It was thought that Hachimanshin was enshrined by Empress Jingu and Emperor Ojin, and the association of the deity with tales of the subjugation of the three Korean kingdoms meant that it was believed to purify enemies of the Imperial Court and plagues which arrived in Japan that were considered to be caused by 'poisonous air from foreign lands.'
八幡神は神功皇后、応神天皇を祭ったものとされ、三韓平定の説話をともなうことから朝敵や「異境の毒気」とされた渡来の悪疫を払うものと考えられた。