bird
featured in the Japanese collection of yōkai pictures, the Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki by Toriyama Sekien published in 1779. Its picture has the explanatory text, "as explained more fully in the Taiheiki, Hiroari shot the eerie bird that cries, 'itsumade itsumade'" (広有 いつまでいつまでと鳴し怪鳥を射し事 太平記に委し), so it depicts the odd bird that appears in the Taiheiki (circa 14c), volume 12, "Hiroari Shot the Eerie Bird" (広有射怪鳥事, "Hiroari Keteu wo Iru Koto"). The eerie bird in Taiheiki
According to the Taiheiki, around the fall of 1334 (in the Kenmu years), an epidemic illness was causing many deaths and almost every night, an eerie bird appeared on top of the Shishinden (紫宸殿) crying "itsumade itsumade" (until when? Until when?) causing great fear.
The nobility thought back to how the master of arrows Minamoto no Yorimasa slayed the nue and made a request to Okijirō Zaemon Mayumi Hiroari (真弓広有) who splendidly shot down the eerie bird with a kabura-ya.
It is said that the eerie bird had a human-like face, a curved beak, saw-like teeth, a snake-like body, talons as sharp as swords, and a wingspan of about 1 jō and 6 shaku (about 4.8 meters).
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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- - - - - ABC List of the prefectures :


安政５年（１８５７）に風邪が大流行し、京都や大阪から中国・九州地方にかけて大量の病人がでたが、この病にかかった者は、平生に患っていた頭痛や留飲（消化不良）や疝気（下腹部の痛み）が治ったという。流行病というものは体内に長く溜まった毒素を、外に駆除する効果があるらしい。



......................................................................................... Aichi 愛知県
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Akuro Jin 悪路神 the deity Akuro "of the bad roads"
The festival of the Shrine 津島大社 Tsushima Taisha / 津島神社 Tsushima Jinja is held on the 14th day of the 6th lunar month.
All the boats from the area come with about 33000 taimatsu 松明 pine torches bring their sacred fire to the Shrine.
This will cause the Yakushin 厄神 Deity of Disease to go away. That night all people close the doors and windows and keep very quiet.
The Deity 牛頭天王 Gozu Tenno venerated at the Shrine is said to have slain the Akuro Deity. This Deity often comes at night and harms people.

. The river festival at Tsushima shrine .




......................................................................................... Ehime 愛媛県
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松山市 Matsuyama city 中野町 Nakano town

. bikuni densetsu 比丘尼　伝説　Legends about Buddhist nuns .
On the border of 東方 Higashigata and 恵原 Ebara the Buddhist pilgrim nun 妙円尼 Myoen-Ni had died. The villagers from Ebara had displaced her body to the side of Higashigata, where she was finally burried.
If there was densenbyoo 伝染病 an epidemic, the villagers from Ebara got ill, but the villagers from Higashigata did not. This was because the villagers from Higashigata had shown sympathy to the nun.

Myoen-Ni was the daughter of Lord 黒田職隆 Kuroda Mototaka. She was born in 1556.

. henro 遍路 pilgrims .

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Ehime 越智郡 Ochi district 魚島村 Uoshima village

Gion sama no aka hata 祇園様の赤旗 red flag for Gion Sama
To avoid epidemics, people place a small red flag at the entrance, ギオンサン Gion San.
Someone had seen this in Hiroshima and brought the ritual back home.




......................................................................................... Fukuoka 福岡県
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八女郡 Yame district 星野村 Hoshino village

bookon 亡魂 soul
During the Kamakura period, the lord of 黒木城 Kuroki Castle had a difficult illness, so his wife, 春日局 Kasuga no Tsubone,drowned herself at 剣が渕 / 劒が淵 Kengafuchi / Tsurugifuchi with the wish for him to heal. Her soul kept wandering around and people who came there got ill.
行空上人 Saint Gyoko was finally able to appease her soul and bring peace.

- source and details : ms-koga tsurugifuchi -




......................................................................................... Kagawa 香川県
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坂出市 Sakaide city

momote matsuri 百々手祭り "shooting 100 arrows"
This festival is held on the New Year. since after WWII, when it was not allowed to have weapons any more.
The also stopped this on the island 櫃石島 Hitsuishijima, but in this year, an epidemic broke out and many died.
So the villagers decided to have this festival on a different date from now on.
Similar festivals are held in other parts of Japan.


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Namari Momote is an archery festival held on a Sunday near the first day of the second month of the lunar calendar.
The festival is held at Sanpoko Jingu Shrine in Namari, Takumacho, a town near the tip of the Shonai Peninsula. It is unclear when the festival started, but it is mentioned in historical records from the latter half of the 18th century. Young archers from the area shoot their arrows to pray for bountiful fishing, good harvest, and the safety of the area, as well as to ward off evil. The making of targets is called matofumi and is done within the shrine grounds. The targets are made by pasting paper onto an oval-shaped woven bamboo object nearly two meters in size, then drawing a black circle in the center.
The archery position is Ogasawara Style, where the bow is shot from a slightly crouched posture. The preparation and running of the festival is done mainly by ten families called toya. Both the main family (hondo), representing the families, and the archers undergo a shiogori, a saltwater purification ceremony at the beach. Furthermore, the series of events leading up to the day of the festival follows the old customs almost exactly, and the events' defining characteristic is strict adherence to tradition.
Also, in Namari there is something called kenka momote, where people in the viewing space (yama) hoot and jeer at the archers. It is said that the more the audience does so, the more bountiful the fishing will be.
- source : rekinabi-sanuki.net... -

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Kagawa 小豆郡 Shozu district 内海町 Utsumicho town // 疫痢

daidai kagura ダイダイ神楽 Dai Dai Kagura
At 小豆島 Shodoshima island the Daidai Kagura from the Shrine of Ise 伊勢 comes around the island to purify each home.
But since the beginning of the Meiji period around 1890 it was thought of as improper and stopped. But in this year in all villages an epidemic broke out. They said it was because they stopped the Kagura dance and from next year on, they performed it again.


source : sueyasumas.exblog...

. dai dai kagura, daidai kagura ダイダイ神楽 / 太太神楽 / 太々神楽 dance .




......................................................................................... Kagoshima 鹿児島県
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徳之島与論町 Tokunoshima Yoroncho city

If a kojiki 乞食 begging monk came asking for water and did not get any, there would be an outbreak of an epidemic in the family.
Begging monks should be treated with respect!

. kojiki 乞食 begging monk, Bettelmönch .




......................................................................................... Kanagawa 神奈川県
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小田原市 Odawara city

. 目一つ小僧 Mehitotsu Kozo .
一つ目小僧 Hitotsume Kozo - Young Monk with One Eye
On the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, the 厄神 Yakushin deity comes to check where to start an epidemic. On this day people place a bamboo basket with many holes (eyes) under the eves.
Yakushin dislikes "many eyes" and will not come in this home.




......................................................................................... Kyoto 京都府
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Kyoto 亀岡市 Kameoka 千歳町 Chitose

. kinkei 金鶏と伝説 Legends about the golden rooster .
Niwatorizaka にはとり坂 the slope of the rooster
Once the villagers tried to dig out a golden rooster which was buried under a mound. But there came an arrow with white feathers sticking at the bottom of the slope.
And all the villagers soon died of an epidemic.




......................................................................................... Nagano 長野県

. Advise of not getting ill by an epidemic 流行病にかからない俗信 .

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Nagano 佐久市 Saku city

munagata daimyoojin 胸形大明神 / ムナガタ ダイミョウジン Munagata Daimyojin Deity
- - - - - 胸形（むなかた）大明神 Munakata Daimyojin
In 北沢村 Kitasawamura village they venerate a deity called Munagata Daimyojin, who protects the village.
Since olden times, if there is disaster coming to the village, someone will have a dream about ti.
If people place a ritual wand at the shrine during an epidemic, it will pass fast.
Once upon a time, the wife みち Michi of of the headman 惣兵衛 Sohei wanted to have a baby and prayed to this deity. She became pregnant but did not give birth for the next 12 months.
Finally she gave to a stone figure with arms and legs, which is now venerated at the Shrine.
There are many shrines with the name
Munakata Jinja 胸形神社（むなかたじんじゃ）in Japan.

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. Oni densetsu 鬼伝説　Regional Demon Legends .
Once upon a time, the shooya 庄屋 headman of the village was the fifth generation of 須江家 the Sue family.
During this time there was an epidemic and many villagers died. To stop the epidemic, the headman vowed to accept all oni 鬼 demons of the epidemic into his estate if the village would be saves.
And indeed, the epidemic stopped.
Since then the family does not throw beans at the demons during 節分 the Setsubun rituals, but open the doors to let them all come in.

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shiryoo no haka 死霊の墓 grave for a ghost
Around 1730, one day in the evening a gyooja 行者 pilgrim came to the village and asked for a place to stay over night.
But not one family wanted to accept him. So he went on and in the dark fell down a cliff to his death. Soon afterwards his wife came to look for the body but nobody wanted to help her.
She was very angry and cursed the village. Now an epidemic started in the village.
Later in 1899 the villagers decided to bury the man and give him a proper grave.

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Nagano 東御市 Tomi city 東上田 Higashi-Ueda

. kosodate Jizo 子育て地蔵 child rearing Jizo .
Once there lived a loving couple in the village, but they could not have children. So they went to a Jizo statue nearby and asked Jizo for help. They went there every day, rain or shine.
After a few years they finally had a child. When their beloved child was three years old, it became ill of an emidemic and died. The parents were devastated.
When they went again to the statue of Jizo, they saw a light coming from the back and they heard a voice:
"Your beloved daughter has changed into this Jizo statue. Please love this Jizo like your daughter!"
The couple became happy again and took good care of the statue as long as they lived.




......................................................................................... Nara 奈良県
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葛城市 Katsuragi city // 痢病

kooshin 孝心 filial piety
On the road from the Southern part toward Osaka, there is a pass called 竹の打越. Nearby is the home of a poor family.
The head of the family once suffered of 痢病 the plague. He told his daughter that he would like
to eat some katsuo 鰹 / 鱣 bonito. But since the family was so poor, they could not afford to buy the fish. When the daughter went to draw some water from the river, all of a sudden a bonito was in her bucket. She thought this was a present from heaven and hurried home to prepare the fish for her father. After he had eaten it, his illness became better. Each time the daughter went drawing water, a bonito was in her bucket, until the father was completely healed.
This is a tale to show the merit of filial piety.




......................................................................................... Okayama 岡山県
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八束 Yatsuka 中和村 Chukason village

. kudan 件 / クダン - gyuuki 牛鬼 "bull-demon" .
predicting an epidemic




......................................................................................... Okinawa 沖縄県
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石垣市 Ishigaki city //疫病

egiridori 疫痢鳥 /（エギリドリ）the plague bird
This plague bird has a nocturnal habit. If someone sees it pass, there will be an outbreak of
ekibyoo 疫病 the plague soon.


source : mahoragaillustrations.blogspot...




......................................................................................... Shizuoka 静岡県
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水窪町 Misakubo town

. A Tengu with a lantern brings ekiri 疫痢 epidemic.




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

. The merchant 堯順 Takayasu and a dead child .

. Seisuiji Kannon 清水寺 観音 .
Founded in 829 by on request of Emperor 淳和天皇 Junna (active 823 833) - to pray for the end of 流行病 an epidemic




......................................................................................... Tottori 鳥取県
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若桜町 Wakasa town

. A statue of 観音菩薩 Kannon Bosatsu .
- which does not like hospitals for epidemic patients




......................................................................................... Wakayama 和歌山県
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田辺市 Tanabe city

. Amida Nyorai 阿弥陀如来 .
On the mountain road branching off toward 竹の叉 Takenomata there was a sanctuary to venerate 阿弥陀様 Amida Sama.
Once the deity had appeared in the dream of a villager and told him:
"If you make a sanctuary to venerate Amida sama, there will be no more densenbyoo 伝染病 epidemics in 有木 Ariki village."




......................................................................................... Yamanashi 山梨県
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南巨摩郡 Minami-Koma district 南部町 Nanbu town

. Suwa Jinja no Kami 諏訪神社の神 The curse of the Deity of Suwa Shrine .

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Yamanashi 上野原市 Uenohara city 秋山村 Akiyama village

preventing infections with - - - . surumeika スルメイカ squid .

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- reference : nichibun yokai database 妖怪データベース -
ekiri 疫痢 ok
26 流行病 ryukobyo (12)

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. Amabie アマビエ mermaid to fight epidemics .


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. Kaido highway legends 街道と伝説 - - ABC list .

. animals and their legends 動物と伝説 - - ABC list .

. plants and their legends 　植物と伝説 - - ABC list .

. trees and their legends 　樹木, 木と伝説 - - ABC list .

. Persons, People, Personen and their legends - - ABC list .

. Legends about Kobo Daishi Kukai - 弘法大師　空海 - 伝説 .

. Japanese legends and tales 伝説　民話　昔話 - Introduction .

- Yookai 妖怪 Yokai Monsters of Japan -

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