| Divine ceremonies of Sumiyoshi Shrine |
| Divine ceremonies of the Sumiyoshi
Shrine are said to be served over 130
times
a year including those of affiliated
shrines
. Here we should like to introduce
you some
distinguished ceremonies . |
| |
| Ceremony of the leaves " U "
( on the first day of the Hare,May) |
| Legend has it that the shrine was founded
on the first day and the month of the Hare
which is April by the lunar calendar but
it is May by the solar calendar , so they
hold a ceremony service to God on that day
. They offer a sprig of the sacred leaves
of " U " and play bugaku ( divine
dances and music ) on the Ishibutai ( stone-stage
) . Offering a sprig of the sacred trees
to God , we usually use a sakaki plant ,
but they only use the leaves of " U
" plant in this shrine . The garden
of "U" flowers is yearly open in
May at the front of Butokukan building connected
with this divine ceremony . |
| |
| Otaue Sinji ( on the 14 th ,June ) |
| The ceremony is familiar with us called
" Onda " , which has the origin
when Jingukogo invited the women from Nagato
district ( Yamaguchi Prefecture ) to transplant
rice seedlings around here . The first harvested
and blessed seedlings of the year are transplanted
by Kaeueme (women ) in the newly plowed field
.During the ceremony of transplanting is
performed , Yaotome ( women ) play dances
and music on the central stage . Procession
of Furyumusha samurais is performed and while
beating a drum of battle , battle with sticks
is performed on the path between rice fields
and Sumiyoshi Odori dances are played in
front of faithful spectators .This is a brilliant
ceremony as above mentioned . |
| |
| Nagoshino Harai divine ceremony ( on the
31 st , July ) |
| |
| Minami Matsuri (festival ) ( on the 1 st
, August ) |
People pass through under a circle made
of " kaya " plants which is about
2 meters in diameter to clean their spirit
and bodies .( Chinowa kuguri )
Minami Matsuri is the last festival in Osaka
. Those who take part in it march in procession
on foot or horseback encircling a divine
litter to the Tongu shrine in Sakai ( Osaka
Prefecture ) and perform a divine ceremony
there named Oharai .In the old times the
divine litter carried up by the young men
ran up and down the warped bridge at a breath
and marched on along the Kishu Road illuminated
with dedicated lanterns of every houses and
at last was handed down to Sakai district
at the Yamato Bridge . But now it is impossible
to march according to the traffic jam, so
the divine litter is carried most of the
passage by a car . |
