According to legend, once upon a time in the town of Mama, there lived a beautiful, kind-hearted girl named Tekona. Once married to the lord of a neighboring province, she was caught up in a feud and forced to return to her homeland, taking only her child and living in quietude.
Every morning, Tekona went to an old well to draw water, catching attention of local men. The reputations of her beauty spread far and wide, and soon many started wooing her, from local lords to travelers. Tekona, however, rejected their advances, saying that since she had but one body and soul, she would make the rest unhappy if she married just one.
As the courtship went on and on, men began to fight each other while some of them got sick from heartaches and heartbreaks. Saddened by the situation, Tekona walked along the beach alone at sundown and then into the sea, drowning herself “just like the setting sun.”
The next morning, the men of Mama found the body of Tekona and finally regretted their actions. About a century later, in 737, Buddhist saint Gyōki founded Guhō-ji temple on the site of Tekona’s burial. The legend of Tekona also inspired classical poets of the time, two extant verses in the famous Man’yōshu collection of poetry mentioning “Tekona of Mama.”
Much later, on September 9, 1501, Tekona manifested herself in the dreams of the head priest of Guhō-ji, saying that she would protect and bring good luck to people in thanks to all the offerings he had received. It inspired him to establish Tekona Reijindo, a shrine dedicated to the legendary girl.
As a local, one-of-a-kind goddess, Tekona is known as a protector of children and pregnant women, promising them good luck and safe childbirth, as well as a powerful matchmaker, bringing a lasting relationship to those who pray to her.
