RT Article
T1 Pieces of Princes: Personalized Relics in Medieval Japan
JF Japanese journal of religious studies
VO 38
IS 1
SP 93
OP 127
A1 Carr, Kevin Gray 1974-
LA English
YR 2011
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1698530730
AB By late medieval times, it was common to describe Prince Shōtoku as "Japan's Sākyamuni," but how was he symbolically elevated to this status? This article considers "personalized relics"— unique remains identified as a particular part of the actual body of an honored figure—and shows how they played a crucial role in transforming the sacred identities of the Japanese and South Asian princes. The three sections each deal with a different type of relic associated with Shōtoku: a miraculously manifested eye, locks of hair, and various teeth that were enshrined, stolen, and re-enshrined. These case studies trace the incremental replacement of Sākyamuni with Shōtoku as a source of religious power and authority, one that surpassed its original model for its unique and inalienable connection to devotees in medieval Japan.
K1 Buddhism
K1 Holy relics
K1 Larceny
K1 Pagodas
K1 Personalization
K1 Priests
K1 Religious rituals
K1 Religious Studies
K1 Statues