Unknown Artist
The Shinto belief that tormented human spirits have the power to influence natural phenomena is the foundation for the origins of Kyoto's Kitano Tenjin Shrine. This shrine is dedicated to the scholar-poet and statesman Sugawara no Michizane (845–903), who was unjustly slandered by his adversaries at court and died in exile. Following his death, the capital experienced a series of natural disasters and illnesses. Michizane's spirit found solace, however, when he was commemorated at a shrine devoted to the thunder god in northwestern Kyoto. Over time, he was elevated to the status of Tenjin, an ancient deity associated with agriculture, and came to be revered as the Shinto god of literature and music.
Among the numerous surviving sets of handscrolls recounting Michizane's life and the events that led to the establishment of the Tenjin cult, this particular version ranks as the second oldest and highest in quality, surpassed in age and significance only by the early 13th-century rendition found in the primary Kitano Tenjin Shrine in Kyoto.
I wanted to present it to you because of this fantastic dragon!
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