Cultural associations of Sumiyoshi

[Gian-Piero]

Dear list members,

I have a question regarding the cultural associations of Sumiyoshi. In the Nara and Heian periods, Sumiyoshi had strong associations with travel to and from the continent and military expansion on the Korean peninsula (Jingū’s biography in the Kojiki). From texts such as Ennin’s diary, it would seem that, in the ninth century at least, Sumiyoshi was the deity to pray to for a safe journey to, and return from, Morokoshi. My question is whether these associations persisted in the medieval and late-medieval periods, particularly at the time Hideyoshi’s invasions of Korea. Did Hideyoshi or any of his affiliates pray or make offerings at Sumiyoshi before their expeditions? Does Sumiyoshi appear at all in the writings of Zen monks traveling to and from China? Given the strength of these associations in the early period, I would have assumed that they survived in some form in later times, but I have been unable to find evidence. Many thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Gian-Piero Persiani

[Susan Klein]

Dear Gian-Piero, 

I’ve written on Sumiyoshi in Noh, specifically in the Noh play “Haku Rakuten” and as part of that discussion I looked at the history and development of the Sumiyoshi deity. The research has been published in various forms, including as a chapter (“Nō as Political Allegory: The Case of Haku Rakuten”) in Like Clouds or Mists, edited by Elizabeth Oyler and Michael Watson. A slightly lengthier version appears as a chapter in my recently published, Dancing the Dharma: Religious and Political Allegory in Japanese Noh Theater. 

The footnotes to those chapters may be helpful for finding what you are looking for. Hosaka Miyako, Tsumori-ke no kanjingun (Musashi shoin, 1984), which examines the history of the Tsumori family in relation to the Sumiyoshi shrine, has detailed historical records of the shrine. Although dated, Richard Ponsonby-Fane’s Suminoe no Ohokami (Nagai shuppan insatsu kabukishikikaisha, 1935) also contains some historical information (less reliable than Hosaka, but useful).  Unfortunately I don’t have access to either the Hosaka Miyako or Ponsonby-Fane books right now to check. 

But to answer your question, yes, Sumiyoshi was definitely continuing to play a cultural role in the 15th century at least, and although I didn’t trace the history as far as Hideyoshi, I would be surprised if the Sumiyoshi deity didn’t play some role in his invasions of Korea, given the role of the deity in the greatly mythologized invasion of the Three Kingdoms led by Empress/Regent Jingū. It was the Sumiyoshi deity who possessed Jingū and encouraged her to attack. The raging forms of the Sumiyoshi and Suwa deities were understood as having accompanied Jingū and protected her during her military expedition.  

Hope this helps!

~~Susan

Susan Blakeley Klein

Professor of Japanese Literature and Culture
Director, Religious Studies Program
East Asian Studies Department
HIB 446
University of California
Irvine, CA 92617
sbk...@uci.edu
949-232-2122

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[Mercuri Osvaldo]

Hello prof. Persiani,

In Eison（叡尊,1201-1290）'s autobiography 『金剛仏子叡尊感身学正記』巻中 there is the following annotation:

（寛元）
同三年乙巳四十五歳

[ ]九月中旬[ ]

十六日、共参住吉社頭、於神宮寺、転読大般若経一部、備当社法楽、祈請渡海安隠、奉請聖教、所願成就。

Accordingly, in the year 寛元3（1245）,day 3 of the 9th month, Eison went to Sumiyoshi Jingūji where he, among other things, prayed for a safe journey across the sea. He did it very likely because three of his disciples had decided to go to China, as it is said just a few lines before this annotation.   

You can find some details about the text and this particular annotation in

 内田 啓一 「個人蔵清凉寺式釈迦如来画像について -西大寺像との関わりを中心に」- On the image of Shakamuni in Seiryoji-style, Private collection -in the relation with the statue of Saidaiji temple-

downloadble here https://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/120005775116

I hope this is useful.

Osvaldo Mercuri (phd candidate Hanazono University)

[Mercuri Osvaldo]

Sorry, in my last mail I wrote by mistake day 3; I meant day 16 of the ninth month, 1245.

Osvaldo Mercuri

----- Original Message -----
From: Gian-Piero <gper...@gmail.com>
To: PMJS: Listserv <pm...@googlegroups.com>
Date: 2021/8/5, Thu 01:01
Subject: [PMJS] Cultural associations of Sumiyoshi

Dear list members,

I have a question regarding the cultural associations of Sumiyoshi. In the Nara and Heian periods, Sumiyoshi had strong associations with travel to and from the continent and military expansion on the Korean peninsula (Jingū’s biography in the Kojiki). From texts such as Ennin’s diary, it would seem that, in the ninth century at least, Sumiyoshi was the deity to pray to for a safe journey to, and return from, Morokoshi. My question is whether these associations persisted in the medieval and late-medieval periods, particularly at the time Hideyoshi’s invasions of Korea. Did Hideyoshi or any of his affiliates pray or make offerings at Sumiyoshi before their expeditions? Does Sumiyoshi appear at all in the writings of Zen monks traveling to and from China? Given the strength of these associations in the early period, I would have assumed that they survived in some form in later times, but I have been unable to find evidence. Many thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Gian-Piero Persiani

[sarahrebe...@uzh.ch]

Dear Mr Persiani

A very short reply, because I am technically on holiday. :)

I'm not sure whether Hideyoshi went to Sumiyoshi, but I strongly suspect it, because (if memory serves) he did go to Gokônomiya 御香宮神社 in Fushimi, which is dedicated to Jingû kôgô specifically.

I think some details are mentioned in these papers:

坂本明　神功皇后伝説と近世日本の朝鮮観

久世奈欧　近世～近代初頭における神功皇后伝承

(both are from 史林 The Shirin)

Alternatively, I think 吉田修作 wrote several papers on a related topic (see the 福岡女学院大学紀要 人文学部編).

I might have more suggestions later on, if you need more information. My own 'speciality' is the figure of Jingû kôgô in the modern period, however, so I'm much more familiar with that.

Best regards,

Sarah Schmid

---
Sarah Rebecca Schmid

Research Assistant & PhD Candidate

University of Zurich
Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies
Department of Japanese Studies
ZUB-3-311
Zürichbergstrasse 4
CH-8032 Zurich

Phone +41 44 634 31 82

sarahrebe...@uzh.ch

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From: "Gian-Piero"
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Date: 08/04/2021 06:01PM

Subject: [PMJS] Cultural associations of Sumiyoshi

Dear list members,

I have a question regarding the cultural associations of Sumiyoshi. In the Nara and Heian periods, Sumiyoshi had strong associations with travel to and from the continent and military expansion on the Korean peninsula (Jingū’s biography in the Kojiki). From texts such as Ennin’s diary, it would seem that, in the ninth century at least, Sumiyoshi was the deity to pray to for a safe journey to, and return from, Morokoshi. My question is whether these associations persisted in the medieval and late-medieval periods, particularly at the time Hideyoshi’s invasions of Korea. Did Hideyoshi or any of his affiliates pray or make offerings at Sumiyoshi before their expeditions? Does Sumiyoshi appear at all in the writings of Zen monks traveling to and from China? Given the strength of these associations in the early period, I would have assumed that they survived in some form in later times, but I have been unable to find evidence. Many thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Gian-Piero Persiani

--

[Shapinsky, Peter D]

Hello all,

 

The tributary trade voyages to Ming China invested heavily in religious protection. This included requesting the aid of Sumiyoshi. In the Boshi nyūminki 『戊子入明記』, a collection of documents assembled by Tenryūji Zen monks as precedents and history related to embassies to Ming China that took place between the 1430s and 1460s, there is a ledger entry for 10 kanmon to pay for long swords to be presented to and kagura performances to be sponsored at Kushida Shrine in Hakata, Hakozaki shrine, Sumiyoshi shrine, Akamagaseki Hachimangū, Moji Haito Shrine,  Shikaumi Shrine, Hirado Shichirō shrine, and Jingū Kōgō shrine.

 

Peter

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                    

-- 

Peter D. Shapinsky, Ph.D.

Professor of History

University of Illinois, Springfield

One University Plaza, MS UHB 3050

Springfield, IL 62703-5407

psh...@uis.edu

(217) 206-6595

 

He/him/his

 

https://www.uis.edu/history/faculty/dr-peter-shapinsky/

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[Emily B. Simpson]

Greetings!

I've just a few suggestions to add to those already put forth. Firstly, as Sarah mentioned, Hideyoshi did indeed go to Gokōnomiya in Fushimi, and 久世奈欧's article 近世～近代初頭における神功皇后伝承 does discuss this in significant detail; I've spent a lot of time with this article because of its treatment of Empress Jingū and the katsurame, who were also connected to Jingū (and located quite close to Fushimi). Wakita Haruko also mentions this in her chapter in Gender and Japanese History.  

Regarding possible prayers to Sumiyoshi during Hideyoshi's time, I'd look at Kitajima Manji 北島万次 (1995). Hideyoshi no chōsen shinryaku 秀吉の朝鮮侵略 [Hideyoshi’s Invasion of Korea]. Yoshikawa Kōbunkan. Kitajima cites the diaries of two military commanders (Tajiri Akitane 田尻鑑種 and Yoshino Jingozaemon 吉野甚五左衛) stationed on the Korean peninsula who mention Jingū as a precedent for the Japanese conquest of Korea; while neither of them mention Sumiyoshi, to my knowledge, but it's worth taking a look.

I also suggest contacting Haruko Wakabayashi at Rutgers University, who has recently been working on the use of Empress Jingū's legend in the visual culture (especially emaki) before and after Hideyoshi's invasion. We were on a panel together at AAS this past year, and Haruko's presentation was quite fascinating! Both of us were working with texts/scrolls from Hachiman shrines predominantly (although Sumiyoshi figures heavily in most of these), but I imagine Haruko may have some insight on your questions or other sources to recommend. 

Best, Emm

Emily B. Simpson, PhD (she, her, hers)

Department of Religion

Dartmouth College

19 College Street

Hanover NH 03755 

[GUELBERG Niels]

Dear Gian-Piero,

look at my koshiki-database. There is a Sumiyoshi kouki koushiki written in 1528 by a Tendai monk (full text in the database). The database can only be used offline, but you can download the whole database from researchgate.net.

Niels

差出人: pm...@googlegroups.com <pm...@googlegroups.com> が Emily B. Simpson <emmbs...@gmail.com> の代理で送信
送信日時: 2021年8月6日 5:44
宛先: PMJS: Listserv <pm...@googlegroups.com>
件名: Re: [EXTERNAL] [PMJS] Cultural associations of Sumiyoshi

 

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[Gian-Piero]

Thank you to all who have responded to my query both on and off list. Your erudite responses have confirmed my hunch that these associations do not simply disappear after the Heian period. I was particularly intrigued to find out that the Jingū legend, of which the Sumiyoshi deity is such an integral part, played a role in the attempted invasions of Korea so many centuries after it first emerged. In his article “Lands and People Drifting Ashore” (trans. Emily Simpson, in Rambelli ed. The Sea and the Sacred in Japan, p. 136), Itō Satoshi writes:

“Many of the generals arriving at the Korean peninsula considered their own actions as a revival of Jingū’s legend as we can see from contemporary records of their statements.”

I will pursue the references that I was directed to and see if I can find something specific about Sumiyoshi’s role, but this is evidence enough of a connection. Other members off list pointed out to me that one of Hideyoshi’s generals, Konishi Yukinaga, seems to have built a Sumiyoshi shrine at Imari in Hizen (today’s Saga prefecture) near Hideyoshi’s headquarters at Nagoya castle prior to leaving for Korea. Yet others mentioned the Sumiyoshi pilgrimage (Sumiyoshi no mōde) undertaken by Ashikaga Yoshiakira in 1364.

As for Zen monks, they did indeed continue to pray and present offerings to the deity before traveling to Song and Ming China.

What a great resource this list is.

Gian-Piero Persiani