Daisenji Engi (大山寺縁起)
Daisenji engi (tales of the origin of Daisen-ji Temple) is:
The engisho (historical records book) during the late Kamakura period. And the Engi Emaki (Illustrated handscroll of the history) during the early Muromachi period. Both of them were the lucky charms of Daisen-ji Temple in Aseri Country, Hoki Province (Tottori prefecture) (currently, Daisen-cho, Saihaku District, Tottori Prefecture).
Daisenji engi
The formation was from 1325 to 1330 and it was formed prior to Engi Emaki which is discussed below. The author is unknown but in the engi there are descriptions which favor Chumon-in, Daisen-ji Temple and thus it is highly possible that the author was a party of Chumon-in. The manuscript is considered to have been written during the end of the Edo period and the original book is in Domyo-in Temple and remains only as kotobagaki (captions). It is one of the important historical materials concerning the faith of Daisen (Tottori prefecture), which consists of 21 folktales in the first volume and 22 in the second volume, that is, 43 in all.
Daisenji Engi Emaki (Illustrated handscroll of the history of Daisen-ji Temple)
It was finished in 1398 and consists of ten volumes in all and the author is Zenhozen Nyudo Ryoa. The original book was designated as an old national treasure in 1918, but in 1928 burnt by fire in Daisen-ji Temple.
At present the copied books are stored in Tokyo National Museum and Historiographical Institute at the University of Tokyo and so on. The roughness in the pictures hints that they were painted by local painters, but they are highly appreciated as important materials for the study of folklore and religious history and the pictures of rice planting, where the cultivation by buffalos and the scene of sohei goso (direct petition by priest soldier) and so on are painted, are widely known. Recently, they were digitally restored.