Encyclopedia of Shinto

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詳細表示 (Complete Article)

カテゴリー1： 5. Rites and Festivals
カテゴリー2： Individual Shrine Observances
Title
Momote shinji
Text
"The rite of the 100 hands." An archery rite held April 19 at Susa Shrine in Sada Town, Hikawa District, Shimane Prefecture. The word momote ("100 hands") means to shoot arrows one hundred times (shooting two arrows at a time). The day before, a procession symbolizing the travel of a kami (shinkō gyōretsu; see shinkōsai) takes place, modeled on the myth regarding the audience Susanoo-no-mikoto had with Amaterasu ōmikami. The day of the rite, after the seasonal festival (reisai), bamboos demarcating taboo boundaries (imidake) are erected and a straw rope marking out sacred space (shimenawa) hung around the banks of the Soga River that runs near the shrine. Fresh straw matting is also laid down and a target set up on the other side of the river. Once this is arranged, priests (shinshoku) will pick up the bows and arrows and pray to each of the four directions in succession to purify themselves. They then turn to the target and shoot two arrows at it. Once this is over, there is a shooting for those worshippers who are interested. There once was a rice paddy belonging to the shrine (shinden) called the matomen whose crop covered the expenses for this event. The rite is held at many shrines around Shikoku and the San'in region.
A momote shinji takes place at Himeji Shrine in Ketaka Town, Ketaka District, Tottori Prefecture, on the fourth Sunday in April. A priest (shinshoku) wearing a mask and carrying a halberd begins by praying to the four directions and performing purification rituals. He then replaces his torimono (a ritual prop) with a bow and acts out the notching of an arrow. Twelve arrows, symbolizing a whole year, are shot at the target to pray for rich harvest of the five staple grains and the eradication of disease.
— Mogi Sakae

Pronunciation in Japanese/用語音声

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