普天間御嶽のやろう　（Futenma-utaki no Yarou/Laurel Wood at Futenma-utaki）

島の東南に位置し、海岸植物として琉球蓮の葉桐やテリハボクのめだつ森の中に普天間御嶽がある。船守の神として祭られ船舶の航海安全、とりわけ旅立ちをする人々
が祈願をする。祭事を始めた年代は明らかではないが２００年余以前からはじめられていると考えられる。昔、沖縄本島で権現を信仰した人が、航海中風波のために漂流し多良間島に流れついて助かった。自分が助かったのは、日頃信心している普天間権現のお加護だと海岸近くに祠を建て、権現を遙拝した。その後村人も旅紳として祭るようになった。

 

The sacred space of Futemna-utaki is located in the woods, full of maritime plants such as laurel wood and Ryukyu lotus, at the southeast part of Tarama Island. Worshiped as a ship-protecting god, people pray here for the safety of voyages. When this started is not clear, but is thought to be 200-some years ago. In the past, a person from the main Okinawa Island who worshipped Gongen (thought to be the manifestation of an Indian Buddha in the form of a local god) lost control during his voyage, and was cast adrift due to windswell; he drifted to Tarama Island and was saved. He believed he was saved by his faith in Futenma Gongen, so he built a small shrine, or hokora, by the sea and offered prayers to the shrine from afar. After that, villagers also worshipped this voyage god.

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