Takechi no Kome (高市許梅)
TAKECHI no Kome was active in the Asuka period (his age of birth and death are unknown). In old Japanese syllabary characters, his name had been written the same and the pronunciation is considered to have been the same. His kabane (hereditary title) was Agatanushi (territorial ruler). In the Jinshin War of 672, he fell into a trance and told a message that gods would protect Oama no Miko (Oshiama no Miko or Prince Oama who became Emperor Tenmu following the victory in the war).
At the Jinshin War, OTOMO no Fukei raised his army on June 29 (in old lunar calender) at Yamato City of the Asuka region (the south of Nara Basin) to support Oama no Miko; he was defeated at a battle at Mt. Nara (the north of the basin) on July 4, and his army retreated to Kanazunanoi. At the same time, his other troops were also defeated at the west of the basin, therefore, he was surrounded by the strong army and couldn't advance to the north nor to the west.
According to "Nihonshoki" (Chronicles of Japan), at that difficult situation at Kanazunanoi, Takechi-no-kori no Kori-no-miyatsuko (director of Takechi County) TAKECHI no Agatanushi Kome suddenly shut his mouth and became unable to say a word. Three days later, he fell into a trance and began to deliver two gods' message.
I am Kotoshironushi no Kami of Takechi-no-yashiro Shrine and I am Ikumitama no Kami of Musa-no-yashiro Shrine.'
Put horses and various weapons on the tomb of Kanyamatoiwarebiko no Sumeramikoto (Emperor Jinmu).'
We attended Sumemima no Mikoto (generally refers to emperor; in this case, it refers to Oama no Miko) to Fuwa-no-kori County standing at his front and at his back to protect him, and came back.'
Now we will stand in the middle of his army and protect it.'
An enemy is coming from the west road.'
Watch out.'
Finished saying those messages, he awoke from the trance. Presumably, by Fukei's order, Kome went to the tomb of the Emperor Jinmu and put horses and weapons. And he put silk and cotton fabrics on Takechi-no-yashiro Shrine and Musa-no-yashiro Shrine and prayed. After that, IKI no Karakuni came from Osaka road (one of the roads ran through Ikoma Mountain Range). People said that the gods of two shrines had told them about this enemy.
According to "Nihonshoki", TAKECHI no Kome was Kori-no-miyatsuko (director of county) of Takechi-no-kori County. The writers of "Nihonshoki" changed old regional unit 'kori評 (hyo)' to new unit 'kori郡 (gun)' which was used while the writers were alive, therefore, Takechi-no-kori高市郡 (Takechi-gun) is considered to have been written as Takechi-no-kori高市評 (Takechi-hyo). Kome's post is considered to have not been called Kori-no-miyatsuko while he was alive.
Today, it is considered that even if it had been not a god, the thing Kome said in his trance could have been predicted. Their enemies were already going to advance from the north and from the west; so the question was only which would be the first to come. The answer was the west where the army of IKI no Karakuni came from, so the gods' prediction came true; however, the battlefield was too far from Fukei's army's camp Kanazunanoi or from Fukei's base Yamato City; considering the distance to the battlefield and the date of the battle, Fukei's army might have gone to challenge Karakuni's army which was camping at the far west of the basin to prevent Fukei's advance. Fukei believed the gods' prediction and went to the west, at the result, his army confronted Karakuni's army. This idea could be constructed if the dates written in "Nihonshoki" were true. The dates of the battles written in the book are, on the whole, doubtful, so the order of the incidents might have been different. Some historian says that Kome told the gods' message within the day he became mute instead of three days later, and soon after Karakuni's army came into Nara Basin, the battle began.