Shironushi

代主 Shironushi

1 Source and/or Related Material

Jinnō Shōtōki, Yamato katsuragi hōzan-ki

2 Author

Unknown

3 Repertoire

Kanze

4 Synopsis

The priest (waki) of the Upper and Lower Kamo Shrines in Kyoto, accompanied by two servants (wakitsure), is on a pilgrimage to the Kamo Shrine on Mt. Katsuragi in Yamato Province (Nara). They meet an old man (maeshite) and a younger man (maetsure) sweeping the shrine gardens. The priest asks the old man to tell him about the famous places of Katsuragi. The old man says that this shrine is where the God of Kamo first appeared and is thus the deity’s main shrine. He goes on to say that the deities of the Kamo shrines in Kyoto and on Mt. Katsuragi in Yamato are in fact different manifestations of the same God, who changes form to help people. The old man reveals that he is the God Koto Shironushi, and promising to appear to them in his true form, he disappears. A local man (ai) arrives to retell the story in plain speech. That night, Shironushi (nochishite) appears and dances to bestow the land with peace.