The Reason for Offering Horses to the Gods: Connecting Past and Present
At the Soma Nomaoi festival, horses are captured annually during the Nomakake event, followed by the Age Noma ritual. This ceremony holds the profound meaning of “offering horses to the gods.” But why does this tradition continue even today?
The Origin of Ema: The Culture of Offering Horses
Today, it is common to dedicate “ema” (votive plaques) at shrines when making wishes. People write their wishes on ema, hoping that delivering them to the gods will make their wishes come true. However, this ema culture actually originates from a custom predating the Nara period, where real horses were offered to the gods.
Reasons for Offering Horses
At that time, horses were extremely valuable. They were not only essential for transportation but also indispensable for farming and warfare, making them the ultimate gift. Only a select few powerful individuals could own horses, akin to offering luxury cars or mansions to the gods in modern times.
Thus, people believed that by offering their most valuable possessions to the gods, their wishes would be granted. Consequently, horses became a symbolic offering to the divine.
The Connection Between Ema and Nomakake
Eventually, the custom of offering live horses was simplified to wooden horses or “ema” (votive plaques) painted with horses. However, the Soma Nomaoi still carries on this ancient tradition through the ‘Nomakake’ and the “Raising the Wild Horse Ritual.”
The Lord's Prayers: Prosperity for the Soma Region and Happiness for Its People
What prayers did the successive lords offer through the “Raising the Wild Horse Ritual”? If you were the lord, what would you pray for?
The Lord's Prayers
For the lord, happiness lay not in personal fortune but in the stability and prosperity of the entire Soma region. His prayers broadly fell into two categories:
Prosperity of the Soma Region
They prayed for abundant harvests, economic stability, and peace within their domain.
Well-being of the Subjects
They wished for the people living in their domain to lead peaceful, healthy, and prosperous lives.
These wishes represent universal prayers that resonate with us even today.
The Wishes Embodied in the Modern Nomaoi
Those who participate in the current Nomaoi also carry similar wishes in their hearts. Praying for the prosperity of the Soma region and the happiness of its people, the mounted warriors throw themselves into the event with all their might.
We would be delighted if the audience could understand this sentiment and offer words like “Have a safe trip,” “Do your best,” and “Welcome back.” The Nomaoi is an event preserved through the united efforts of the entire community.
