noun
sacred rock enclosure; ancient shrine site
Archaic term referring to a sacred space demarcated by rocks, used in ancient Shinto rituals before permanent shrine buildings became common. Found mainly in historical or mythological contexts.
古事記には、神々が磐境を設けて祭祀を行ったと記されている。
The Kojiki records that the gods set up a sacred rock enclosure and performed rituals there.
Compound of 岩/磐 (iwa, 'rock') and 境 (saka, 'boundary'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is associated with early Shinto practices.