THE POLITICAL MEANING OF THE
HACHIMAN CULT
IN ANCIENT AND EARLY MEDIEVAL JAPAN

ROSS LYNN BENDER

Dissertation
Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures
Columbia University
1980

TITLE PAGE

ABSTRACT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE -- THE EARLY STATE CULT OF HACHIMAN

The Rise of Usa

Hachiman and the Construction of the Daibutsu

Hachiman's Oracular Function

CHAPTER TWO -- THE DOKYO INCIDENT

Dokyo's Attempt on the Throne

The Political Meaning of Hachiman in Nara Japan

CHAPTER THREE -- GREAT BODHISATTVA AND IMPERIAL ANCESTOR

Hachiman Daibosatsu

The Foundation of Iwashimizu

Imperial Ancestor

From Oracles to Omens

Iwashimizu in the State Shrine System

Festivals

Prayers

The Masakado Oracle

CHAPTER FOUR -- THE MINAMOTO CULT OF HACHIMAN

Origins of the Minamoto Cult

Minamoto Yoritomo and the Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine

War Prayers

Other Prayers

Omens and Oracles

Haiga

Conclusion

CHAPTER FIVE -- MEDIEVAL IMAGES OF HACHIMAN

Aspects of the Hachiman Cult

Martial Images

Tutelary Images

Oracular Images

CHAPTER SIX -- THE POLITICAL MEANING OF THE HACHIMAN CULT

APPENDIX I -- THE ORIGIN OF THE HACHIMAN CULT

APPENDIX II -- YUMI YAWATA

BIBLIOGRAPHY

GLOSSARY

TABLES

Use of "Akitsumikami" in Shoku Nihongi Imperial Edict Prefaces

Prayers to Hachiman at Tsurgaoka

Also by Ross Bender:

The Hachiman Cult and the Dokyo Incident

Metamorphosis of a Deity: The Image of Hachiman in Yumi Yawata

Hachiman River

Performative Loci of Shoku Nihongi Edicts 749-770

USA HACHIMANGU

IWASHIMIZU HACHIMANGU

TSURUGAOKA HACHIMANGU

Online Resources from Kokugakuin University:

Dictionary of Shinto
Online Publications from Institute of Japanese Classics and Culture