部落祭祀におけるシャマニズムの傾向(<特集>シャマニズム研究)

抄録

The Japanese village has a highly communal character determined in large part by the system of wet rice agriculture. The communal life of the village in turn importantly conditions its religious life. As long as men retained control of the village administration, and the shrine remained the focus of social life of the village, the priest remained a male and women were subordinated, often being excluded from religious life. However, sacerdotal tasks, which were originally in the hands of elders or toban (persons assuming the duty in turn), became more and more professionalized as the village administration became more complex. And, the more religious life became detached from social life, the greater the tendency for women to play important roles in religious life. Shamanistic cults and cere monies became prevalent. According to the author, shamanistic tendencies appear only where individualism is manifested. Therefore shamanism is more prevalent in towns, newly-populated districts, and in mountain and fishing villages, than in agricultural village communities.