地神信仰の地域的変異について  [in Japanese] Areal Difference of the Distribution of the Stone Markers of the Earth Deity  [in Japanese]

The Earth Deity creed had effloresced in the certain geographical areas in Japan and some of them were accompanied with the installation of the stone markers. It seems that the marker distributions indicate their disseminations. The first way can be seen in the whole Tokushima Prefecture and Awaji Island, a part of Hyogo Prefecture. In Tokugawa Japan, it was a single province governed by the Hachisuka Family and in the late eighteenth century, Lord Haruaki proclaimed each village to erect its marker probably after the specifications his decree might tell. In Kanagawa Prefecture, we can see the second way, that is, the propagation of the creeds on the population was carried out by the competing denominations with no political powers. We can find the evidences to show their activities of various religious groups engaging in spreading the Earth Deity creed and the markers present miscellaneous features in contrast with the homogeneous one in the former area. Furthermore, the sovereighn power had excuted to disseminate this creed regardless of the concurrent practices of the peasants' beliefs. So, the traditional practices have continued to exist until recent times. Meanwhile, the sects not in power had to seriously consider the creeds in the same category, so almost new creeds borrowed the elements of the traditional practices and had superseded this old roles of the previous creed.