F E S T I V A L ／ FEST-185
Miyauchi Uwanari-uchi Rite
宮内の嫐（うわなり）打ち神事みやうちのうわなりうちしんじ
Preserved at Takasugi Shrine in Miyauchi, Daisen Town, Tottori, the Uwanari-uchi is a rare folk rite that ritualizes the medieval custom of 'uwanari-uchi' — in which a discarded first wife led a band of women to raid the home of her husband's new wife. Shrine tradition holds that when misfortune plagued the area, an oracle revealed that two court ladies, jealous of the principal wife, were causing curses; halls for the goddess (main, middle, and guest) were built and this rite begun to appease them. Three 'striking deities' (uchigami) chosen from the parishioners, aided by an attendant priest, perform water purification, cup-throwing, and staff-handing rites, then finally advance from three sides to clash bamboo staves, ending with the cry 'the main hall wins.' Held only on the night of the 15th day of the ninth lunar month in leap years, it was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Tottori Prefecture in 2018.
H I G H L I G H T S
Highlights
- 01A rare rite re-enacting the feud of first wife and second wife through a clash of bamboo staves
- 02Performed only on the night of the lunar 9th-month 15th day in leap years — once every four years
- 03Three 'striking deities' chosen from parishioners who, after water purification and cup-throwing, clash late at night
D E E P D I V E