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Pieces of Princes: Personalized Relics in Medieval Japan |
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Author |
Carr, Kevin Gray
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Source |
Japanese Journal of Religious Studies
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Volume | v.38 n.1 |
Date | 2011 |
Pages | 93 - 127 |
Publisher | Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture=南山宗教文化研究所 |
Publisher Url |
http://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/en/
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Location | 名古屋, 日本 [Nagoya, Japan] |
Content type | 期刊論文=Journal Article |
Language | 英文=English |
Keyword | relics (shari); Prince Shōtoku; Śākyamuni; mappō |
Abstract | By late medieval times, it was common to describe Prince Shōtoku as “Japan’s Śākyamuni,” but how was he symbolically elevated to this status? This article considers “personalized relics”—unique remains identified as a particular part of the actual body of an honored figure—and shows how they played a crucial role in transforming the sacred identities of the Japanese and South Asian princes. The three sections each deal with a different type of relic associated with Shōtoku: a miraculously manifested eye, locks of hair, and various teeth that were enshrined, stolen, and re-enshrined. These case studies trace the incremental replacement of Śākyamuni with Shōtoku as a source of religious power and authority, one that surpassed its original model for its unique and inalienable connection to devotees in medieval Japan. |
ISSN | 03041042 (P) |
Hits | 627 |
Created date | 2013.04.16 |
Modified date | 2017.09.13 |
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