Ujigami
Encyclopedia
An is a guardian god
or spirit
of a particular place in the Shinto
religion
of Japan
.
In its current form, the term ujigami is used to describe several other types of Shinto deities. Originally, the term ujigami referred to a family god. It is believed that, at first, these deities were worshiped at temporary altars. After the Heian period, the Japanese manorial system
was established and nobles, warriors and temples had their own private land, the family-based society fell out of use, and belief in ujigami diminished. In turn, the lords of the manors began to pray to the deities to protect their land. These guardian deities were referred to as . In the Muromachi period the manorial system declined, and so the guardian deities were enshrined along with the ujigami. An is a god of the land of one's birth. Over time, the ubusunagami and chinju were seen as the heart of the community, and were eventually referred to as ujigami.
The term is used to describe a person who worships an ujigami.
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
or spirit
Spirit
The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...
of a particular place in the Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Usage
The ujigami was prayed to for a number of reasons, including protection from sickness, success in endeavors, and good harvests.History
The ujigami is thought to have been believed in only since the eighth century.In its current form, the term ujigami is used to describe several other types of Shinto deities. Originally, the term ujigami referred to a family god. It is believed that, at first, these deities were worshiped at temporary altars. After the Heian period, the Japanese manorial system
Shoen
A was a field or manor in Japan. The Japanese term comes from the Tang dynasty Chinese term zhuangyuan.Shōen, from about the 8th to the late 15th century, describes any of the private, tax-free, often autonomous estates or manors whose rise undermined the political and economic power of the...
was established and nobles, warriors and temples had their own private land, the family-based society fell out of use, and belief in ujigami diminished. In turn, the lords of the manors began to pray to the deities to protect their land. These guardian deities were referred to as . In the Muromachi period the manorial system declined, and so the guardian deities were enshrined along with the ujigami. An is a god of the land of one's birth. Over time, the ubusunagami and chinju were seen as the heart of the community, and were eventually referred to as ujigami.
The term is used to describe a person who worships an ujigami.