일본의 왕권신화와 의례의 연구 ―오모노누시(大物主)신화를 중심으로―

Abstract

Japan’s kingship myths, described under the ideology of claiming the divinity and governing legitimacy of the imperial family, have exerted a stronger political effect by being combined with the ritual to reproduce the content. Especially in Japan, many national rituals are still practiced under the name of tradition. Therefore, it is necessary to study the political and social meaning of the ritual. This paper focused on this point and examined the myths and rituals of Japan’s kingship based on the myth of Omononusi in the ancient regime. Omononushi, the deity of Omiwa Jinja, is the snake-shaped god of Miwayama and also the thunder god that controls the rainfall. This god was deeply related to the imperial family and had a great influence in the Yamato region. Okuninusi, who is both the representative of Kunitsukami (the native god of the earth in contrast to the god of heaven) and the founding leader, had many similarities with this Omononushi. Omononushi cooperated in establishing a nation as the alter ego of Okuninushi in the process of integrating the royal myths. Omononushi cooperated in establishing a nation as the alter ego of Okuninushi in the process of integrating the royal mythology. After handing over the sovereignty to the heavenly descendants, Omononushi led all Kunitsukami and subjugated them to the heavenly descendants to become the gods to defend the imperial family. The pledge of Izumonokokusokanyogoto (出雲国造神賀詞), which ritualized this myth, can be said to have functioned as a device to strengthen the ruling ideology of Yamato Kingship.