 |
Human deceit, the wrath of nature, and the torment of hell are all described here in a format uniquely suited to dramatic narrative. Blending historical fact with accounts of divine miracles, this set of five handscrolls comprising the Kitano Tenjin Engi Emaki juxtaposes written text with thirty-seven illustrations to tell the tale of the gifted but tragic courtier Sugawara Michizane (ca. 840–903) and the origin of the Kitano Shrine in Kyoto. Michizane was a celebrated statesman and scholar who ended his life in exile after being slandered by a rival at court. Seeking vengeance, his spirit caused natural disasters and visited horrible fates upon his persecutors until he was appeased by a posthumous promotion to the highest civil rank and deification as a Tenjin (heavenly deity), the most venerated kind of Shinto god. The Kitano Shrine is one of the most influential Shinto shrines in Japan, with ancillary relationships with more than four thousand shrines across the country.
The text of the Kitano Tenjin Engi was compiled shortly before 1194 by an unknown author. An engi is a narrative that describes the origin of a Buddhist temple or Shinto shrine, and this account of the history of the Kitano Shrine is typical of the religious literature popular in medieval Japan. Available evidence suggests that this tale was first illustrated soon after the text was completed. The large number of shrines throughout the country that claimed a connection to the Kitano Shrine caused an enormous demand for copies of the Tenjin Engi scrolls.
|
|
