Shitennou

(Four Heavenly Kings)

四天王

Portrayed today in popular culture like anime, manga, and historical Japanese stories is a common theme followed by the number four and its relation to death, mishaps, and their relation to the four heavenly kings (四天王). Particularly in Japan, statues of shitennou were erected as protectors of temples and can be seen wearing a set of armor, similar to the time period they were made, with countenance of anger, an object in their right hand (usually a weapon), and some other item in their left to subdue and vanquish evil. More commonly, they are depicted conquering evil spirits (Jaki), crushing the Jaki beneath their foot. This symbolizes their power as protectors of the realm against all evil. From a foreigner standpoint, shitennou, perhaps radiates a persona of fear, as one should take caution and care for the actions they take. Although they are considered to be heavenly beings, this is just one way they are depicted in history. The shitennou originated in India as deva generals who protected Lord Indra. Lord Indra was the center, a celestial being who was all-powerful and protector of Buddhist law. Other than being protectors of evil, the shitennou as a theme has been used through history, in legends, stories, and in more recent times, popular culture.

Historically, shitennou were deities one prayed to in order to receive strength and protection from evil. When breaking the word shitennou 四天王 down into English terms, it is read as four heavenly kings, but in pop culture, it may be better suited as a term themed as the four generals who protect and destroy. The statues of the shitenno can be found in nearly every major temple across Japan.[17] Hōryūji Temple 法隆寺 in Nara houses the oldest surviving set of the four. One can see that because the statues are made of wood, they were likely erected in the mid-7th century. [8]However, in Tōji Temple 東寺 in Kyoto contains life-size statues made of painted clay meaning they were probably made in the mid-8th century. Now, it is important to mention how the shitenno made its way from India to Japan. Geographically, China is close to India and Japan. India first spread Buddhism to China in the early 6th Century [12] and because of China’s massive influence on Japan, Japan adopted it most likely by the late 6th century AD.

Prince Shotoku

Prince shotokuhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Sh%C5%8Dtoku

Prince Shotoku, an active politician who introduced Japan to Buddhism and upheld its virtues, was a crucial player in proving the power of the shitennou. There are also legends claiming that Prince Shotoku was not a real person and the world was left with many unanswered questions. However, according to Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters, 712) and the Nihon shoki (Chronicles of Japan, 720) Prince Shotoku (real or not) was considered to be a great Buddhist scholar and established the Seventeen Article Constitution which explains the way of the Buddha. More importantly, there were others who opposed the idea of allowing Buddhism into the country. Prince Shotoku prayed to the shitennou to achieve victory against his enemies. After claiming victory, Prince Shotoku built Shitennoji Temple (四天王寺), honoring the shitennou for aiding him in his victory.

Even though Shitennou 四天王 are portrayed as mythological beings that eradicate evil, guard the nation, and protect the world from devious spirits. They also guard the entrance to the Buddhist Kingdom which is said to be halfway up Mt. Shumisen, home of the Buddha and other deities. They can either bring good fortune to those who worship them or strike them down with their wrath. In contemporary culture, the Shitennou and its lineage can describe the mishaps and fortunes of the characters that represent these four through anime, manga, and the stories of Minamoto No Raiko.

Shitennoji (四天王寺, Shitennōji)

Four Celestial Emblems

As I explained earlier, there are four deities within the shitennou. Each of the shitennou is related to the Four Celestial Emblems (dragon, red bird, tiger, turtle) of China, and he or she also guards the four cardinal directions (east, south, west, and north) [12]. Each of them has their own names, and when displayed together, he or she are usually depicted in the order east, south, west, and then north. Starting from the east is Jikokuten (持國天), who represents the spring, water, strength and the color blue. It is white in India and China. From the south is Zochoten (增長天), representing summer, fire, prosperity, and the color red. It is blue in India and China. Komokuten (廣目天) from the west, represents fall, metal, awareness, and the color white. It is red in India and China. The last, coming from the north and considered to be the most powerful is Tamonten (多聞天), who represents winter, earth, wealth, and the color black.

The Four Heavenly Kings of the Tokugawa (徳川四天王 Tokugawa-shitennō) are one of the earliest examples of shitennou in Japanese history. Depicting four mighty warrior generals who fought on behalf of Tokugawa Ieyasu at Sengoku point. [15] They were known within their lives as the four most fiercely faithful vassals of the Tokugawa tribe in the Edo period of Japan. They were also known for their ability to fight and defend themselves against invaders from enemy kingdoms, foreign and domestic. Significantly, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, who established the Tokugawa Shogunate, were people who bore allegiance to the Nobunaga. Hideyoshi started as a peasant and turned into one of Nobunaga's best generals. Ieyasu shared his childhood with Nobunaga. Hideyoshi defeated Mitsuhide and became the successive heir of Nobunaga by avenging the betrayal of Mitsuhide. These two were able to fulfill Nobunaga's past achievements of unifying Japan.

More commonly the Shitenno appeared in numerous scriptures, including the Golden Light Sutra [12], the Lotus Sutra, and the Benevolent Kings Sutra. These three texts are the “three scriptures for protecting the state.” Just like the Tokugawa-shitennō, all four are normally displayed as warriors, with their weapons by their sides or are out and prepared for battle. One surprising find is a figure of Tamonten from the Kamakura Period (1186-1333). Author of The Divine: And the Terrible, Sherman E. Lee describes an acquired sculpture of Bishamonten as “the militant power of Bishamonten was expressed by a terrible countenance and vigorous movement--the ideal and real complements.”[7] An important thing to note is that Bishamonten, protector of the capital and the nation is said to be the most powerful of the four. Ousting the other three’s importance, Bishamonten is the only one worshipped independently in Japan. He also replaced Taishakuten (lord of the center) as an object of worship [12].

Those Who Worship Shitennou

One of the most famous stories of medieval Japanese fiction, The Demon Shuten Doji (Shuten Doji), tells how the great Minamoto no Raiko, and his four heavenly kings set on a mission to slay the demon Shuten Doji in his home lair deep in the mountains. Shuten Doji’s sanctuary was created as a liminal space by Shuten Doji. To parallel, Shuten Doji’s hideout was located on Mount Ibuki rather than Mount Oe and is comparatively the mystical land of the Buddha where the great Buddha lives, and the shitennou protect. Minamoto no Raiko and his four retainers or Four Heavenly Kings are opposites to Shuten Doji and his Four Heavenly Kings. Shuten Doji’s demon lieutenants wreak havoc by kidnapping beautiful young noblewomen to feast on and use as he pleases. One can perhaps consider this a battle of light and dark, good and bad, yin and yang — the two parallel each other to the extent that one does not exist without the other.[11]

As the story advances into the main plot, Raiko and his men prepare their equipment and get ready to leave the capital. The theme for the Four Heavenly Kings to follow in the story is their use of color. For example, here is an excerpt from Shuten Doji [9] where Raiko addresses his men:

Later, Raiko addressed his men, saying, “I have an idea. It won’t do for us to enter in large numbers, so I should take you four alone. We ought to have Hosho join us, too.” Each of the six warriors prepared for the journey and donned a wooden pack. In his own pannier, Raiko had paced a scarlet-laced corselet along with a helmet known as the Lion Lord. He also carried a pair of swords called the Cloud Cutters, as well as a two-foot, one-inch sword named Blood Sucker. Hosho had packed a purple laced Corselet and a short halberd called Stone Cutter. The halberd was a little more than two feet long, with a shaft finely wrapped in horsetail hair and cut off at a length of three fists. Tusna had packed a corselet with yellow-green lacings, and a two-foot-plus striking sword named Demon Slasher.

The focus of this excerpt should be on the items that the retainers donned and brought along with them on their journey. Bishamonten, (Tamonten) as mentioned earlier was considered to be the most potent shitennou of the four. Raiko is arguably Tamonten because he donned the Lion Lord helmet, symbolizing his duty as leader of their group. In Japan, the Shishi Lions protect shrines and temples from evil spirits. Raiko as their leader protects the capital from evil demons. Second, Hosho packed a purple-laced corselet and a short halberd called Stone Cutter. He most likely represents Komokuten (protector of the west) because purple in Japanese denotes civilization and knowledge. Komokuten is the Lord of Limitless Vision with a third “all-seeing” eye. The third was Tsuna, and he packed a corselet with yellow-green lacings and a two-foot-plus striking sword. Yellow denotes sunshine and nature in Japan which can be argued that he is Zochoten (protector of the south). Zochoten is known as the deity representing summer and fire. Whether the details of what they brought along with them was meant to be interpreted as them displaying their connection to shittenou or their warrior lives or not, one thing is sure, Raiko and his men display their devotion to the shitennou and believe in the protection of the Buddha to lead their way.

Aftermath

After reaching Shuten Doji’s Lair, Raiko and his men were questioned considerably about their motives for being there. Eventually, Raiko and his four retainers were able to convince Shuten Doji to hang out and drink enough sake to get him drunk and tired. Soon after, Shuten Doji had fallen asleep. Raiko and his men bound Shuten Doji’s arms and legs with chains. Shuten Doji remained asleep. Raiko then attempted to remove the head of Shuten Doji with his blade but failed the first two attempts. Finally, after the third and final swing, Shuten Dojis head came off. With much detail left out of their journey to the lair, Minamoto and his men met an old man, a deity to be exact on their way to slay Shuten Doji. Raiko was given an inner cap-helmet to protect himself from Shuten Doji’s supernatural sight which allows him to see one's thoughts. This inner helmet also protected Raikos head from being devoured as Shuten Doji’s head floated and bit at Raiko’s head. It was because of the divine strength they were given from the great Buddha and shitennou that Raiko and his retainers were able to defeat Shuten Doji and his demon lieutenants.

Popular Culture

Azulongmon[2]

Baihumon

Zhuquiaomon

Ebonwumon

I mentioned earlier that the Shitenno was also depicted as the four celestial emblems (tiger, turtle, dragon, and red bird) of China. One of the more contemporary takes on the shitennou can be seen through a popular anime series called Digmon. Rather than being called the shitennou, there are four holy beasts (四聖獣) also known as the Digimon Sovereign. Just like shitennou, the four holy beasts rule over a cardinal direction--Ebonwumon (Black Tortoise of the North), Zhuqiaomon (Vermilion Bird of the South), Azulongmon (Azure Dragon of the East), and of course Baihumon (White Tiger of the West). There is also Huanglongmon (Yellow Dragon of the Center) who governs the other holy beasts. The main plot of the series has the DigiDestined arrive in the digital world, a digital universe where they can freely go to and from with their Digivices. The Digidestined also have their own partner Digmon to aid in protecting the real and digital worlds. The four holy beasts protected their respective compass directions and kept balance in the digital world. Eventually, the four sovereign beasts are bested and sealed away by another group of four called The Dark Masters (ダークマスターズ). In parallel, the Dark Masters play the role of shitennou for evil and try to destroy both the real and digital worlds. They are led by a deviant being named Apocalymon who is the embodiment of darkness.[2]

The Dark Masters had malevolent intent to conquer the Digital World. Each of them controlled and protected their respective domains. The domains were connected together in a spiral and was named Spiral Mountain (Mt. Sumera). The Dark Masters were ironically depicted with their respective Japanese shitennou partners. Piedmon, their leader is the toughest of them all, he was devious, cunning, and had a sadistic sense of humor. He is most accurately Tamonten. Ruling over the Net Ocean, Metalseadramon like a dragon in Japanese mythology has an affinity for water. He is most like Jikokuten. Then there is Puppetmon, he rules over the forests and protects a prosperous mansion and his forest. He is most closely related to Zochoten. The last of the Dark Masters is a ruthless, intelligent being. He rules over the cities and looks over the “Metal Empire.” He is Machinedramon and just like Komokuten and his “all-seeing” eye, and he uses a tracking device to monitor every location the DigiDestined go to try and kill them off.

Spiral Mountain

Metalseadramon

Puppetmon

Cyberdramon

Piedmon

Final Thoughts

The theme of Shitennou shifted from a set of deities that were worshipped as gods to protect one from the evil in the world. Shitennou was a movement of spreading Buddhism from India, then to China and eventually into Japan. The movement caused rebellion and Prince Shotoku continued to pray to shitennou for victory in his time of need to raise awareness to reach enlightment through Buddha. Most major temples and shrines across Japan started erecting statues of shitennou to protect them from the evil entities of this world. Each Shitenno in their own form has a stylistic difference depending on the view of that country. For example, China has the Four Celestial Emblems, relating them to the tiger, turtle, dragon, and red bird.

The term shitennou itself continued to evolve when The Four Heavenly Kings of the Tokugawa rose up and conquered the lands with their authoritative presence. The term simply moved from a term of worship to a term to recognize four extremely powerful beings or generals in folklore and the supernatural. Shitennou integrated itself into society using subtle changes to label those in power. With parallels between good and evil in the stories with Minamoto no Raiko and in a contemporary culture like anime. Just as Shuten Doji created a liminal space for him and his lieutenants, shitennou has embedded itself within the culture through different points in history and speaking for Japan’s historical changes.

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