Dōjōji no kane

Dōjōji no kane
Depiction in the Konjaku Hyakki Shūi.

Dōjōji no kane

Dōjōji no kane (道成寺鐘 – The Bell of Dōjōji) is a type of yōkai depicted in the Konjaku Hyakki Shūi.

The story behind this creature relates to the priest Anchin and his love Kiyohime. Kiyohime was the daughter of a wealthy merchant family and that her and Anchin were in love.

However, he would not give up his religious vows and so left her in her village of Manago. She pursues him, even at one point turning into a serpent to cross a river. When Anchin arrives at Dōjōji he asks the monks to hide him from Kiyohime and so they hide him inside the bell.

When Kiyohime finds him inside the bell she coils herself around it in her serpant form causing the bell to boil and melt into boiling water.

There are others who end the tale differently, saying the bell is now housed in Myōmanji in Kyoto. The bell here is inscribed as follows:

“Yata Village. Hidaka district, Kii Province. This is the bell of Dōdōji, designated as an Imperial prayer temple by Emperor Monmu, and forged by his orders. Funds solicited by monk-official in charge Hōgen Jōshō, from patrons Minamoto no Manjumaru and Yoshida Minamoto no Yorihide, together with the other men and women parishioners of the temple. Blacksmith: Sangen Dōgan. Backsmith’s assistant: Taifu Morinaga. The eleventh day of the third month of the fourteenth year of Enryaku era, year of the wooden pig.”1

External Links

Footnotes

1. Yoda, H. and Alt, M. (2016) “Japandemonium: Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopaedia of Toriyama Sekien.”. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.

List of Supernatural Creatures

Abura akago * Aka Manto * Akaname * Akashita * Amanozako * Amefuri Kozo * Ameonna * Amikiri * Aoandō * Aōbozu * Aonyobo * Aosagi no hi * Ayakashi * Buruburu * Chochin bi * Dōjōji no kane * Dōmeki * Dorotabō * Enenra * Funa Yurei * Furaribi * Fūri * Furutsubaki no rei * Gaikotsu * Ganbari Nyudo * Gagoze * Gangikozō * Gensuke * Haka no hi * Hangonkō * Hannya * Hashi-Hime * Hatahiro * Hiderigami * Hikeshi baba * Himamushi-nyūdō * Hinode * Hitodama * Hitotsume Kozō * Hiyoribo * Hōkō * Hone Onna * Hyōsube * Ikiryō * Inugami * Jakotsubaba * Jatai * Jorōgumo * Kamaitachi * Kamikiri * Kanedama * Kageonna * Kappa * Kasha * Katawa Guruma * Kawa Akago * Kawauso * Kazenbō * Kidōmaru * Kitsunebi * Kejoro * Kerakeraonna * Kodama * Kokuribaba * Kosamebō * Kosode no te * Kosenjo no hi * Kurozuka * Makurageishi * Mikoshi * Minobi * Momiji-gari * Momonjii * Morinji no Kama * Nekomata * Ningyo * Ninmenju * Noderabō * Nopperabo * Nuppeppō * Nurarihyon * Nureonna * Nuribotoke * Nyūnai Suzume * Obariyon * Oboro-guruma * Ōkaburo * Ōkubi * Okiku * Ōmagatoki * Oni * Onihitokuchi * Onmoraki * Osakabe * Oshiroibaba * Otoroshi * Ouni * Ōzatō * Rokurokubi * Sakabashira * Samebito * Sansei * Sarakozoe * Satori * Sesshō-seki * Seta * Shinkirō * Shirachigo * Shiranui * Shōkera * Shokuin * Shuten-dōji * Sōgenbi * Suiko * Takaonna * Tamamo-no-mae * Tanuki * Tenasobi * Tenjō-Kudari * Tengu * Tengu Tsubute * Tenome * Teratsutsuki * Tesso * Tōdaiki * Tōfu Kozō * Tsurubebi * Ubagabi * Ubume * Umibozū * Umizatō * Ushinotoki-mairi * Ushioni * Uwan * Waira * Wani * Wanyudo * Yamabiko * Yamauba * Yamawarawa * Yanari * Yukionna * Zenki and Goki

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