Conjuring Court and Sovereign
This chapter explains how the Sanbō’in monk Kenshun conjured an emperor and the regalia of office through Shingon ritual mimesis. Kenshun and his Hino brethren ensured that the Northern Court continued to function even though its emperors were absent. Unfettered by notions of precedent, or the court emphasis on nominalism, Kenshun helped create a “new Northern Court” whose authority did not hinge on possession of any objects at all. Because he concurrently served as a protector for both the court and the Ashikaga, he continued ritually blurring the boundaries of court and bakufu. He also used his influence to enhance Sanbō’in power and wealth and gain control over disparate temples and lineages of secret Shingon thought, effectively countering the early fourteenth century actions of Go-Uda. Kenshun also enforced the notion of loyal service to the Ashikaga and relied on three important Hachiman shrines in the capital to enhance Ashikaga claims of legitimacy.
Keywords: Kenshun, Hino, Northern Court, precedent, nominalism, legitimacy, Ashikaga
Oxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs , and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us .