The charm of Moriya-no-kami lies in the fact that he is spoken of not as the victor of the central mythology, but as the deity who was there first. Takeminakata-no-kami is the Great God of Suwa standing at the center of the official historical view of Suwa Grand Shrine, but the story of that god entering Suwa requires a god on the receiving end. Moriya-no-kami fulfills that role. He is not a god who fights, loses, and vanishes, but one who, after reconciling, enters into the ritual order as the High Priest. Therein lies a uniquely Suwa-like layering of faith, not merely conquest and replacement. When reading Onbashira, Mishaguji, the Moriya clan, and Suwa Myojin as a single geological stratum, Moriya-no-kami stands precisely at the boundary of those layers.
Character Profile
This section is our own creative profile for storytelling. It is not historical fact or scholarship.
Personality - An ancient deity who controlled the land first. Retaining the memory of conflict, he bears a quiet majesty that supports the ritual order after reconciliation.
Compatibility - Strongly tied to Takeminakata-no-kami, Mishaguji, Suwa Grand Shrine, the Moriya clan, Fujishima Shrine, and the dragon/serpent and water god beliefs around Lake Suwa.
Abilities - Demonstrating dominion over the landSupporting the rituals of the ancient Suwa layerConnecting to Mishaguji ritualsBridging the boundary between foreign deities and local land gods
Weaknesses - Not a major deity appearing prominently in the main text of the Kojiki; his outline becomes faint when removed from the context of shrine legends, local folklore, and the Moriya clan's rituals.
Habitat - Moriya Shrine, around Fujishima Shrine, Suwa Grand Shrine Upper Shrine Ritual Sphere, and around Lake Suwa
For more detailed information and diagnosis results about Moriya-no-kami, the Local Deity of Suwa Who Confronted Takeminakata-no-kami, please click here.