Changes

A later episode of the myth relates that the prominent monk [[Nichizo|Nichizô]] died during a journey to Mt. Kinpusen near [[Yoshino]], and was brought back to life by the gods; he was then led by the spirit of Michizane to Michizane's palace in the heavens, and then to the palace of [[Enma]], King of Hell, where he witnessed the late Emperor Daigo being tortured; the Emperor explained to Nichizô how to pacify Michizane's angry spirit, and he was then returned to earth. Meanwhile, a young girl appeared before the Imperial court, claiming that she had been commanded by Michizane's spirit to construct a shrine to him at the Ukon horse grounds. After a number of other oracles and similar messages, the court began construction on just such a shrine. After the Imperial Palace was destroyed in a fire, the court decided that Michizane's spirit had not yet been pacified, and so they granted him the posthumous title of ''daijô daijin'' ("Chancellor of the Realm"), and named him Tenjin, a ''kami'' of scholarship and calligraphy, and of protection for those wrongfully persecuted.

A later episode of the myth relates that the prominent monk [[Nichizo|Nichizô]] died during a journey to Mt. Kinpusen near [[Yoshino]], and was brought back to life by the gods; he was then led by the spirit of Michizane to Michizane's palace in the heavens, and then to the palace of [[Enma]], King of Hell, where he witnessed the late Emperor Daigo being tortured; the Emperor explained to Nichizô how to pacify Michizane's angry spirit, and he was then returned to earth. Meanwhile, a young girl appeared before the Imperial court, claiming that she had been commanded by Michizane's spirit to construct a shrine to him at the Ukon horse grounds. After a number of other oracles and similar messages, the court began construction on just such a shrine. After the Imperial Palace was destroyed in a fire, the court decided that Michizane's spirit had not yet been pacified, and so they granted him the posthumous title of ''daijô daijin'' ("Chancellor of the Realm"), and named him Tenjin, a ''kami'' of scholarship and calligraphy, and of protection for those wrongfully persecuted.

Today, there are four major Tenjin shrines in Japan, including [[Kitano Tenmangu|Kitano Tenmangû]] in Kyoto, [[Dazaifu Tenmangu|Dazaifu Tenmangû]] in [[Dazaifu (city)|Dazaifu]], [[Egara Tenjin Shrine]] in [[Kamakura]], and [[Umeda Tenmangu|Umeda Tenmangû]] in Osaka, along with a great many smaller/lesser shrines, at which students regularly pray for success in their exams, and in school in general. The kabuki play ''[[Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami]]'' ("Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy"), in which Michizane is referred to as Kan Shôjô ("Prime Minister Sugawara"), is counted among the three most popular ''[[jidaimono]]'' plays in the kabuki repertoire, alongside ''[[Kanadehon Chushingura|Kanadehon Chûshingura]]'' and ''[[Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura]]''.

Today, there are four major Tenjin shrines in Japan, including [[Kitano Tenmangu|Kitano Tenmangû]] in Kyoto, [[Dazaifu Tenmangu|Dazaifu Tenmangû]] in Dazaifu, [[Egara Tenjin Shrine]] in [[Kamakura]], and [[Umeda Tenmangu|Umeda Tenmangû]] in Osaka, along with a great many smaller/lesser shrines, at which students regularly pray for success in their exams, and in school in general. The kabuki play ''[[Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami]]'' ("Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy"), in which Michizane is referred to as Kan Shôjô ("Prime Minister Sugawara"), is counted among the three most popular ''[[jidaimono]]'' plays in the kabuki repertoire, alongside ''[[Kanadehon Chushingura|Kanadehon Chûshingura]]'' and ''[[Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura]]''.

==References==

==References==