The head of a demon enshrined in Gifu Prefecture [Part 2]

Part 1 URL http://youkaiya.jp/youkai-ch/?p=1006

Hello, this is Kamiyo. I'm glad that the previous article was well received. This article will continue from the first part, so if you haven't read it yet, please read it from the URL above.

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Apparently, Nenkoji Temple attracts a fair number of tourists. The door of the old-fashioned shrine, which looks old despite its age, opened easily and without any noise. And finally, I came face to face with the demon's head.

At first glance, it looked like an ordinary skull. It was a yellowed skull about the size of a human head, and upon closer inspection, one could see thick horns growing from the upper side of the head. The guide told us that once the head was taken out of the shrine, a curse from the demon would bring about a storm. This is what Kayagawa Tarouemon, who brought the demon's head, had said.(How did he get it?)

The guide added, "I've shown this demon's head to scholars and doctors before, and they told me that the back of its head is a little longer than that of an ordinary human." He then turned the base of the shrine like a Chinese table to show us the side of its head. The back of its head certainly does seem long... I'm an amateur, so I can't judge the authenticity of the object, but perhaps because of the horns, it has a certain divine quality to it.

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After listening to the explanation for about 10 minutes, I left Nenkoji Temple and finally realized the true nature of the strange feeling I had while listening to the explanation.

The demon was defeated by Fujiwara no Takamitsu in the Tenryaku era, that is,Around 950 ADThe head of the demon was then placed in the Nenkoji Temple by Takamitsu's descendants during the Genroku period.

ADIt was around 1700.

The demon's head must have been kept in the Fujiwara family for this long. Why would an item that could be a medal for the achievements of their ancestors end up in such a state after more than 700 years?For no great reasonWas it going to be donated to Nenkoji Temple?

I had intended to end the article on Oni no Kubi by writing about such unsolved questions. However, when I posted the first part and reported it to Yokai-ya, the administrator of this website, he told me the following.

Yokai Shop Owner: "Could this demon possibly be a monkey, a tiger, a snake?"

to be continued...

Preview for next episode: Q: Wasn't it supposed to be a two-part story? A: It couldn't all be wrapped up in two parts! What is the truth behind the demon's head that was left abandoned between the Tenryaku and Genroku eras? Also, what is its connection to the legend of the "Monkey and Snake"? In the next episode, the two legends will lead to one speculation.The head of a demon enshrined in Gifu Prefecture [Considerations]Stay tuned.

postscript: Images of the demon's head at Nenkoji Temple are circulating on the Internet, but photography is prohibited. For this reason, I have not included an image of the demon's head in this article, but have substituted an image from Irasutoya. If you are interested, please go to the temple and see it with your own eyes.

NEXT→Consideration URL:http://youkaiya.jp/youkai-ch/?p=1072

(Image: Irasutoya)