Legends and Places Remembered in Connection with Xu Fu in Saga City

IR HANDLE Web Site

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • 佐賀県佐賀市における徐福ゆかりの地とその伝説
  • サガケン サガシ ニ オケル ジョフクユカリ ノ チ ト ソノ デンセツ

Search this article

Description

Tradition has it that a court sorcerer named Xu Fu traveled to Japan to find the elixir of life at the command of Qin Shi Huang. This legend has been passed down from generation to generation throughout the country, from Hokkaido in the north to Kagoshima in the south. This paper examines how the legends surrounding Xu Fu have been handed down through oral tradition until today, based on the findings of the author’s visits to places imbued with romantic tales about this fabled figure in Saga City, Saga Prefecture. From an analysis of local folklore and written historical records, the legends of Xu Fu are believed to have circulated most widely in this area during the Edo period. 　Various place-names, objects, and legends in Saga City have some connection with Xu Fu, and the locals have claimed for ages that the names of places such as Bubai, Terai, and Chifu have their roots in these legends. Among the many objects connected with Xu Fu is a 2,200 year-old Chinese juniper said to have been planted by the wizard himself. Another example is “etsu,” the Japanese grenadier anchovy that inhabits the Chikugo River, which tradition says was born from a reed’s leaf plucked by Xu Hu that fell to the water’s surface. There is also the mythical medicinal herb called “furofuki,” the elixir supposedly discovered by Xu Fu in the area. As far as the actual legends are concerned, there is the story of his tragic love affair with a local girl named Tatsu. This tale is well known to Saga residents, who have passed it down fervently for generations. Another legend told in Saga City is that Xu Fu climbed Mount Kinryu to look for the elixir and became a deity enshrined in the local Kinryu Shrine. As the incarnation of Buddha, he has been embraced and worshiped by local residents from ancient times. As described above, the legends of Xu Fu have been actively handed down in various forms and integrated into the everyday life of the locals. 　Xu Fu folklore has been etched into the local people’s memory through objects that serve as reminders. For example, when the locals hold the ritual to pray for rain or during the Kinryu Shrine festival, particular objects associated with the legends call to mind stories about the sorcerer, with the locals recollecting and renewing their memories of the long-standing beliefs in Xu Fu. Based on research of the objects connected with the Xu Fu legends and interviews with local people in Saga City, this paper aims to explain why and how these legends took root and have been passed down for generations in this city.

Journal

Details 詳細情報について

Report a problem

Back to top