688 athanasios drakakis
only by one of the twelve earthly branches (jūnishi), but also by one
of the twenty-eight lunar mansions (suku). Each of the branches and
the mansions are transformations of one of the five agents; thus, every
year is ultimately characterized by the relationship of these three clas-
sificatory principles. The following passage from the text exemplifies
this system: “The year of the Rat belongs to the lunar mansion of the
Girl. The Rat derives from the qi of Water. The Girl mansion derives
from the qi of Wood. Thus, we have a Water-creating-Wood year.”
Onmyōdō and the Cult of Gozu Tennō
The terms “folk Onmyōdō” (minkan onmyōdō ) and “folk
onmyōji” (minkan onmyōji ) are commonly used to refer
to forms of Onmyōdō and onmyōji specialists outside the Onmyōryō.
Folk onmyōji were usually Buddhist priests or quasi-priests, but they
differed from sukuyōji, who had official status and training. Since
onmyōji performed protective rituals, it is not by chance that they
established a connection with the cult of Gozu Tennō.
The Hoki naiden is also related to the cult of the deity Gozu Tennō
centered at Gionsha. In the introductory chapter we find
a detailed origin narrative (engi ) concerning this god and his
exploits, and this story reveals Onmyōdō influence. For example, there
are references to the Taizan Fukun sai (the ritual cele-
brating the Chinese god Taizan Fukun ( ) ), one of the most
important Onmyōdō rituals, and to the rituals of the five periods of
the year (gosetsu ). Elements from the story of Gozu Tennō define
most of the divination described in the Hoki naiden. The first chapter
of the text provides a guide to choosing the appropriate direction (and
avoiding the unlucky one) based on the positions of eight princes, the
children of Gozu Tennō. Those eight princes are also identified with
various beings from the Buddhist pantheon according to honji suijaku
theory and with the seven planets (with Saturn related to two different
princes).
The center of the Gozu Tennō cult, Gionsha, present-day Yasaka
Shrine in Kyōto, was formerly a shrine-temple affiliated with
Enryakuji ; it developed an original combination of Onmyōdō,
Sukuyōdō, and esoteric Buddhism. Gozu Tennō is a pestilence god
from a foreign land, probably India, who came to be worshiped as the
protector of Kyōto; in the honji suijaku pantheon of premodern Japan,
this figure was identified with Susanoo no Mikoto /
. According to a legend, Kibi no Makibi originated the cult of