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Niu Myoujin@’OΆ–Ύ_
KEY WORD :@art history / iconography
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Also Niutsuhime Myoujin ’OΆ“s”δ”„–Ύ_. A female mountain deity that resides in Mt. Kouya ‚–μ. According to legend *Kuukai ‹σŠC (774-835, see *Koubou Daishi O–@‘εŽt) received permission from Nui Myoujin through an oracle to build Kongoubuji ‹ΰ„•υŽ›, his monastery on Mt. Kouya, in 816. In many variants of the legend Nui Myoujin's son (or emanation) *Kariba Myoujin Žλκ–Ύ_ (also known as Kouya Myoujin ‚–μ–Ύ_) appeared as a hunter who led Kuukai to the site. Nui Myoujin and Kariba Myoujin were adopted as the guardians chinju ’ΑŽη of the monastery and, with two other deities added later, were worshipped at the Amano Jinja “V–μ_ŽΠ, presently Niutsuhime Jinja ’OΆ“s”δ”„_ŽΠ, as Kouya Shisho Gongen ‚–μŽlŠŒ Œ» or Kouya Shisha Myoujin ‚–μŽlŽΠ–Ύ_. The word niu is found in the names of places associated with the mining of mercury ore (cinnabar). Scholars suggest that Niu Myojin may have been the deity of clans who did such mining. Mt. Kouya has, for the purposes of mandalas, sixteen peaks, which are represented as eight inner and eight outer petals, and these works combine the Matrix Mandala *Taizoukai mandara ‘Ω‘ ŠE™ΦδΆ—… and Diamond World Mandala *Kongoukai mandara ‹ΰ„ŠE™ΦδΆ—…. These last two are the diagrams of the two aspects of *Dainichi ‘ε“ϊ representing the realms of dynamic enlightenment and wisdom respectively. The bonji žŽš (Siddham letters that are the sound symbol of the deity) for these two forms of Dainichi may appear on paintings of Nui Myoujin and her son when they are represented as Shinto deities *kami _. In paintings Nui Myoujin may be shown in Japanese Court dress or in Chinese dress and may appear alone, with Kariba, or in larger groups.
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(C)2001 Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System.@No reproduction or republication without written permission.
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