Also written 鎮木, 知木, 知疑. Also higi 氷木.
1 Forked finials, which are found on most Shinto shrines. According to an early document, Taishinpō enryaku gishikichō 太神宝延暦儀式帳 (804), the dimension of a forked finial including the bargeboard *hafu 破風, extended 28 shaku 尺 (8.5 m) 8 sun 寸 (24.2 cm) and were 4 sun (12.1 cm) thick. The forked finials on buildings in the *shinmei-zukuri 神明造, are thought to retain the original style. At Ise Jingū 伊勢神宮, the forked finials of buildings in both the Inner and Outer sanctuaries, Naikū 内宮 and Gekū 外宮, are examples of the extended bargeboard type, and are structural as well as decorative. The chigi at both shrines have two openings for wind passage kazaana 風穴, but their ends are cut differently. The chigi on the Naikū buildings are cut horizontally. There are two wind holes plus cuts at the top ends which appear as open-ended slots. These symbolize a female deity who, in this case, is the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu Ōmikami 天照大神. In contrast, the ends of those on buildings in the Gekū are cut vertically symbolizing the male deity, Toyouke Ōmikami 豊受大神. Metal covers which are both protective and decorative are applied to all the wind holes and the ends of the forked finials on all buildings in the Naikū and Gekū. Other examples include: Nishina Shinmeigū *Honden 仁科神明宮本殿, in Nagano Prefecture. Although forked finials have become a symbol denoting a Shinto shrine, not all shrines are adorned with them. They are found principally on buildings in the shinmei style, *kasuga-zukuri 春日造 and *taisha-zukuri 大社造. Exceptions include: the chigi on the *chidori hafu 千鳥破風 of Kibitsu Jinja Honden 吉備津神社本殿 in Okayama Prefecture; the *Hakkaku endō 八角円堂 at Yoshida Jinja 吉田神社 in Kyoto; and the sangensha 三間社 (*sanja-zukuri 三社造) at Kamitani Jinja Honden 神谷神社本殿 in Kagawa Prefecture.
2 Forked finials that formed an X-shape eventually came into use as decorative and symbolic members. They were separately made timbers that crossed, and not extensions of the bargeboard. They are called okichigi 置千木, and are set on the ridge of buildings constructed especially in taisha and kasuga styles. The angles formed by the crossed timbers may differ. For example, at Izumo Taisha Honden 出雲大社本殿, the timbers are crossed at right angle. The upper half of each has two wind holes, and all ends are cut vertically. The crossed timbers of the chigi on buildings of other shrines in the taisha style may have a sharp incline, as at Sumiyoshi Taisha 住吉大社 in Osaka. The parts extending upward are sometimes longer than the lower ones. Wind holes may also be omitted. Shrine buildings in the kasuga style have forked finials which are strongly curved. The intersection of the timbers occurs toward the lower third of the entire length. The upper ends are cut diagonally and the lower ends are beveled on the right and left sides. Protective metal covers may be added to the tips and rather long.
3 Some scholars maintain that the extended rafter or bargeboard type of forked finial was to be found on dwellings and storehouses of powerful families in the pre-Buddhist periods from the 1st to mid-6th century. Support for this derives from such evidence as the depiction of a raised floor structure, takayuka kaoku 高床家屋, on a bronze bell excavated in Kagawa Prefecture. The reconstructions of a pit dwelling *tateana jūkyo 竪穴住居, and raised floor storehouse takayuka sōko 高床倉庫, at Toro Iseki 登呂遺跡 in Shizuoka Prefecture, also support the supposition of the use of chigi on such ancient structures. In many areas, rural or vernacular houses *minka 民家, which have thatched roofs *kayabuki yane 芽葺屋根, have chigi like timbers on the roofs. These are composed of two timbers: a female member *megi 女木, with an opening through which a male member ogi 男木 passes. Thus, the two parts are held in place. From the 17th century through the 19th century, the legal code prescribed according to rank the number of chigi which could be placed on a dwelling's roof. The higher the rank, the greater the number of chigi permitted. The forked finials are known by different names according to the area in which they are used. In Kyoto, Nara, and Hiroshima Prefectures, they are called uma 馬; in parts of Toyama, Osaka, Kōchi, Tokushima, and Miyazaki Prefectures, they are called umanori 馬乗; in some areas of Yamagata, Miyagi, Yamanashi, Hiroshima, and Kōchi Prefectures, they are called kurakake 鞍掛.