The Three Great Vengeful Spirits of Japan
Sugawara no Michizane, exiled on false charges; Taira no Masakado, slain after rising in rebellion; and Emperor Sutoku, who died in exile. The three most feared vengeful spirits of Japan were eventually worshipped as gods. See how the Japanese have faced their onryo.
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The connections in words
- Fujiwara no Tokihira Exiled to Dazaifu → Sugawara no Michizane's Vengeful Spirit Michizane was exiled to Dazaifu on false charges and died there.
- Sugawara no Michizane's Vengeful Spirit Blamed as a curse → The Seiryoden Lightning Strike The lightning strike after his death was feared as the work of his spirit.
- Sugawara no Michizane's Vengeful Spirit Worshipped as Tenjin → Kitano Tenmangu Shrine Enshrined to pacify his spirit, he later became the god of learning.
- Fujiwara no Hidesato Killed him → Taira no Masakado's Vengeful Spirit Fujiwara no Hidesato (Tawara Toda) and others crushed Masakado's rebellion.
- Taira no Masakado's Vengeful Spirit His head flew here → Masakado's Head Mound His head, displayed in Kyoto, is said to have flown east in search of his body and landed here.
- Taira no Masakado's Vengeful Spirit Enshrined deity → Kanda Myojin Shrine He is enshrined as a deity at Kanda Myojin.
- Emperor Go-Shirakawa Hogen Rebellion → Emperor Sutoku Defeated in the struggle for the throne, Sutoku was exiled to Sanuki.
- Emperor Sutoku Became a tengu → Tengu He vowed to become "a great demon of Japan" and is said to have turned into a tengu while still alive.
- Emperor Sutoku Resting place → Shiramine Mausoleum He died in Sanuki and was buried at Shiramine.
- Ueda Akinari Wrote "Shiramine" → Shiramine Mausoleum He included the tale of the poet Saigyo meeting Sutoku's spirit in Ugetsu Monogatari.
- Sugawara no Michizane's Vengeful Spirit Three great onryo → Taira no Masakado's Vengeful Spirit Michizane, Masakado and Sutoku are called the "three great vengeful spirits of Japan."
- Taira no Masakado's Vengeful Spirit Three great onryo → Emperor Sutoku
The Story
- What is an onryo?
The spirit of someone who died with a grudge brings disaster: people of the Heian period truly feared such vengeful spirits. The three most feared are known as the "three great onryo of Japan."
- Michizane, exiled to Dazaifu
The scholar and statesman Sugawara no Michizane was falsely accused amid a power struggle with Fujiwara no Tokihira and others, exiled to Dazaifu in Kyushu, and died there.
- Lightning on the capital
After Michizane's death, Tokihira died young, and in 930 lightning struck the Seiryoden hall of the palace, killing and injuring many. People feared it was Michizane's curse.
- From onryo to Tenjin
The court restored Michizane's honor and enshrined him at Kitano Tenmangu and elsewhere to calm his spirit. In time he became beloved as Tenjin, the god of learning.
- Masakado, rebel of the Kanto
Taira no Masakado rose in rebellion in the Kanto region and called himself the "New Emperor," but was killed by Fujiwara no Hidesato and others.
- The head that flew east
Masakado's head, displayed in Kyoto, is said to have flown east in search of its body. His head mound in Otemachi, Tokyo, where it is said to have landed, is still carefully tended.
- The emperor exiled to Sanuki
The retired Emperor Sutoku lost the Hogen Rebellion to his younger brother, Emperor Go-Shirakawa, and was exiled to Sanuki (Kagawa Prefecture).
- A tengu while still alive
Sutoku vowed to become "a great demon of Japan" and is said to have turned into a tengu while still alive. He also appears in "Shiramine" in Ueda Akinari's Ugetsu Monogatari.
- Worshipping the onryo as gods
By honoring a terrifying spirit with care, it can be turned into a protector. The stories of these three express the Japanese belief known as goryo shinko, the worship of vengeful spirits.