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第4話 「やきもちやきのお后さま」

『古事記』下つ巻 「吉備の黒日売と皇后の嫉妬」「八田若郎女と皇后の嫉妬」より

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難波の高津宮で天下を治めた大雀命(おおさざきのみこと・仁徳天皇)の時代の話です。天皇は、かまどの煙が上がっていないのを見て、三年もの間、税などを役を免除して民の暮らしを向上させたことで知られ、「聖帝」と称えられました。

さて、その天皇が后にしたのは、葛城地方から迎えた石之日売命(いわのひめのみこと)です。この皇后はとても嫉妬深い方だったそうです。

天皇に仕えるため、吉備から呼び寄せられた黒日売(くろひめ)は、皇后の嫉妬を恐れ、故郷の吉備へと逃げ帰ってしまいました。皇后は、それでも気が治まらず、黒日売を船から追いやり、歩いて帰らせたといいますから、すさまじいやきもちです。

それでも天皇も懲りません。皇后には淡路島を見てくるとウソをついて、こっそり黒日売に会いに行ったり、皇后が紀伊国へ向かって留守のときには、今のうちにと八田若郎女(やたのわかいらつめ)という女性をおそばにおかれたり…。

この八田若郎女のことが皇后の耳に入ったときも、大変なことになりました。皇后は、宮の近くまで帰ってきておられたのに、自分が乗っていた船の進路を変え、山城国に向かってしまわれます。そして、百済から帰化した韓人・奴理能美(ぬりのみ)という人の家に身を寄せるのです。

その後、天皇と皇后との仲は、奴理能美らのとりなしによってもとに戻りますが、ことを深刻にするのは、女の嫉妬か、女心を理解せぬ男の浮気心か…。男女関係の機微は『古事記』世界の殿上人も現代人も、あまり変わらないように思えてなりません。



英訳文を表示する(For English)

Episode 4:
A Jealous Empress

From the Kojiki, Volume III
“The Empress’s Jealousy and Kurohime” and “Yata-no-waka-iratsume”

Emperor Nintoku or Ōsazaki no Mikoto, ruled over Japan from the Takatsu-no-miya Palace in Naniwa (now Osaka). He was known as the Holy Emperor and was adored by his people. For instance, when he observed that no cooking smoke was rising from the houses of his people, he realized that they were very poor and had nothing to eat, so he stopped collecting taxes for three years.

His Empress, Iwanohime no Mikoto from the Katsuragi region, on the other hand, is believed to have been a very jealous woman.

One day, Kurohime, a lady from the Kibi region, was invited to the imperial palace by the Emperor to serve him. Empress Iwanohime no Mikoto became dreadfully jealous of her. Kurohime was so afraid of the Empress that she fled back to her home. The Empress, however, couldn’t overcome her jealousy. She forced Kurohime to disembark from the ship and go back on foot.

Meanwhile, the Emperor didn’t learn from this experience. He gave way to passion over and over again. One day, he lied to the Empress, saying that he was going to see Awajishima Island, but instead he had a secret arrangement to meet Kurohime.

The Empress made a journey to Ki-no-kuni. During her absence, the Emperor invited another lady, Yata-no-waka-iratsume, to the palace. The Empress learned of this on her voyage back and became mad with jealousy. Though already close to the palace, she changed course and ordered the ship to change its course for Yamashiro-no-kuni. There she stayed at the house of a man named Nurinomi, who was originally from Paekche (one of the three kingdoms of ancient Korea).

Afterwards,thanks to Nurinomi, she made peace with her husband. What sparked this conflict:a woman’s jealousy or the flirtatiousness of a man who didn’t understand his wife’s feelings? In terms of the subtleties of men’s and women’s attitudes,there seems to be little difference between imperial couples from the times of Kojiki and people today.



Related tourism sites:

The mausoleum of Iwanohime no Mikoto, Saki, Nara City
This mausoleum is said to be dedicated to Iwanohime no Mikoto, the wife and empress of Emperor Nintoku. It is a keyhole-shaped tumulus covered with trees and surrounded by a moat. In early summer, irises and water lilies beautify the moat.


Miyayama Tumulus, Muro, Gose City
This huge 238 meter long keyhole-shaped tumulus is also called the Great Tumulus of Muro. It is said to be the tumulus of Katsuragi no Sotsuhiko, Iwanohime no Mikoto’s father. Its scale shows how powerful the Katsuragi family was.

ゆかりスポット

磐之媛命陵 【奈良市佐紀町】

仁徳天皇皇后の石之日売命(いわのひめのみこと)の陵墓とされる。緑に被われた前方後円墳で、周囲には壕がある。初夏になると、カキツバタやスイレンが美しく壕を彩る。

関連情報はこちらへ・・・

磐之媛命陵


宮山古墳 【御所市室】

「室の大墓」とも呼ばれる全長238メートルの巨大な前方後円墳で、石之日売命(いわのひめのみこと)の父、葛城襲津彦(かつらぎのそつひこ)の墓とされる。葛城の豪族の勢力をしのばせる。

関連情報はこちらへ・・・

宮山古墳