In ancient times, the statue's name appeared in works including "Konjaku Monogatarishu" (lit. Anthology of Tales from the Past), "Makurano-soshi" (The Pillow Book) and "Heike Monogatari"(the Tale of the Heike), and it drew many worshippers as a guardian deity of those born in the years of Ox and Tiger (of the Chinese zodiac).
古くは、『今昔物語集』・『枕草子』・『平家物語』などにその名が見え、知恵、芸事の上達、また丑寅年生まれの守り本尊として信仰を集める。