Chapter 18 of 100
Chapter 18
16 min read4,057 words
The origin of the Japanese Hachiman deity is said to come from the deity Hikohohodemi no Mikoto, who is generally regarded as originating from the three deities: Emperor Ojin, Empress Jingū, and Himegami. Hachiman is revered for protecting the nation, removing calamities, and blessing childbirth and child-rearing, among other virtues. As the guardian deity of the Minamoto clan, Hachiman has also been worshipped as a martial deity since the Kamakura period. There are over 400 large and small shrines dedicated to Hachiman throughout Japan. Hachiman Daibosatsu has been widely revered as the deity of archery since ancient times, and many families with a long lineage, such as the Minamoto clan, have worshipped Hachiman Daibosatsu.
The deity enshrined in the Japanese Hachiman Shrine is also known as Hachiman Daimeijin. According to legend, this deity was originally the clan deity of the local powerful family in Usa, Buzen. The earliest written record of Hachiman appears in the "Shoku Nihongi" (Continued Chronicles of Japan), Volume 12, in the entry for the 9th year of the Tempyo era (737), which mentions an envoy being sent to the Ise Grand Shrine and the Usa Hachiman Shrine to report. In Volume 14, in the entry for the 13th year of the Tempyo era (741), it is recorded that a three-story pagoda was constructed and the "Saijo-o-kyo" and "Hokke-kyo" were dedicated to the Usa Hachiman Shrine, indicating the early signs of the syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism. In December of the first year of the Tempyo Shoho era (749), the Usa Hachiman deity was invited to the Li Yuan Palace in Yamato (Nara Prefecture), and enshrined as the palace deity (i.e., the Hachiman Shrine of Todai-ji Temple). The deity also received the veneration of the imperial court. By the early Heian period, the syncretism with Buddhism deepened, and the deity came to be known as Hachiman Daibosatsu. During the Sengoku period, the people were generally more superstitious and thus widely worshipped various deities, especially Hachiman Daibosatsu, who was the most widely venerated deity.
Religion has always been an effective means of strengthening territorial rule. Roshu Masahira intended to use Hachiman Daibosatsu to re-establish greater prestige among his subjects.
On a flat area in front of Komaki Village, nearly 60 villagers had gathered, all staring intently at a small platform temporarily built with wood. Roshu Masahira, with a stern expression, stood tall on the platform, his already imposing figure making him look even more formidable. Among the villagers below, some looked filled with reverence, while others looked doubtful. Those who looked reverent were the townspeople of Komaki Village who had witnessed Masahira's bravery the previous night, while those who looked doubtful were the villagers of Nishiyama Village who had just gathered.
Roshu Masahira slowly scanned the crowd of his subjects, most of whom were women and children, all of them looking pale and emaciated. Looking at the villagers before him, a sense of pride and responsibility welled up in Roshu Masahira's heart.
"Everyone, the bandits have repeatedly invaded our homes, stolen our food, raped our wives and daughters, and slaughtered our families. What do you say we do about it?" Roshu Masahira shouted loudly.
Silence, a deathly silence.
"Oh? Do you mean to say you are willing to stand by and watch your food be stolen, your wives and daughters raped, and your families slaughtered?" Roshu Masahira pointed at a few men in the crowd with a mocking expression. The men hung their heads in shame.
"Or are you willing to watch your children be slaughtered and become slaves to others?" Roshu Masahira changed his tone and pointed at the women in the crowd. A few women seemed to be reminded of their tragic experiences and began to sob softly.
"Ha ha ha," Roshu Masahira laughed, "Are you afraid? Look at this," he raised a large sword in his hand.
"Do you recognize it? Yes, this is the sword of the bandit leader. How much of your family's blood has this sword shed?" Roshu Masahira continued to shout.
As soon as he finished speaking, some people in the crowd stared intently at the sword, as if they were looking at the bandit leader himself.
"But," Roshu Masahira saw that the crowd was finally reacting and quickly seized the opportunity, "last night, the owner of this sword not only abandoned it but was also severely injured and fled in defeat."
A murmur of excitement rose from the crowd. The villagers of Nishiyama Village, who had heard that the new lord had defeated the bandits, were now even more impressed to learn that he had defeated the bandit leader, a notorious killer. The villagers of Komaki Village, who had witnessed the entire battle, looked at their new lord with even greater respect.
"Look at this," Roshu Masahira drew the sword, its sharp blade gleaming in the sunlight, and pointed it at a small pile covered with straw next to the platform.
Roshu Masahira stepped down from the platform and lifted the straw with the sword, revealing 12 heads stacked on top of each other. To be honest, Roshu Masahira felt a bit queasy, as this was the first time he had seen so many heads up close.
"Wow!" The crowd erupted. Everyone, including the villagers of Komaki Village who were unaware of the details, was truly shocked. The visual impact of the stacked heads was overwhelming.
"Do you see?" Roshu Masahira forced himself to remain composed (although he had killed several people the previous night, it was dark, so he didn't feel much, but now facing so many heads directly, he felt a bit uncomfortable), "This is the bandit you fear. But in front of me, they are nothing."
After saying this, Roshu Masahira silently thought, "Cut," and with a swift motion, his figure flashed past the edge of the platform, and the two 10-centimeter-thick wooden pillars supporting the platform snapped, causing the platform to lose balance and collapse with a loud thud.
"I, Roshu Masahira, as your lord, following the will of Hachiman Daibosatsu, as his messenger, have come here to protect you," Roshu Masahira stood next to the collapsed platform, raised the sword, and shouted to the villagers.
The morning sun slanted across his body, and at that moment, Roshu Masahira seemed to radiate a captivating aura, giving off a sense of divine authority.
"Ah! May the divine messenger protect us!" Tsuda Masahiro, who had been thoroughly briefed by Roshu Masahira, quickly shouted from the back of the crowd. In fact, when Roshu Masahira found this bald man, he was worried that he might not cooperate. To his surprise, he was very cooperative and even suggested making a statue of the divine messenger with straw and wood. Roshu Masahira reluctantly declined his suggestion and fled, thinking to himself, "Damn, this guy must have been a monk before." Yes, looking at his shiny bald head, this thought became even more certain.
"May the divine messenger protect us! May the divine messenger protect us!..." A large portion of the crowd fell to their knees.
Seeing the kneeling crowd, Roshu Masahira was very satisfied with the propaganda effect. He glanced at Togo Heiji, who was standing nearby, and nodded slightly.
Togo Heiji immediately bowed to show his understanding and then walked to the crowd, continuing to proclaim the lord's achievements from the previous night and explaining the new requirements for the territory based on the morning's assessment.
"Kokichi, are you familiar with the situation in the villages to the south?" Roshu Masahira turned to Togo Kokichi, who was following behind him.
"Yes, my lord. I was born in this area and am familiar with the local conditions. I have also exchanged food with those villages a few times," Togo Kokichi replied.
"Good. Take five men, each carrying a bandit's head and a spear for self-defense, and visit those villages. Tell them that we have severely injured the bandits, but the bandits will soon launch a large-scale retaliation. Clearly inform them that I will grant them the status of formal subjects and provide military protection."
"Yes, my lord, I understand," Togo Kokichi's eyes lit up as if he had an idea, and he quickly replied. After bowing respectfully, he turned and carried out the order.
"Masahiro," Roshu Masahira looked at Tsuda Masahiro, who was still excited from the performance, and asked, "How many swords and spears do we have left in the territory?"
"My lord, we have 3 swords and 17 spears," Tsuda Masahiro replied quickly.
"Good. Masahiro, gather all the able-bodied men over 15 years old on the flat area in front of the village. Distribute the weapons according to their skills," Roshu Masahira ordered after a moment's thought.
"Hai!" Tsuda Masahiro acknowledged and left to carry out the order.
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