Hachiman

Japanese war-and-archery deity, identified by tradition as the deified 15th Emperor Ōjin. Cult-center at Usa Hachimangū in Kyushu (founding) and Iwashimizu Hachimangū in Kyoto (imperial-recognized, 859 CE). Tutelary kami of the Minamoto warrior clan from the 11th century onward; their genealogical descent from Emperor Ōjin made Hachiman their ujigami. Father of Minamoto no Yoshiie under the Mongán-pattern medieval-literary divine-paternity claim preserved in the Heike Monogatari and the Hachimantarō-naming. Currently second only to Inari in the number of dedicated shrines across Japan (~25,000).

Children

• Yoshiie

Domains

• war and archery
• tutelary of warriors and imperial protection

Powers

• Sends the divine wind (kamikaze) that scatters invading fleets
• Extends divine protection over the nation and warriors
• Sends the divine wind that scatters invading fleets
• Delivers oracles declaring the divine will
• Protects the realm and grants victory to warriors
• Issues oracles declaring the divine will

Epithets

• 八幡大菩薩
• 誉田別命
• 弓矢八幡

Relations

• father of: Yoshiie

Sources

• Kojiki vol. 2; Nihon Shoki book 10; Heike Monogatari (Tale of the Heike, early 13th c.); Mutsu Waki (Tale of Mutsu, c. 1062); Azuma Kagami (Kamakura court chronicle); Usa Hachimangū and Iwashimizu Hachimangū shrine-records