Encyclopedia of Shinto

詳細表示 (Complete Article)

カテゴリー1: 2. Kami (Deities)
カテゴリー2: Kami in Classic Texts
Title
Torinoiwakusufune
Text [Tori no iwakusufune no kami] (Kojiki)(Nihongi)
Other names: Ama no torifune no kami(Kojiki, Nihongi)



A kami of ships, produced by Izanagi and Izanami as part of their giving birth to various kami (kamiumi). According to Nihongi, the kami Torinoiwakusufune was produced as a boat for the kami Hiruko, who was to be abandoned. In Kojiki, Torinoiwakusufune is sent as a deputy to Takemikazuchi at the time of the latter's mission to negotiate for the "transfer of the land" (kuniyuzuri), and is subsequently sent as a messenger to summon Kotoshironushi at Cape Miho. Nihongi notes, on the other hand, that the messenger on this occasion, Inasehagi, was placed in the boat called Kumanomorotabune (lit., "many-handed-boat of Kumano"), also called Amenohatobune or "heavenly-dove-boat," thus suggesting that the kami was the boat itself.

Elements in the kami's name suggest that the boat (fune) was a vehicle built from camphor wood (kusu) for the kami, which traveled to the Central Land of Reed Plains (Ashihara no Nakatsukuni) from Heaven (ame), with the speed of a bird (tori) and the stability of a rock (iwa).

According to an "alternate writing" in Nihongi, the boat Amenotorifune was built as an offering to allow Ōnamuchi to ride in the sea after he had retired to the "Amenohisumi palace"; another "alternate writing" states that Nigihayahi rode on a "rock boat of heaven" (Amenoiwafune) when he descended from heaven.

-Mori Mizue

Pronunciation in Japanese/用語音声

No movie/映像なし