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ToCkamiTypes of kamiNature kamikunitsu-kami

kunitsu-kami – 07 / 15 / 2014
kunitsu-kami くにつかみ 国つ神
国津神
地祇
kuni (land, earth)
tsu (genitive post-particle)
kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)

kuni (land, earth)
tsu (genitive post-particle)
kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)

chi (ground, earth)
kunitsukami (national or local kami)
❖ These two kanji are pronounced kunitsukami

❖ kami of earth
❖ Geological forms, physical processes, and plants and animals
susano-o
no-mikoto
すさのお
のみこと
須佐能男[命]
の尊
su (ought, by all means, necessarily)
sa (assistant, help)
no (ability, talent, skill, capacity)
o (male)
[inochi (fate, command, decree, destiny, life)]
no (possesive particle)
mikoto (revered, noble, exalted)

❖ kami of the sea and storms
❖ Brother of amaterasu-oomikami and tsukuyomi-no-mikoto
❖ Also called susano-o
susano-o すさのお 須佐能男
su (ought, by all means, necessarily)
sa (assistant, help)
no (ability, talent, skill, capacity)
o (male)
sarutahiko
ookami
さるたひこ
おおかみ
猿田毘古
大神
saru (monkey)
ta (rice field, rice paddy)
hi | bi (help, assist)
ko (old)
oo (great, large, big)
kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)

❖ Head of the kunitsu-kami
hi-no-kami ひのかみ 火の神
hi (fire)
no (possesive particle)
kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)

❖ kami of fire
ishigami いしがみ 石神
ishi (stone)
gami | kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)

❖ Stone kami
❖ (See iwakura & iwasaka)
ji-no-kami じのかみ 地の神
ji | chi (ground, earth)
no (possessive particle)
kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)

❖ Land-master-kami
❖ (See jinushigami)
kawa-no-kami かわのかみ 河の神
kawa (river)
no (possesive particle)
kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)

❖ kami of rivers and streams
❖ Also called kahaku
kahaku かはく 河伯
ka (river)
haku (chief, count, earl)
nai-no-kami ないのかみ 地震神
地震の神
ji (ground, earth)
shin (quake, shake, tremble, quiver, shiver)
jishin (pronounced nai - eathquake / literally: ground-shake)
[no (implied possesive particle)]
kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)

ji (ground, earth)
shin (quake, shake, tremble, quiver, shiver)
jishin (pronounced nai - eathquake / literally: ground-shake)
no (possesive particle)
kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)

❖ kami of earthquakes
❖ Also called namazu
namazu なまず
(fresh-water catfish / kokuji)

❖ A giant catfish that swims beneath the earth and causes earthquakes
suijin すいじん 水神
sui (water)
jin | kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)

❖ Water kami
❖ Also called mizu-no-kami
mizu-no-kami みずのかみ 水の神
mizu (water)
no (possessive particle)
kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)
umi-no-kami うみのかみ 海の神
umi (sea, ocean)
no (possesive particle)
kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)

❖ kami of the sea
yama-no-kami やまのかみ 山の神
yama (mountain)
no (possesive particle)
kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)

❖ kami of the mountain
Plants
ina-dama いなだま 稲魂
ina- (rice plant)
dama | tama (spirit - See tama)

❖ Spirit that dwells withtin the rice
kukunochi
no-kami
くくのち
のかみ
久々能智
の神
ku (long time, old story)
ku (repetition mark / repeat previous kanji)
no (ability, talent, skill, capacity)
chi (wisdom, intellect, reason)
no (possesive particle)
kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)

❖ kami of the trees
❖ Also called ki-no-kami
ki-no-kami きのかみ 木の神
ki (tree, wood, timber)
no (possesive particle)
kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)
shinboku しんぼく 神木
shin | kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)
boku (tree)

❖ Divine trees
❖ Also called goshinboku, shinju
goshinboku ごしんぼく 御神木
ご神木
shinju しんじゅ 神樹
go (honorable)
shin | kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)
boku (tree)

shin | kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)
ju (timber trees, wood)
dan ダン
dan (Cedar, sandlewood, spindle tree)

❖ Japanese spindle tree (euonymus sieboldianus)
❖ Also called mayumi
mayumi まゆみ 真弓
ma (true, reality)
yumi (bow, bow (archery))
hinoki ひのき
hinoki (Japanese cypress, hinoki cypress)

❖ A species of cypress native to central Japan
❖ Used in shrine buildings and ritual furniture (chamaecyparis obtusa)
matsu まつ
matsu (pine tree)
sakaki さかき
sakaki (sacred shintô tree)

❖ A flowering evergreen tree or shrub native to warm areas of Japan (cleyera japonica)
sugi すぎ
sugi (a cypress endemic to Japan)

❖ Commonly planted around temples and shrines (cryptomeria japonica)
Unusual / deformed plants
Bifurcated Chinese radishes, which are sometimes considered to resemble the human form
Animals
reijû れいじゅう 霊獣
rei (spirits, soul)
jû (animal, beast)

❖ Sacred beasts
hato はと
鴿
(dove, pidgeon)

(dove, temple pidgeon)
hebi へび
(snake, serpent, large snake)

❖ (See yôkaishiro-hebi)
inoshishi いのしし
(wild boar)

❖ Also called yacho
yacho やちょ 野猪
ya (plains, field, rustic)
cho (boar)
kitsune きつね
(fox)

❖ Messenger for inari
❖ (See yôkaikitsune)
kuma くま
(bear)
ookami おおかみ
(wolf)

❖ (See yôkaiookami)
same さめ
(shark)
saru さる
(monkey)
shika しか 鹿
(deer)
usagi うさぎ
(rabbit, hare, coney, cony)

(rabbit, hare, coney, cony)
yatakarasu やたからす 八咫烏
ya (eight)
ta (span)
karasu (crow)

❖ A giant black crow
❖ Also called yata-no-karasu
yata-no-karasu やたのからす 八咫の烏
ya (eight)
ta (span)
no (possesive particle)
karasu (crow)

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