Putting a Face on the Pathogen and Its Nemesis
Images of Tenkeisei and Gozutennō, Epidemic-Related Demons and Gods in Medieval Japan
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20237357 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Katja Triplett (0000-0002-8434-1608, Leipzig University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 193-213 |
| Publication date | 2021-08-13 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Asian Medicine (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1573-420X • E-ISSN: 1573-4218 |
| Publisher | Walter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.1163/15734218-12341490 |
| OpenAlex | W3194313107 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 6 |
In medieval Japan, so-called “four boundary demarcation rituals” were believed to turn invisible epidemic disease-bringing “demons” into visible beings. Making the demons visible, at least to the ritual experts involved, was a way of controlling them. The demons had a dual nature in that they harmed humans but could also become powerful protectors against disease and other calamities. This essay introduces the elaborate ritual culture of yin-yang divination, esoteric Buddhism, and kami worship in Japan, all of which involve “demonic” and protective deities. It explores images of two epidemic demons that serve humans as guardians and protectors against epidemic disease: Tenkeisei 天刑星 , the Star of Heavenly Punishment, and Gozutennō 牛頭天王 , the Bull-Headed Divine King. Tenkeisei ultimately merged with Gozutennō, who is also conflated with the deity Susanoo 素戔嗚
Aesthetics · Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Buddhism · Divination · Epidemic disease · Literature · Social science · Sociology · Theology · Worship · Chinese history and philosophy · History · Japanese History and Culture · Medicine · Philosophy · Psychology · Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices · Social Psychology · Virology
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |