Hymns & Liturgical Texts

Norito for the Michiae no Matsuri

Shinto Hymns

Origin Recorded in the Engishiki, completed 927 CE; the festival itself declined during the mid-Heian period

The norito for the Michiae no Matsuri (Festival of the Road Gods) is preserved in the Engishiki of 927 CE alongside the Oharae no Kotoba, which this atlas also covers, recited twice yearly at the four corners of the roads leading into the old capital to the road deities Yachimata-hiko, Yachimata-hime and Kunado, warding off demons and epidemic spirits before they could enter the city. The festival and its norito gradually fell out of use during the mid-Heian period as the newer Festival of the Four Directions took over a similar protective role.

Facts

Origins

Origin Period

Recorded in the Engishiki, completed 927 CE; the festival itself declined during the mid-Heian period 1

Language

Japanese 1

Attributed Author / Compiler

Anonymous; a court liturgical text 1

Practice

Who Performs It

Clergy or ordained officiants 1

Frequency

As the occasion requires 1

Solitary or Communal

Performed by an officiant for a recipient 1

Use

What It Is Used For

Protection against harm 1

Form

Form of the Text

Hymn 1

Connections