<論説>中世の屋敷墓

Abstract

本稿では、死者の埋葬地をある家の屋敷内またはその近くの自家所有地に作る慣行を「屋敷墓」と定義する。この慣行の中心的起源は中世前期にある。そこでは屋敷墓に葬られる死者はその地を開発した先祖に限られることが多く、屋敷墓は子孫の土地継承を守護するものとされ、塚に植えられた樹木などを象徴として信仰対象とされた。この慣行の成立要因として、開発地を子孫が継承するイエ制度的理念と、死体に死者の霊が宿るという観念とが複合していたと考えられる。屋敷墓はその信仰表象のみが独立した屋敷神として、現代の民俗にも広い分布をみせている。

In this paper, we define "tombs on the premises" as the custom of building a burial place on the premises of a house or on near by lands owned by the family. This custom dates back to the early middle ages. Those who were buried in "tombs on the premises" in those days, were often limited to ancestors who cultivated the land. "Tombs on the premises", therefore, served as a symbol of the descendants' inheritance of the land. Also, trees were planted on the burial mound and were respected as objects of faith. There were two factors behind this custom : the idea of the institution of the clan(ie 家) by which the descendant could inherit the cultivated land on the one hand, and the belief that a dead body contained an active spirit on the other hand. We can often still find in today's manners and customs the belief in "the deity of house and grounds" (Yashiki-gami 屋敷神), which comes from the idea of "tombs on the premises".