磐いわ境さか

Meanings

sacred rock enclosure; ancient shrine site

archaic

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.

古こ事じ記きには、神かみ々がみが磐いわ境さかを設もうけて祭さい祀しを行おこなったと記しるされている。
The Kojiki records that the gods set up a sacred rock enclosure and performed rituals there.

Kanji

磐rock, crag, cliff
境boundary, border, region
岩boulder, rock, cliff

Related words

神じん社じゃ
神社 is the modern, general word for a Shinto shrine with a building, while 磐境 refers specifically to an ancient, open-air sacred site marked by rocks.
磐座いわくら
磐座 is a sacred rock or boulder believed to be a dwelling place of a deity, whereas 磐境 is a ritual enclosure or boundary made of rocks.

Written forms

磐いわ境さかUsage100%
Archaic term for a sacred rock enclosure used as a ritual site. The kanji 磐 suggests a large rock, and 境 a boundary or sacred area.
岩いわ境さか
Variant spelling using 岩 (rock) instead of 磐. Both are rare and archaic.

Etymology

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.