157 



said "Rain-Mastev", in order to stop the rain. The offering to 

 the latter of a blue (i.e. dark coloured) horse in 859 (for stop- 

 ping rain) and of a white one in 875 and 883 is stated in the 

 Sandai jitsuroku ', while black horses were twice offered to the 

 same god in 877, as well as in 880 and 885?. It is no wonder 

 that the Emperor repeatedly elevated this mighty river^god to 

 a higher rank ^ The Kiinpisho *, a work written in the Kenryaku 

 era (1211 — 1212) bij the Emperor Juntoku, says that, when at that 

 time officials of the Jingikwan, the Department of Shinto Rites 

 and Ceremonies, went to the shrines of Nibu (the *Rain-Master") 

 and Kibune, in order to pray for rain or to beseech these gods 

 to stop the too ab,undant rains, they took a sacred horse with 

 them from the Imperial stables, and when Kurabito (kurodo, or 

 kurando, |^ ^ , officials of the kurodo-dokoro, which had the 

 care of the Imperial decrees) went to those temples, one of th& 

 Emperor's ordinary horses or one taken from the stables of the 

 retired Emperor was deemed sufficient. In case of stopping rain 

 a red horse, and when rain was required a white horse was 

 offered, for the colour red was avoided in praying for rain. The 



i Ch. Ill, p. 41. "From the iifth month to the present month (the eighth) it had 

 i-ained continuously, so that messengers were sent to the shrine of the Rain-Master of 

 Nibu kawaltami in Yamato province, .and nusa and a blue horse! etc. were presented 

 to him; this was done in order to supplicate " him to stop the rain". Ch. XXVII, p. 

 416: nusa and a white, horse offered to the god of Nibu kawakami to cause him to 

 stop the rain. Chj XLIV, p. 606; nusa offered to the shrines of Ise, Kamo, Matsuo, 

 Inari, Kibune and Nibu kawakami, and to- the last also a white horse, on account of 

 the heavy rains and the bad omens. 



2 Sandai jitsuroku, Ch. XXXI, p. 464 : a black horse offered to the god of Nibu 

 kawakami, and nusa to the god of Kibune, with prayers for rain. Ch. XXXI, p. 465: 

 the god of Nibu kawakami raised to the principal third rank, nusa and a black horse 

 offered to him, and prayers said for rain. Ch. XXXVII, p. 543: nusa offered to the 

 gods of eleven Shinto shi'ines (Kamo and othei's) and prayers said for rain ; but a black 

 horse added to the offerings sent to the temple of Nibu kawakami. Ch. XLVIII, p. 

 666 : nusa and a black horse offered to the Rain-Master-god of Nibu kawakami. 



3 Comp. the above notes. Shoku Nihon koki, Ch. IX, pp. 287, 300 etc. 



4 :^^^:i|^■, Gunsho ruijU, Vol. XVI, nr 467, Ch. "fC , pp. 1072 seq : |^ f^ 



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