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Mikomori Myoujin@ŒδŽqŽη–Ύ_
KEY WORD :@art history / iconography
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Also called Komori Myoujin ŽqŽη–Ύ_ and may appear in the triad known as Mikomori Sannyoshin ŒδŽqŽηŽO—_ (see below). The deity of Yoshino Mikumari Jinja ‹g–쐅•ͺ_ŽΠ which is situated on a ridge above the village of *Yoshino ‹g–μ in southern Nara and which is one of four major watershed shrines in old Yamato ‘ε˜a. Yoshino Mikumari appears in a record of 702 and was known as a site at which to pray for control of rain and water. Apparently through a misapprehension of the sound, Mikumari became known as Mikomori, a protector of children. Mikomori is one of the eight gongen Œ Œ» of Yoshino, gongen being the forms taken by supernatural beings in order to manifest themselves on earth. There are twenty sculptures of the deity *kami _, in Yoshino Mikumari Jinja. The most famous of these is that of Tamayorihime ‹ΚˆΛ•P, dating from 1251. She appears in KOJIKI ŒΓŽ–‹L (712) as the mother of Emperor Jinmu _•. In this case she appears accompanied by two other deities and the three together are known as the Mikomori Sannyoshin. It is important to note that Tamayorihime is not identical with Mikomori Myoujin, since the latter is the collective deity of the whole shrine and includes a number of other deities. In paintings Mikomori may appear alone or in a triad. She is shown as a court lady, and she may be with children. She may be shown holding a vajra *Kongou rikishi ‹ΰ„—ΝŽm. She and/or her shrine often appear in *Yoshino mandara ‹g–μ™ΦδΆ—…. Mikomori Myoujin's Buddhist counterpart *honjibutsu –{’n•§ may be identified as *Jizou ’n‘ , and the bonji žŽš (Siddham letter for the sound value of the deity) for *Dainichi ‘ε“ϊ of the Matrix Mandala *Taizoukai mandara ‘Ω‘ ŠE™ΦδΆ—… may appear on paintings of her.
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