歴史に関連した立地の理由
九州本土における信仰の元々の場所は、辺津宮の上の森の中にある野外祭場の高宮祭場であり、沖ノ島の方向に玄界灘を見渡せます。そこは宗像三女神が天から地上に降臨したとされる場所です。自然物や森の中、空地から建物のように、信仰の場所が何世紀にもわたって進化し、12世紀には高宮祭場の下に拝殿が追加されました。
外国貿易で財を成した宗像氏がこの地域を支配し、神職も務めました。彼らは本殿を建て、二つの末社それぞれも隣同士に建てて三神それぞれを祀りました。度重なる火災と戦乱で当初の建物は焼失しましたが、現在の本殿は最後の宗像氏の大宮司によって1578年に再建されました。当初の第ニ宮と第三宮の社殿は焼失しましたが、1978年に三重県の伊勢神宮から遷座した新しい社殿が本殿の背後に建っています。
The History of Hetsu-miya
The original site of worship on the mainland of Kyushu was Takamiya Saijo, an open-air ritual site in the forests above Hetsu-miya, with a view across the Genkai Sea towards Okinoshima. This was the spot the Three Female Deities of Munakata were said to have descended to earth from the heavens. Worship sites evolved over the centuries from natural objects and forest clearings, to include buildings, and by the twelfth century, worship halls had been added below the Takamiya Saijo ritual site.
The area was controlled by the Munakata family, who became wealthy through foreign trade, and served as the area’s Shinto priests. They built the main shrine and two smaller shrines next to it, venerating each of the three deities. Successive fires and wars destroyed the original buildings, but the present main sanctuary was rebuilt in 1578 by the last of the Munakata high priests. The original Teini-gu and Teisan-gu shrine buildings burned down, but two newer structures, relocated from Ise Jingu in Mie Prefecture in 1978, are now situated behind the main sanctuary.
