Kariba Myojin is an alias for Takanomiko no Okami, the child deity of Niutsuhime and the god of hunting[1]. According to the legend of the founding of Mount Koya, he appeared before Kukai, who had returned from Tang China, in the guise of a hunter accompanied by two dogs, one black and one white. He is said to have guided Kukai to Mount Koya, revealing it as a suitable land for the fundamental training ground of Shingon esoteric Buddhism[2]. The hunter was actually an incarnation of Takanomiko no Okami, and it is said that the two divine dogs guided Kukai to Amano, where the mother deity, Niutsuhime, granted him the divine territory. He is depicted in the attire of a mountain hunter, wearing a kariginu (hunting cloak), carrying a bow and arrows, and accompanied by dogs. At Niutsuhime Shrine, he is enshrined alongside Niu Myojin as the deity of the Second Shrine, "Kariba Myojin"[1].
Folklore & Legends
The oldest textual source for this legend is the "Kongobuji Konryu Shugyo Engi," compiled in the 11th to 12th centuries. It identifies the hunter who guided Kukai from Uchi District in Yamato Province to the border of Kii Province around the 7th year of Konin (816) as Takanomiko no Okami (Kariba Myojin)[2]. Similar tales are recorded in the "Konjaku Monogatari-shu," where the black and white dogs are described as spiritual beasts pointing the way to the sacred site[2]. The "Niu Hafuri-shi Honkeicho," transmitted by the Niu clan, states that the Niu family originally made their living through hunting and were hunters accompanied by two dogs for sacrificial offerings to the gods. It is believed that this tradition was incorporated into the founding tale of Mount Koya[1]. The two divine dogs are believed to be spiritual beasts that lead people to happiness and good matches as "guiding divine dogs." At Niutsuhime Shrine, Kishu dogs are still kept today, carrying on the names Shiromaru and Kuromaru[1]. Niukanshofu Shrine (Kudoyama-cho), which has deep ties to Kukai, also enshrines Kariba Myojin, serving as a guardian shrine at the entrance to the Mount Koya pilgrimage route.
Kariba Myojin is the guardian deity of Mount Koya who most purely embodies the nature of a "God of Guidance." The religious logic that sacred sites are not found by humans but revealed by gods was narrativized into the legend of a hunter and divine dogs guiding an esoteric Buddhist practitioner into the mountains. His true name, Takanomiko no Okami, means the child deity of Niutsuhime. By both mother and son deities yielding the divine territory to Kukai, it represents the local pantheon's approval of the site becoming a sacred ground for Shingon esoteric Buddhism. The iconography of the kariginu, bow and arrows, and two dogs preserves the form of an ancient mountain god presiding over mountain livelihoods (hunting) and resonates with the historical fact that the Niu clan was a group of hunters accompanied by sacrificial dogs. The divine dogs generated a belief as "guiding divine dogs" leading people to good matches and happiness, a motif carried on by the modern Kishu dogs, Shiromaru and Kuromaru, at Niutsuhime Shrine. The footprints of this guiding deity are carved throughout the pilgrimage routes, such as the Mount Koya Choishi-michi and Niukanshofu Shrine.
Character Profile
This section is our own creative profile for storytelling. It is not historical fact or scholarship.
A silent hunter deity who knows every inch of the mountains and fields. He possesses the virtue of guidance, leading seekers of truth to the correct sacred sites, pioneering paths through trackless mountains with his black and white divine dogs. He embodies filial piety to his mother deity and a deep connection to the land.
Guidance to sacred sites and the righteous path (Divine virtue of guidance)Commanding two divine dogs (Shiromaru and Kuromaru)Protection of mountains, fields, and huntingBlessings for good matches and improved fortune
Weaknesses
Difficult to manifest if the person being guided lacks a connection to the land; his divine power is tied to the Mount Koya pilgrimage routes and the sanctuaries of the Niu faith.
Habitat
The forests of Mount Koya, pilgrimage routes like the Choishi-michi, and the mountainous regions bordering Kii Province. The precincts of Niukanshofu Shrine and Niutsuhime Shrine.
The diagram below is a diagnostic evaluation chart for The God of Hunting Who Guided Kukai to Koya, Takanomiko no Okami. The higher the value of each item, the stronger that characteristic is expressed.
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