History of Ninjutsu: The Path of Demons
From 武神館兜龍 Bujinkan Toryu by Toryu
鬼の行方ー怨念と国つ神々 Oni no Yukue – Onnen to Kunitsu-kami (The Path of Demons – Resentment and Native Gods) (Page 247-256) from the book 忍者 Ninja. Written by 戸部新十郎 Tobe Shinjūrō.
When considering the origins and emergence of ninjas, there is another issue to address.
Up until now, we have observed the people who came from far-off lands over long periods and the things they brought with them. However, we must also look at the native land that received them—a land where something lingered, with no place to go. This is likely best described as 鬼 Oni (Demon).
However, this “oni” is exceedingly complex and cannot be easily defined. First and foremost, it’s unclear whether it has a form.
Things that seem to have a form are as follows:
“Oni are matters of adults, referring to the conquered indigenous people” (Yanagita Kunio).
“In ancient history, the Kunitsu-kami (native gods) split into two; the majority merged with the common folk, while the rest retreated to or remained in the mountains, becoming known as mountain people” (Yanagita Kunio)
Though the nuances differ, both suggest a god or person who was feared and ostracized.
Demons – One expression among the common folk is マシ Mashi
Gods bearing this title of lord include 天御中主命 Ame-no-michika-nushi-no-mikoto (Heavenly Central Master Deity), 大国主命 Ōkuni-nushi-no-mikoto (Great Land Master Deity), 一言主命 Hitokoto-nushi-no-mikoto (One Word Master Deity), and 大地主命 Ōchi-nushi-no-mikoto (Great Earth Master Deity).
These can be considered the great figures of the ancient indigenous people.
These gods were conquered by deities who came from 高天原 Takamagahara (High Heavenly Plain). At this point, the exact location of Takamagahara is irrelevant.
Among them, Hitokoto-nushi was particularly pitiful.
According to the 古事記 Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters), when Emperor Yūryaku encountered a figure dressed in regal attire identical to his own on Mount Katsuragi and asked for his name, the response was, “True words in one, false words in one, the god of parting words,” a rather straightforward tale.
However, in the 続日本紀 Shoku Nihongi (Continued Chronicles of Japan), he appears as an old man hunting the same game as Emperor Yūryaku during a hunt. Ultimately, he incurred the emperor’s wrath and was exiled to Tosa.
Hitokoto-nushi likely did not intend to oppose the emperor. He was probably just hunting in the mountains as usual. The depiction portrays him as an old man in the mountains, devoid of ambition and unaware of what an emperor entails.
Though it’s unclear if it’s the same Hitokoto-nushi, centuries later, he would be subjugated by a man called …
役ノ小角 En no Ozunu (En no Gyōja) Path of Demons
En no Ozunu lived at the foot of Mount Katsuragi, in the body of Kamo no Ōzunu, a ritualist whose family had long served Mount Katsuragi, delivering the mountain god’s oracles to the court. In other words, he was in service to Hitokoto-nushi, the Katsuragi god.
However, from a young age, En no Ozunu roamed Mount Katsuragi like his own backyard, diligently practiced asceticism, and ultimately acquired the sorcery of the 孔雀明王 Kujaku Myōō (Peacock King), gaining the spiritual power to fly through the air.
Hitokoto-nushi avoided resistance as much as possible. The 前鬼 Zenki (Front Demon) and 後鬼 Goki (Rear Demon) of Mount Ōmine, also former native land gods, willingly submitted.
One year, construction began on a bridge connecting Mount Katsuragi and Mount Kinpu. Many oni from various regions were gathered for this work.
Hitokoto-nushi was also conscripted for the construction, but for some reason, his appearance was hideous. Ashamed to be seen by others, he requested to rest during the day and assist only at night, but En no Ozunu refused.
Overwhelmed, Hitokoto-nushi appealed to the emperor of the time, 文武天皇 Monmu-tennō (Emperor Monmu), slandering En no Ozunu, saying, “En no Ozunu has gathered various gods and demons in the mountains, intending to overthrow the realm.“
The court arrested En no Ozunu and exiled him to an island in Izu. However, while posing as an exile during the day, he flew over the sea at night, wandering the mountains of Fuji and Hakone (今昔物語 Konjaku Monogatari and others).
It’s said that En no Ozunu was reported by his disciple 韓国連広足 Kankoku Ren Kōsoku (Kankoku Ren Hirotari), but the Hitokoto-nushi theory remains strong, and it seems he later faced retaliation from En no Ozunu.
“One Word Master Deity was bound by En no Gyōja with a curse, remaining unliberated to this day” (日本霊異記 Nihon Reiiki), which is quite remarkable.
Incidentally, the 法 Hō (Law) of the Peacock King is highly revered in Shugendō (mountain asceticism), but its true meaning is inspired by the peacock, which fears no poison.
The mudra involves binding both hands outward, raising and joining the thumbs and pinkies. The thumbs represent the head, the pinkies the tail, and the other fingers the feathers. The custom is to chant a mantra while flapping like a fish, with the mantra being マユキラティ、ソワカ Ma-Yu-Ki-Ra-Ti, So Wa Ka.
This En no Ozunu is undeniably the founder of Japanese Shugendō and, needless to say, one of the ancestors of ninjutsu. However, he too belongs to the lineage of oni.
Replacing the now-formalized oni god Hitokoto-nushi, he became an active oni, demonstrating resistance to the establishment with various spiritual powers.
Generally, an oni’s identity is expressed through resistance to the establishment, whether consciously or not.
Hitokoto-nushi’s innocent competition with the emperor for game is akin to a matagi hunter’s dog killing a calf in a village pasture—when the matagi, instead of apologizing, complained that it was outrageous for others to harm or drive away their hunting dogs. This was merely a clash of different customs, essentially a form of anti-establishment and anti-commoner resistance.
Alternatively, they appear as rebels or thieves. Examples include the oni of 羅城門 Rashōmon, the oni of 大枝山 Ōeyama, and 茨木童子 Ibaraki-dōji (Ibaraki Child), who bear the title “dōji,” or those like 鬼同丸 Kidōmaru (Oni Companion), with a variety of oni roaming about.
Whether the imperial court era that produced these figures was truly prosperous is hard to determine outright, but the presence of a capital city and the widespread governance of the regency system likely appeared as prosperity to those living apart from society.
Moreover, behind this prosperity, the exclusion and sacrifice of many fueled anger, resentment, and sorrow, which were bound to transform into oni.
The origins of the dōji are said to be the descendants of declining local gods, the end result of those who served Mount Hiei. Whether this theory holds is beside the point, but they were characterized by hair like that of a large child hanging down to their shoulders.
This was called 四方髪 Shihō-gami (Four Directions Hair).
This is also a name used in later ninja disguises. There is an even clearer name referring to a group of indigenous people.
土蜘蛛 Tsuchi-gumo (Earth Spider) Demons
The current image, as depicted in Noh and Kabuki, is merely a monster lurking in mounds and harming good citizens. Indeed, their actions, which warranted being labeled as harmful to the common folk, were likely repeated.
Their reality can be seen in records like the 風土記 Fudoki. For example:
“In Ibaraki Province, commonly called Tsuchigumi or Hachidō, the Yamano-sai and Nōno-sai lived in earthen caves and could not see. They stuffed thorns into the caves and drove them in to kill them” (常陸風土記 Hitachi Fudoki)
Kuni-zu, appearing in the 神武紀 Jinmu-ki (Records of Emperor Jimmu), is likely the same as the 国栖 Kuni-zu of Yoshino. During Emperor Jimmu’s tour of Yoshino, he saw people playing in the river. Noticing they were being watched, they hid in a hole, only to emerge again and play in the river.
When called and asked their name, they answered 石穂押別命 Iho Oshibe-no-mikoto (Stone Ear Press Deity). These descendants of native gods were called Kuni-zu.
Yatsuka-sei suggests a robust physique, while Sai-bei implies “coldness,” symbolizing resistance and refusal to submit to the establishment. According to the 姓氏家系辞書 Shimei Kakei Jiten (Dictionary of Family Names and Lineages):
“A tribal name, a type of Emishi.”
It states that, unlike other Tsuchi-gumo or Kuni-zu who lived widely across the country, they were a special group residing only in a part (Hitachi) of the land.
Whether they were limited to a part is unknown, but their name appears in various regions. It’s said that those captured during Japan’s Prince Yamato Takeru’s eastern expedition were offered to the 熱田神宮 Atsuta Shrine, with others spreading to the Chūgoku region. However, their true essence seems to be as descendants of Kunitsu-kami, likely living everywhere.
The 小宮神社 Komiya-jinja (Small Shrine) that enshrines the original ancestral deity of the Iga Hattori clan was called “狭伯大明神 Saibe Daimyōjin” (Narrow Elder Great Deity). “It is also called 諏訪大明神 Suwa Daimyōjin, and referred to as 牛頭天王 Gōzu-tennō, which is likely 狭伯 Saibe” (三国地志 Sankoku-chishi).
The meaning of this Saibe remains unclear. Nevertheless, as an oni or Tsuchi-gumo, 服部半蔵、鬼半蔵 Hattori Hanzō, Oni Hanzō (Hattori Hanzō, Demon Hanzō) is considered far from ordinary.
鬼の行方ー怨念と国つ神々 Oni no Yukue – Onnen to Kunitsu-kami (The Path of Demons – Resentment and Native Gods) (Page 247-256) from the book 忍者 Ninja. Written by 戸部新十郎 Tobe Shinjūrō.
戸部新十郎 Tobe Shinjūrō (April 8 , 1926 – August 13, 2003)
Born in Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Dropped out of the School of Political Science and Economics at Waseda University. After working as a reporter for the Hokkoku Shimbun newspaper, he moved to Tokyo and began writing historical novels for a club magazine under the pen name Taki Ryutaro. He became a member of the Shintaka-kai, a group founded by Hasegawa Shin. His first novel, “The Crimes of Yasumi Oki” (1973), which he wrote after changing his pen name back to his real name, was nominated for the Naoki Prize. He subsequently pioneered new frontiers in the fields of warlords, ninjas, and master swordsmen, with works such as “Hachisuka Koroku” (1980), “Maeda Toshiie” (1981), “The Iga Doshin Shimatsu” (1976), “Hattori Hanzo” (1987), “Research into Miyamoto Musashi” (1981), and “Ito Ittosai” (1990)
忍者 Ninja. Written by 戸部新十郎 Tobe Shinjūrō.
First Edition Printed:: July 28, Shōwa 53 (1978)
286 pages
ISBN : 0093-003358-4424
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