Page:Nihongi by Aston volume 2.djvu/380

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Temmu.

373

6th day. The Emperor visited the park of Shira-nishiki.

The priests Pöp-chang and Gonju presented to the Emperor an infusion of Wokera.^[1]

On this day the ceremony of "calling on the spirit" was performed for the Emperor's sake.^[2]

27th day. Silla sent Kim Chi-syang, of Pha-chin-son rank, and Kim Kön-hun, of Tè-ason rank, to request governance and to bring tribute.

12th month, 4th day. The frontier guards sent to Tsukushi were tossed about in mid ocean, and all lost their clothing. Accordingly 450 tan of cloth were sent to Tsukushi to make clothing for them.

10th day. There was an earthquake. It began from the West.

(XXIX. 59.) 16th day. Alms of coarse silk, floss silk, and cloth were given to the priests of the Great Temple in the Great Palace.

19th day. The Empress-consort presented the Princes and high officials, to the number of fifty-five persons, with Court costume, one suit to each.

A.D. 686. Shuchō,^[3] 1st year, Spring, 1st month, 2nd day. The Emperor took his place in the Great Hall of Audience and gave a banquet to the Princes and High Officials.

↑ See above, XXIX. 57.
↑ When the Sun-goddess sent down Ninigi no Mikoto to rule the lower world, she gave him, according to the "Kiujiki" (II. 2), ten auspicious Heavenly treasures, viz. one mirror of the offing, one mirror of the shore, one eight-span sword, one jewel of birth, one jewel of return from death, one sufficing jewel, one jewel of the returning path, one dragon's fin, one bee's fin, and one fin of various articles. The Heavenly ancestor then instructed him, saying:—"In case of ailment, say to these ten treasures, 'Hi, fu, mi, yo, itsu, mu, nana, ya, kokono, tari' [or according to another version, 'Hi, fu, mi, yo, i, mu, na, ya, ko, to'] (i.e. one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten), and shake them yura-yura (an onomatopoetic word). If thou dost so, the dead will come to life again." This was the origin of the ceremony of furu (shaking).

The interlinear Kana calls this ceremony mitama-furishiki (shaking the august jewels). The Chinese characters mean "invitation of the spirit." It was performed with the object of renewing the Emperor's rigour and prolonging his life.
↑ Shuchō means red-bird. The "Nihongi" has no year-periods for the early part of the reign of Temmu, but some chronologists give Shujaku for 672 and Hakuhō for 673–685.

[1] See above, XXIX. 57.

[2] When the Sun-goddess sent down Ninigi no Mikoto to rule the lower world, she gave him, according to the "Kiujiki" (II. 2), ten auspicious Heavenly treasures, viz. one mirror of the offing, one mirror of the shore, one eight-span sword, one jewel of birth, one jewel of return from death, one sufficing jewel, one jewel of the returning path, one dragon's fin, one bee's fin, and one fin of various articles. The Heavenly ancestor then instructed him, saying:—"In case of ailment, say to these ten treasures, 'Hi, fu, mi, yo, itsu, mu, nana, ya, kokono, tari' [or according to another version, 'Hi, fu, mi, yo, i, mu, na, ya, ko, to'] (i.e. one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten), and shake them yura-yura (an onomatopoetic word). If thou dost so, the dead will come to life again." This was the origin of the ceremony of furu (shaking).

The interlinear Kana calls this ceremony mitama-furishiki (shaking the august jewels). The Chinese characters mean "invitation of the spirit." It was performed with the object of renewing the Emperor's rigour and prolonging his life.

[3] Shuchō means red-bird. The "Nihongi" has no year-periods for the early part of the reign of Temmu, but some chronologists give Shujaku for 672 and Hakuhō for 673–685.

[1]

[2]

[3]