The Kumano betto (steward) families controlled the "Theree Mountains of Kumano" (Kumano Sanzan) from the beginning of the 11th century until the end of the thirteenth century. This essay analyzes the social meaning of the Kumano Betto lineage chart. This lineage has its origin in the conferring of a public rank (sogo) on the fifteenth betto Chokai (1037-1123) in 1090 by the imperial family (the retired emperor Shirakawa). After this the betto status became hereditary. We can thus divide the history of the Kumano betto into those before and those after this time. In the earlier period there were the first to fourteenth betto, when the betto were chosen from among the people in general at Kumano. However, the lineage chart claims that the first betto was either the daughter of a powerful provincial family which served the Fujiwara aristocracy and the Kumano avator (gongen), or a shugenja (ascetic) who practiced asceticism on Mt. Omine and worshiped the Kumano avatar. The next betto in turn up to the fourth betto were the eldest son, second son, third son, and son of the eldest son (of the first betto). Later betto also followed this pattern, with brothers taking precedence over father-son succession. This kind of succession was of the same type as the succession of the betto post which was made hereditary after the time of Chokai. Thus the Kumano betto lineage chart sought to show that, first, the betto family has its origins in the powerful provincial family which served the Kumano avator in the distant past, and is thus most eminent of all families in that area. Second, in order to assure a smooth hereditary succession, it attempted to show that traditionally the succession of the betto followed rules of seniority. On the basis of these two points, the Kumano betto family was able to control the Kumano area through hereditary succession; it is here that we find their soial meaning.
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