GO'O JINJA

A shrine situated in the Kyoto imperial palace dedicated to the faithful court retainer Wake-no-kiyomaro, who died in 799 (see Dokyo). A statue of a boar in the shrine precincts and the 'wild boar procession' of banner-wielding 'faithful retainers' which is held at the shrine on April 4th recollect the legend that Kiyomaru lost the use of his legs in the service of empress Shotoku and had to escape in a palanquin. He was overtaken by enemies and only saved by the miraculous intervention of a herd of wild pigs. Kiyomaru was a devout Buddhist and his shrine used to be in the precincts of the Buddhist Shingo-ji temple. In 1851 shortly before theMeijirestoration the emperor Komei gave Wake-no-kiyomaro the title of shoichi-go-o-daimyojin 'great god protector of the emperor'. His shrine became the Go' o shrine in 1874 and was moved to its present separate site in 1886.