<論説>近畿の経塚

Abstract

極楽往生を期して各地に造られた経塚は、一一～一三世紀の寺社勢力の動向を窺うには恰好の資料である。二大経塚集中地の一方である近畿の経塚を検討するにあたって、まず蓋部の形態と筒身部の口径に基づき、銅製経筒の型式分類を行う。次に外容器の種類を分類し、経筒と外容器の分布域から、これまでひとまとめに囲われて来た近畿の経塚を、二段盛蓋式、二段笠蓋式経筒など大振りの経筒と東海系の外容器を特徴とする「京の経塚」、一段笠蓋式、三段笠蓋式経筒を特徴とする「播州の経塚」、一段盛蓋式経筒を特徴とする「三丹の経塚」に区分する。また埋納法が経塚造営を主導する勧進僧の作法を反映すると考え、経筒の型式と経塚の埋納法との関係から、鋳物師と勧進僧との関係を見る。もう一方の経塚集中地である九州の経塚が鋳物師と勧進僧との関係が非常に密であったのに対し、近畿の経塚ではその関係は見られない。そこで両地域の経塚の造営姿勢が異なっていることを指摘し、これまで経塚の二大メッカと言われながらも説明されていなかった、近畿と九州の経塚の異なった展開の仕方に対する解答とする。

From the 11th to 13th century, people who hoped to be reborn in paradise built sutra mounds throughout Japan, especially in the Kinki region and Kyushu. These sutra mounds are valuable archaeological sources for research on religious influence in this period. First, the author classifies types of bronze sutra cases in the Kinki region on the basis of the forms of their lids and the sizes of their calibers. Secondly, the author classifies their ceramic outer cases. By both methods sutra mounds in the Kinki region can be divided into three areas, namely the Mjyako-area, the Banshu-area and the Santan-area. Sutra mounds in the Miyako-area are characterized by a type of sutra case with a two-tiered and non-brimmed lid or with a two-tiered and brimmed lid. The Ceramic outer case was brought from the Tokai area. In the Banshu-area, sutra cases had a one- or three-tiered and brimmed lid. In the Santan-area, we find sutra eases with a one-tiered and non-brimmed lid. Finally, the author examines the burying method, which reflects the method of the priest who took the initiative to build the sutra mounds. In Kyushu the method is related to the type of sutra case. This seems to indicate that relations between the leading priests and the casters who made bronze sutra cases were very close. In the Kinki region, however, there is no relation between burying method and sutra case. The reason why the sutra mounds in the Kinki region and Kyushu developed in a different way, is that the institutionalized creation of sutra mounds in each region was different.