拝啓 トーマス・ブレーク・グラバー様
空気が澄み渡る冬の奥日光の夜、息をのむほどに美しい星たちが満天に広がります。
北極星は地球と約430光年離れているといわれます。つまり、私たちに見えるのは約430年前の北極星が発した光だそうです。
気の遠くなるような昔のことに感じると思います。でもここでは、そのはるか以前にあった物語が今も色あせずに語り継がれています。
最も有名なのは「戦場ケ原神戦譚(たん)」でしょう。
太古の昔、男体山と赤城山(群馬県)が中禅寺湖の所有権をめぐり対立。それぞれ大蛇と大ムカデに姿を変えて戦い、大蛇が弓の名手・猿丸(さるまる)の助けで勝利したというものです。戦の場所が「戦場ケ原」、勝負が決した「菖蒲ケ浜(しょうぶがはま)」などと、奥日光の地名の起源としても有名です。スコットランドも多くの神話が残る国ですから、あなたも親しみを持って聞いてくれていたのかもしれませんね。
ことしは日光にとって歴史的な1年です。超人的な伝説とともに語られる僧勝道上人(しょうどうしょうにん)が、日光を宗教上の聖地とする礎を築いてから、ちょうど1250年の節目に当たるのです。勝道が主に修行を積んだ奥日光でも、ゆかりの寺社によって功績をたたえるさまざまな記念事業が行われます。
柱は、日光山輪王寺の悲願だった「千手堂(せんじゅどう)」の再建。あなたが訪れていた明治期には、中禅寺湖西岸の千手ケ浜にあったお堂です。勝道ゆかりの霊場ですが、老朽化で半世紀以上も前に撤去したままとなっていました。勝道の伝説にも関係する吉祥天(きっしょうてん)立像の初公開なども予定されています。
地元も受け継いだ伝説を大切にしています。勝道の時代に始まった「船禅頂(ふなぜんじょう)」(8月4日)は、阿世潟(あぜがた)にほど近い上野島(こうずけじま)や千手ケ浜などの勝道ゆかりの霊場を巡拝するもので例年大勢が参加します。室町時代から続く「武射祭(むしゃさい)」(1月4日)は、神戦譚に基づき弓を赤城山方面に放つ新年行事で、無病息災を願う人々が足を運びます。3年前には神戦譚にちなんだ黄金の大蛇像が日光二荒山神社中宮祠(ちゅうぐうし)の境内に設置されました。ことし3月には日光で勝道や神戦譚にまつわる市民劇も上演されるようです。
地元の中宮祠地区では近年、住民でつくる「昔語りの会」が歴史の継承や発掘に力を入れています。事務局の小島喜美男(こじまきみお)さん(66)は「新たな魅力を発信し地域活性化につなげたい」と熱っぽく語りました。
Dear Thomas Blake Glover
In the middle of the night, in the clear air of winter, those breath taking stars are spreading all over the sky above Oku Nikko.
The North Star is some 430 light years away, which means that what we see today is the light that it exerted 430 years ago. It may sound way back ago, but here in Oku Nikko, even much older time stories are still being told brightly.
One of the most famous stories is probably the narrative of the battle of the Gods in the field of Sonjou-gahara.
In ancient times, Mt. Nantai(in Oku Nikko) and Mt. Akagi(in Gunma) confronted over the ownership of Lake Chuzenji. Mt Nantai changed itself into a dragon, and Mt Akagi changed itself to a large centipede, and they fought each other. Eventually, the dragon won the battle with the help of a master of bow, Sarumaru. Many places’ name in Oku Nikko are said to be related to the story. For example, Senjou-gahara means the field of battle, and Shoubu-gahama is the field where the final battle was taken place.
I know Scotland also has many myths. I guess that you were enjoying listening to those stories of Oku Nikko as well.
This year marks the 1250th anniversary of the establishment of the base as a religious holy land in Oku Nikko, which was settled by a Buddhist monk by the name of Shoudou Shounin, a great monk who had many legendary episodes.
In Oku Nikko, where Shoudou spent his most time of ascetic training, the related temples and shrines are planning some events to commemorate his achievement.
The vital part of it is the reconstruction of the shrine Senjudou, which has been a long cherished wish of the temple of Nikko Rinnouji. When you were here during Meiji period, it was located on the west shore of Lake Chuzenji, called Senjugahama, one of the hollow ground related to Shoudou. The shrine has been removed for more than half a century due to decrepitude. The statue of Kisshouten, which appears in the legend of Shoudou, will be open to the public, too.
Legend of Shoudou is still alive among people here. Every year, on the 4th of August, there is a tour to pilgrimage hallow grounds related to Shoudou which has been continuing since his time, with a lot of participants. On the 4th of January, there is a new year festival called Musha-sai. Based on the narrative of the battle of Gods, people release an arrow to the direction of Mt. Akagi. Many people come to see it and wish for their peaceful life. In the garden of Nikko Futarasan Shrine, the gold statue of the dragon was placed to remind the battle of the Gods. Last March, there was a performance played by the civilians to tell the story of Shoudou and his legend.
There is a group of people living around Lake Chuzenji, trying to inherit and discover the history of Oku Nikko. Kojima Kimio who is in charge of the group, enthusiastically says ‘We want to deliver new allure of Oku Nikko and eventually revitalize our region’.