Mountain god culture in the Matsuo district of Shiiba Village, Miyazaki Prefecture

There are a variety of festivals, rituals, and events for mountain gods throughout the country, and it has been revealed that they have existed since the Jomon period. In this study, we revealed that Kagura and slash-and-burn farming related to mountain gods are still handed down in Shiiba Village, Miyazaki Prefecture, a historic place where cultures such as Kagura and the legend of the fallen people of the Heike family remain. However, Kagura was discontinued in the Matsuo district only, and 21 villages in the Matsuo district were surveyed. Therefore, in this study, we clarified the characteristics of mountain god culture in the Matsuo district by investigating the unique mountain god festival in the Matsuo area, where kagura and slash-and-burn farming related to mountain gods thrive. The results indicated that six villages enshrined a common mountain god, while the other villages enshrined a god of the clan. In addition, 15 villages held their own mountain god festivals.