Tsunofurihayabusa-myojin (角振隼総明神)
Tsunofurihayabusa-myojin is a deity enshrined at Tsunofuri-jinja Shrine, which used to be located in Fuchu-cho, Aki-gun, Hiroshima Prefecture.
Summary
He is recorded as Shoshiino-sanmae (Senior Fourth Rank sanmae Grade) in the local Jinmyocho (list of deities). He is also called Tsunofurihayabusawake no Mikoto.
Sometime during the 156 years from 784 to 940, Tsunofuri-jinja Shrine was built to enshrine Tunofurihayabusa-myojin, which had until then been enshrined at Hayabuza-jinja Shrine in Tsunofuri-cho, Nara City. "Narabomoku-sekkai", written by Kodo MURAI in the mid-Edo period, contains the following description of Hayabuza-jinja Shrine.
Tsunofuri no Kami is a child of Hosuseri, Hayafusa no Kami is the father, and the two deities, father and son, are enshrined together.
There is no shoshi (small shrine) but persimmon, which is called shinboku (sacred tree).'
The description in the "Narashishi Shaji-hen (History of Nara City, Shrines and Temples)" also follows what is written in "Narabomoku-sekkai."
Hayafusa no Kami means Hosuseri. He is the patriarch of the Hayato people (an ancient people from southern Japan), is also called Umisachihiko, and is an older brother of Hikohohodemi no Mikoto (also known as Yamasachihiko), who was the grandfather of the first emperor, Jinmu.
Together, they are famous in Japanese mythology as 'Umisachihiko and Yamasachihiko.'
After Umisachihiko was defeated in battle against his younger brother, Yamasachihiko, he became guard of Miyagi Prefecture for generations. The "Kojiki" (Record of Ancient Matters) and the "Nihonshoki" (Chronicles of Japan) say that the victor, Yamasachihiko, established the basis of the Imperial family. Together with Hayafusa no Kami, Tsunofuri no Kami is considered to be a god who drives off disaster.
According to the description of Tsubakimoto-jinja Shrine (where Tsunofuri no Okami is enshrined) which is located in Kasuga-taisha Shrine Chu-in Temple, Tsunofuri no Kami is 'one of the valiant Kenzokushin (ancillary deities) of Omiya and a god who drives off disaster.'
Records
The entry for August 11, 1543 in the "Tamonin nikki" diary includes the following description:
此の宮ハ角振ノ神トテ名誉ワ々シキ神也、山内ニオイテハ椿本神社是也、或時禁裏ニ御受戒ノ時、白昼ニ天狗共多ク出現シテ異類異形ノ物来タレリ、其時帝王今日ハ番ノ神ハ誰ソト被仰レシ時、角振ノ神也ト申ス時、浄衣ノオトハリハリトシテ御出仕の音シケレハ、天魔悉以消滅了ト申伝云々。
The 'Incident of the Tengu (long-nosed goblin) entering Higashi Sanjo-dono Palace,' the fourth volume of the "Kasuga-gongen-kie" (Scroll of the Story of the Kasuga Gongen Shrine) written in 1309, includes a story in which Tengu Hoshi, who had sneaked into the Higashi Sanjo-dono Palace of FUJIWARA no Tadazane who was Kanpaku (chief adviser to the Emperor), was wiped out by the power of Tsunofuri-myojin, and the end of the story includes the following description:
…その御聲につきて春日大社神主時盛まいりて候けり、これをみて天狗法師どもみなにげうせにけり、つのふり、はやぶさの明神は春日御にて、御社におわします也。