— 7 —
fine offerings on the lower branches.[1] Hence it is correct that the Nakatomi and the Imbe should together share in offering prayers to the Gods.’
“ ‘And again,[errata 1] according to the Jingiryo (Book of Administrative Law for the Shinto Religion), on[errata 2] the occasion of the Prayer Service for the Yearly Harvest and of the Monthly Service at a shrine an official of the Nakatomi Family is to recite a liturgy and one of the Imbe is to deliver the Amatsu-Kami-no-Yogoto[2] or Congratulatory Address for the new Emperor in reference to the auspicious events of the Divine Age in Heaven, whilst the function of the Imbe is to present the Emperor with both the Mirror and the Sword—the Divine Imperial Regalia.
“In[errata 3] the Oharai or Great Purification Ceremony on the last days of the 6th and 12th months, an official of the Nakatomi Family is to present the expiatory offerings to the Emperor, while an official of the Fumi Family on the East and West of the Capital is to present the expiatory sword and recite the expiatory prayer in Chinese, and then an official of the Nakatomi Family is to deliver a congratulatory address in Japanese. An Imperial envoy who brings offerings to any shrine other than those shrines regularly appointed to be worshipped by the administrative law for the Shinto Religion shall be a person holding
- ↑ Vide W. G. Aston, E.T.N., Vol. I, pp. 43, 44.
- ↑ Amatsu-Kami-no-Yogoto otherwise called “Nakatomi-no-Yogoto” or “Congratulatory Address by the Nakatomi Family” (Vide Fujiwara-no-Yorinaga’s Diary, called “Taiki-Bekki” in Japanese edition).
