Hall of Ancestors
The Hall of Ancestors was the most sacred site to the members of the Lion Clan. It was built against the hillside above Shiro Matsu. [1]
Appearance[]
Hall of Ancestors (L5)
It was a single structure which spanned several li and several catacombs-like floors. It was one of the most striking architectural feats known, bigger than the Imperial Palace at Otosan Uchi itself. [2] It hold the Dojo of Our Ancestors. [3]
Shrine[]
The grand shrine was the location in which the ashes of the greatest Lion heroes in history were interred. [4] Also present were statues memorializing these heroes, [5] as well as others whose ashes for some reason could not be placed within, such as Lady Matsu, whose body was never recovered from the Shadowlands. [6]
Halls[]
Akodo statues
Each Lion family had a great hall in the complex, each one several stories tall to accommodate the immense statues. The halls were filled with scrolls containing tales of the heroes and urns containing their ashes. Within the Kitsu hall most Lion spell scrolls were made, and also housed a permanent passage to Yomi, leading directly to Shinden Yuisho. [7]
Shimizu Hall[]
Within the Akodo Halls was a shrine to Okura no Oni, beside a wall built in the 10th century. The wall has a hidden door, leading to the lost fifth hall of Ancestors, the Shimizu Hall. After the Shimizu's destruction in 927, their Hall was boarded over and warded. In the 12th century, unknown to the Kitsu, a handful of ronin descended from the Shimizu tunneled in from the outside, using their sealed-off Hall as a meeting-place. [8]
Reliquary[]
Statue of Matsu Tsuko
Each of these heroes' weapons were also reverently kept in the Hall. Their stories were recorded in the clan's annals, and every Lion family maintained a presence here, fulfilling certain roles. Traditionally the second child of the Matsu Daimyo was the primary defender of the hall and commanded the troops stationed here. [9]
Pilgrimage point[]
It was one of the most revered buildings in the Lion lands and one that the majority of Lion samurai traveled to at least once a year as a pilgrimage. [10] The Hall was open to any visitor, so it was a popular attraction for samurai traveling through the area, one of the wonders of Rokugan. [7]
A Lion's Death[]
Hall of Ancestors
Also within the Hall of Ancestors lay a small piece of silk, stained and ripped, it's pattern worn. Written upon it, in the blood of a Phoenix, was the account of a Lion's death. It was found on the step of the Akodo palace, and kept in a simple alcove, a tribute to the Lion heroes dying moments. [11]
History[]
Founding[]
The Hall was constructed shortly after the first generation of Lion began to die from old age. A great hall was constructed for each Family, where the ashes of its greatest heroes could be interred. The second-born child of the Matsu Daimyo, or the first-born in the event that the eldest son ceded his position to the eldest daughter, was considered the Defender of the Hall. A senior Kitsu was appointed as Temple Master, responsible for overseeing both the shugenja and monks that tended to the temple. [12]
Tears of crystal[]
In 1123 for three minutes the sunlight rained down as tears of crystal over the Ancestral Hall. Many of them were brought to Kyuden Seppun, where was the Emperor during winter court. [13]
Tsuno Attack[]
In 1159 the Halls were attacked by Tsuno, which was a merely diversion for the real one, at the Kitsu Tombs. [14] [15]
Matsu's Ashes[]
Hall of Ancestors
In 1168 the Matsu's Ashes found by Matsu Benika in the Tomb of the Seven Thunders [16] were placed in the Hall. In 1170 the soul of Matsu appeared in a ritual conducted by the Kitsu Daimyo Kitsu Katsuko. [10]
Known Master Temple[]
External Links[]
- The Hall of Ancestors (Drums of War)
- Akodo Hall of Ancestors (Hidden Emperor 4)
The sources relating to this article are in conflict with each other. |
| Secrets of the Lion page 53 places Hall of Ancestors in the border between Ikoma and Kitsu lands, ten miles east Kyuden Ikoma. This place is far from Shiro Matsu, as described in Way of the Lion. Oni no Pikachu (talk) 00:12, December 8, 2012 (UTC) |
References
- ↑ Way of the Lion, p. 114
- ↑ Otosan Uchi:Book 2, p. 8
- ↑ Masters of War, p. 118
- ↑ Winter Court: Kyuden Seppun, p. 62
- ↑ Secrets of the Lion, p. 6
- ↑ Great Clans, p. 135
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Secrets of the Lion, p. 53
- ↑ Secrets of the Lion, pp. 53-54
- ↑ Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 293
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Worthy Souls, by Brian Yoon
- ↑ Way of Lion, p. 12
- ↑ Masters of War, p. 87
- ↑ Winter Court: Kyuden Seppun, p. 82
- ↑ Four Winds, p. 37
- ↑ A Lion's Honor, by Shawn Carman and Rich Wulf
- ↑ Gifts of the Ancestors, by Nancy Sauer
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