also: ほうり
Rare polite term for a Shinto priest in general; not commonly used in modern speech.
He serves as a junior Shinto priest at the local shrine.
In old documents, the word 祝 can refer to Shinto priests in general.
禰宜 outranks 祝, being a senior priest who serves just below the chief priest, whereas 祝 is a junior priest.
祝 read as はふり means a junior Shinto priest, but the same kanji read as いわい (祝い) means a celebration—completely different words sharing a character.
Standard kanji spelling for this Shinto priest title.
Alternate reading ほうり; less common than はふり.
The historical derivation is uncertain; the kanji 祝 is conventionally associated with prayer and ritual.