Usa Shrine, the Ichinomiya of Buzen Province, in the Late Medieval Period and its Relationship with the Ouchi Clan

application/pdf中世後期において宇佐宮と大内氏は、相互利益と相互補完という蜜月の関係を築いてきた。それは、大内義弘が豊前支配に乗り出した応永期から大友氏に豊前支配を許す天文期までの約百数十年間と長きに渡るものであった。そこで応仁の乱前後に区切りをつけて、その動向を追ったが、応仁の乱以前では宇佐宮はそれまで怠っていた造営と祭礼執行を果たすという課題を負っており、大内氏の登場によりそれらは解消するに至った。そして大内氏は豊前支配に対して宇佐宮の荘園体制に依拠した掌握を進めていた。この段階では、お互いに為すべき目標があったので、それほど大きな問題も無く、相互に成熟期を迎えることができたのであるが、その成熟期を過ぎる応仁の乱以後では、惰性的な関係が継続されていくことになる。大内氏はそれまでの保護政策を継承しつつも、宇佐宮に対して課役していくという動きを見せ始める。しかし、宇佐宮はこれまでの関係を継続すべきが如く、「愁訴」「先例」「社例」を用いることで既得権益を維持していこうとしたのである。そういう意味では応仁の乱前の宇佐宮は、造営や祭礼復興、そして神威向上など積極的な「主体性」を見せていたのであるが、それがある程度達成された時には次第に「主体性」を欠く慢性的なものとなった部分もあるのではないだろうか。大内氏も、目まぐるしく変化を遂げる乱世において、そういった停滞した関係からの脱却を望まなければならなかったであろうが、宇佐宮の荘園体制に立脚する支配体制を取り込んでいる状況では儘ならないものであっただろう。こうした矛盾からも、次第に相互の信頼関係を希薄にしていく様子が見え隠れするようになったと考える。先例及び社例を重んじ造営や祭祀を執り行う神社にとって、それらが緩怠することはゆゆしき問題であった。それがゆえに、その維持のために権力者との関係は必要不可欠であった。しかし、その関係とは非常に流動的なものであり、中世後期の社会情勢では、常に変化するものであったはずである。In the late medieval period, Usa Shrine and the Ouchi clan established a close relationship that was mutually beneficial and complementary. This relationship lasted for well over a hundred years from the Ouei era (1394-1428), when Ouchi Yoshihiro began to rule Buzen, to the Tenbun era (1532-1555) when they relinquished control of Buzen to the Otomo clan. This study traces their relationship ending around the time of the Onin War (1467-1477). Prior to the Onin War, building had been neglected at Usa shrine and it also faced various problems concerning the performing of religious rites, but the appearance of the Ouchi clan solved these problems. The Ouchi clan’s control of Buzen relied on the shoen system of Usa Shrine. At this stage, this was not a major problem since they both had their own objectives and it enabled both the clan and the shrine to blossom. However, after the Onin War, when they were past their heyday, they continued their relationship, but only through sheer enertia. While the Ouchi clan continued with its earlier protective policies, it started to show signs of wanting to impose payment of produce and service taxes (etsuki) on the shrine. However, wanting the relationship to continue as it had up until then, the shrine sought to maintain its vested interests by complaining and citing custom and its annual calendar of events. In this sense, whereas before the Onin War Usa Shrine had shown active “independence” through the restoration of its buildings and religious rites and the enhanced prestige of its kami, by the time it had largely achieved such improvements there must have been aspects that were in a chronic state and had gradually come to lack “independence.” During the turbulent years of war when heady changes occurred, the Ouchi clan must have wanted to extricate itself from the stagnant relationship that had developed, but could not afford to do so on account of its system of control that was built on the shoen system of Usa Shrine. It is plausible that from this contradiction as well, there gradually came to be glimpses of a weakening of their relationship of mutual trust. For a shrine that erected buildings and performed religious rites and set great store on custom and annual events, neglecting such things was a serious problem. It was for this reason that it was absolutely necessary to have a relationship with those in power in order to maintain such activities. However, such relationships were extremely fluid, and under the social conditions of the late medieval period, they would have changed constantly.departmental bulletin pape