Kuraokami
Encyclopedia
, , or is a legendary Japanese dragon
and Shinto
deity of rain and snow. In Japanese mythology
, the sibling progenitors Izanagi
and Izanami
gave birth to the islands and gods of Japan. After Izanami died from burns during the childbirth of the fire deity Kagutsuchi, Izanagi was enraged and killed his son. Kagutsuchi's blood or body, according to differing versions of the legend, created several other deities, including Kuraokami.
ling 龗 "rain-dragon; mysterious" (written with the "rain" radical
雨, 3 口 "mouths", and a phonetic of long 龍 "dragon") is a variant Chinese character
for Japanese rei < Chinese ling 靈 "rain-prayer; supernatural; spiritual" (with 2 巫 "shamans" instead of a "dragon"). Compare this 33-stroke 龗 logograph with the simpler 24-stroke variant 靇 ("rain" and "dragon" without the "mouths"), read either rei < ling 靇 "rain prayer; supernatural" or ryō < long 靇 "sound of thunder", when used for ryo < long 隆 reduplicated in ryōryō < longlong 隆隆 "rumble; boom".
Marinus Willem de Visser (1913:136) cites the 713 CE Bungo
Fudoki
豊後風土記 that okami is written 蛇龍 "snake dragon" in a context about legendary Emperor Keikō
seeing an okami dragon in a well, and concludes, "This and later ideas about Kura-okami show that this divinity is a dragon or snake." Grafton Elliot Smith
provides a Trans-cultural diffusionist perspective.
transcribes Kuraokami Kami with man'yōgana as 闇淤加美 "dark o-ka-mi god". In the Kojiki version of this myth, Izanagi killed Kagutsuchi with his giant sword, and the blood subsequently created eight kami
"gods; spirits". The final two generated from blood that dripped off the hilt onto Izanagi's fingers were Kuraokami and Kuramitsuha Kami 闇御津羽神 "dark mi-tsu-ha god".
Basil Hall Chamberlain
notes, "The etymology of both these name is obscure. Kura, the first element of each compound, signifies "dark"."
Another Kojiki section listing ancestors of Ōkuninushi 大国主 "great country master" says Okami Kami's daughter Hikaha Hime 日河比売 "sun river princess" had a daughter Fukabuchi no mizu Yarehana 深淵之水夜礼花 "deep pool water lost flower".
William George Aston
(1896:24) footnotes translations for these kami names: Kuraokami "Dark-god", Kurayamatsumi "Dark-mountain-body-god", and Kuramitsuha "Dark-water-goddess". De Visser (1913:136-7) says Kuramitsuha could be translated "Dark-water-snake", "Valley-water-snake", or "Female-water-snake".
, replies to a poem from her husband Emperor Temmu
(r. 672-686 CE) about an unseasonable snowstorm.
Compare Edwin Cranston
's translation with that of Burton Watson
(1986:22), "I told the water god on my hill to let the snow fall. It scattered, and some must have fallen over your way!"
水神 "water god" and Okami, are worshipped at Shinto shrines, especially during times of drought. For instance, Niukawakami Jinja 丹生川上神社 in Kawakami, Nara
is a center of prayers for Kuraokami, Takaokami, and Mizuhanome 罔象女. Some other examples of shrines to Okami are:
In addition, the water-god Takaokami is worshipped at various shrines named Kibune Jinja 貴船神社, found in places such as Sakyō-ku, Kyoto
and Manazuru, Kanagawa
.
Japanese dragon
Japanese dragons are diverse legendary creatures in Japanese mythology and folklore. Japanese dragon myths amalgamate native legends with imported stories about dragons from China, Korea and India. The style of the dragon was heavily influenced by the Chinese dragon...
and Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
deity of rain and snow. In Japanese mythology
Japanese mythology
Japanese mythology is a system of beliefs that embraces Shinto and Buddhist traditions as well as agriculturally based folk religion. The Shinto pantheon comprises innumerable kami...
, the sibling progenitors Izanagi
Izanagi
is a deity born of the seven divine generations in Japanese mythology and Shinto, and is also referred to in the roughly translated Kojiki as "male-who-invites" or Izanagi-no-mikoto. It is also pronounced Izanaki-no-Okami....
and Izanami
Izanami
In Japanese mythology, is a goddess of both creation and death, as well as the former wife of the god Izanagi-no-Mikoto. She is also referred to as Izanami-no-kami.-Goddess of Creation:...
gave birth to the islands and gods of Japan. After Izanami died from burns during the childbirth of the fire deity Kagutsuchi, Izanagi was enraged and killed his son. Kagutsuchi's blood or body, according to differing versions of the legend, created several other deities, including Kuraokami.
Name
The name Kuraokami combines kura 闇 "dark; darkness; closed" and okami 龗 "dragon tutelary of water". This uncommon kanji (o)kami or rei 龗, borrowed from the Chinese characterChinese character
Chinese characters are logograms used in the writing of Chinese and Japanese , less frequently Korean , formerly Vietnamese , or other languages...
ling 龗 "rain-dragon; mysterious" (written with the "rain" radical
Radical (Chinese character)
A Chinese radical is a component of a Chinese character. The term may variously refer to the original semantic element of a character, or to any semantic element, or, loosely, to any element whatever its origin or purpose...
雨, 3 口 "mouths", and a phonetic of long 龍 "dragon") is a variant Chinese character
Variant Chinese character
Variant Chinese characters are Chinese characters that are homophones and synonyms. Almost all variants are allographs in most circumstances, such as casual handwriting...
for Japanese rei < Chinese ling 靈 "rain-prayer; supernatural; spiritual" (with 2 巫 "shamans" instead of a "dragon"). Compare this 33-stroke 龗 logograph with the simpler 24-stroke variant 靇 ("rain" and "dragon" without the "mouths"), read either rei < ling 靇 "rain prayer; supernatural" or ryō < long 靇 "sound of thunder", when used for ryo < long 隆 reduplicated in ryōryō < longlong 隆隆 "rumble; boom".
Marinus Willem de Visser (1913:136) cites the 713 CE Bungo
Bungo Province
was a province of Japan in eastern Kyūshū in the area of Ōita Prefecture. It was sometimes called , with Buzen Province. Bungo bordered Buzen, Hyūga, Higo, Chikugo, and Chikuzen Provinces.-History:...
Fudoki
Fudoki
are ancient records of the culture and geography of provinces of Japan. They contain agricultural, geographical, historical and mythological records, as well as folklore.Compilation of Fudoki began in 713 and was completed over a 20-year period....
豊後風土記 that okami is written 蛇龍 "snake dragon" in a context about legendary Emperor Keikō
Emperor Keiko
; also known as Ootarashihikooshirowake no Sumeramikoto, was the 12th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.No firm dates can be assigned to this emperor's life or reign, but he is conventionally considered to have reigned from 71–130.-Legendary narrative:Keikō is...
seeing an okami dragon in a well, and concludes, "This and later ideas about Kura-okami show that this divinity is a dragon or snake." Grafton Elliot Smith
Grafton Elliot Smith
Sir Grafton Elliot Smith, FRS FRCP was an Australian anatomist and a proponent of the hyperdiffusionist view of prehistory.-Professional career:Smith was born in Grafton, New South Wales...
provides a Trans-cultural diffusionist perspective.
The snake takes a more obtrusive part in the Japanese than in the Chinese dragon and it frequently manifests itself as a god of the sea. The old Japanese sea-gods were often female water-snakes. The cultural influences which reached Japan from the south by way of Indonesia — many centuries before the coming of Buddhism — naturally emphasized the serpent form of the dragon and its connexion with the ocean. (1919:101)
Kojiki
The ca. 680 CE KojikiKojiki
is the oldest extant chronicle in Japan, dating from the early 8th century and composed by Ō no Yasumaro at the request of Empress Gemmei. The Kojiki is a collection of myths concerning the origin of the four home islands of Japan, and the Kami...
transcribes Kuraokami Kami with man'yōgana as 闇淤加美 "dark o-ka-mi god". In the Kojiki version of this myth, Izanagi killed Kagutsuchi with his giant sword, and the blood subsequently created eight kami
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
"gods; spirits". The final two generated from blood that dripped off the hilt onto Izanagi's fingers were Kuraokami and Kuramitsuha Kami 闇御津羽神 "dark mi-tsu-ha god".
Then His Augustness the Male-Who-invites, drawing the ten-grasp sabre that was augustly girded on him, cut off the head of his child the Deity Shining-Elder. Hereupon the names of the Deities that were born from the blood that stuck to the point of the august sword and bespattered the multitudinous rock-misses were: the Deity Rock-Splitter, next the Deity Root-Splitter, next the Rock-Possessing-Male-Deity. The names of the Deities that were next born from the blood that stuck to the upper part of the august sword and again bespattered the multitudinous rock-masses were: the Awfully-Swift-Deity, next the Fire-Swift-Deity, next the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity, another name for whom is the Brave-Snapping-Deity, and another name is the Luxuriant-Snapping Deity. The names of the Deities that were next born from the blood that collected on the hilt of the august sword and leaked out between his fingers were: the Deity Kura-okami and next the Deity Kura-mitsuha. All the eight Deities in the above list, from the Deity Rock-Splitter to the Deity Kura-mitsuha, are Deities that were born from the august sword. (tr. Chamberlain 1919:36)
Basil Hall Chamberlain
Basil Hall Chamberlain
Basil Hall Chamberlain was a professor of Tokyo Imperial University and one of the foremost British Japanologists active in Japan during the late 19th century. He also wrote some of the earliest translations of haiku into English...
notes, "The etymology of both these name is obscure. Kura, the first element of each compound, signifies "dark"."
Another Kojiki section listing ancestors of Ōkuninushi 大国主 "great country master" says Okami Kami's daughter Hikaha Hime 日河比売 "sun river princess" had a daughter Fukabuchi no mizu Yarehana 深淵之水夜礼花 "deep pool water lost flower".
The Deity Fuha-no-moji-Ku-nu-su-nu … wedded Princess Hikaha, daughter of the Deity Okami, and begot a child: Water-Spoilt-Blossom-of-Fuka-buchi. This Deity wedded the Deity Ame-no-tsudohe-chi-ne, and begot a child: the Deity Great-Water-Master. This Deity wedded the Deity Grand-Ears daughter of the Deity Funu-dzu-nu, and begot a child: the Deity Heavenly-Brandishing-Prince-Lord. This Deity wedded the Young-Princess-of-the-Small-Country, daughter of the Great-Deity-of-the-Small-Country, and begot a child: the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land. (tr. Chamberlain 1919:78-9)
Nihongi
The ca. 720 CE Nihongi writes Kuraokami with kanji as 闇龗 "dark rain-dragon". In the Nihongi version, Izanagi killed Kagutsuchi by cutting him into three pieces, each of which became a god: Kuraokami, Kurayamatsumi 闇山祇 "dark mountain respect", and Kuramitsuha 闇罔象 "dark water-sprit". This mitsuha 罔象 is a variant of mōryō 魍魎 "demon; evil spirit" (written with the "ghost radical" 鬼). Kurayamatsumi is alternately written Takaokami 高靇 "high rain-dragon". Visser (1913:136) says, "This name is explained by one of the commentators as "the dragon-god residing on the mountains", in distinction from Kura-okami, "the dragon-god of the valleys".At length he drew the ten-span sword with which he was girt, and cut Kagu tsuchi into three pieces, each of which became changed into a God. Moreover, the blood which dripped from the edge of the sword became the multitudinous rocks which are in the bed of the Easy-River of Heaven. This God was the father of Futsu-nushi no Kami. Moreover, the blood which dripped from the hilt-ring of the sword spurted out and became deities, whose names were Mika no Haya-hi no Kami and next Hi no Haya-hi no Kami. This Mika no Haya-hi no Kami was the parent of Take-mika-suchi no Kami.
Another version is: "Mika no haya-hi no Mikoto, next Hi no haya-hi no Mikoto, and next Take-mika-tsuchi no Kami. Moreover, the blood which dripped from the point of the sword spurted out and became deities, who were called Iha-saku no Kami, after him Ne-saku no Kami, and next Iha-tsutsu-wo no Mikoto. This Iha-saku no Kami was the father of Futsu-nushi no Kami."
One account says: "Iha-tsutsu-wo no Mikoto, and next Iha-tsutsu-me no Mikoto. Moreover, the blood which dripped from the head of the sword spurted out and became deities, who were called Kura o Kami no Kami, next Kura-yamatsumi no Kami, and next Kura-midzu-ha no Kami. (tr. Aston 1896:23)
William George Aston
William George Aston
William George Aston was a British diplomat, author and scholar-expert in the language and history of Japan and Korea.-Early life:...
(1896:24) footnotes translations for these kami names: Kuraokami "Dark-god", Kurayamatsumi "Dark-mountain-body-god", and Kuramitsuha "Dark-water-goddess". De Visser (1913:136-7) says Kuramitsuha could be translated "Dark-water-snake", "Valley-water-snake", or "Female-water-snake".
Man'yōshū
The Man'yōshū poetry collection mentions an Okami 於可美 "rain dragon" living on an oka 岡 "ridge; knoll; hill". Lady Fujiwara, a daughter of Fujiwara no KamatariFujiwara no Kamatari
Fujiwara no Kamatari was a Japanese statesman, courtier and politician during the Asuka period.Kamatari was the founder of the Fujiwara clan in Japan. His birth clan was the Nakatomi. He was the son of Nakatomi no Mikeko, and his birth name was Nakatomi no Kamatari...
, replies to a poem from her husband Emperor Temmu
Emperor Temmu
was the 40th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Temmu's reign lasted from 672 until his death in 686.-Traditional narrative:...
(r. 672-686 CE) about an unseasonable snowstorm.
It was by speaking
To the dragon of my hill
I caused this snowfall;
A few flakes may have scattered.
No doubt, out there where you are. (2:104, tr. Cranston 1993:490)
Compare Edwin Cranston
Edwin Cranston
Edwin Augustus Cranston is a Professor of Japanese literature in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Harvard University. His primary research interest is the classical literature of Japan, especially traditional poetic forms.-History:...
's translation with that of Burton Watson
Burton Watson
Burton Watson is an accomplished translator of Chinese and Japanese literature and poetry. He has received awards including the Gold Medal Award of the Translation Center at Columbia University in 1979, the PEN Translation Prize in 1981 for his translation with Hiroaki Sato of From the Country of...
(1986:22), "I told the water god on my hill to let the snow fall. It scattered, and some must have fallen over your way!"
Okami shrines
The diverse Japanese kami of water and rainfall, such as SuijinSuijin
is the Shinto god of water in Japan.The term Suijin refers to the heavenly and earthly manifestations of the benevolent Shinto divinity of water. But it also refers to a wide variety of mythological and magical creatures found in lakes, ponds, springs and wells, including serpents , eels, fish,...
水神 "water god" and Okami, are worshipped at Shinto shrines, especially during times of drought. For instance, Niukawakami Jinja 丹生川上神社 in Kawakami, Nara
Kawakami, Nara
is a village located in Yoshino District, Nara, Japan.As of 2003, the village has an estimated population of 2,286 and a density of 8.49 persons per km². The total area is 269.16 km².-External links:*...
is a center of prayers for Kuraokami, Takaokami, and Mizuhanome 罔象女. Some other examples of shrines to Okami are:
- Okami Jinja 龗神社 in Daitō, OsakaDaito, Osakais a city located in Osaka, Japan.-Railways:*West Japan Railway Company**Katamachi Line Suminodo Station - Nozaki Station - Shijonawate Station-Education:...
- Okami Jinja 於加美神社 in Minamiaizu, FukushimaMinamiaizu, Fukushimais a town in Minamiaizu District, Fukushima Prefecture. It was formed on March 20th, 2006 by the merging of Tajima with the villages of Ina, Nangō, and Tateiwa to form a new administrative township.-External links:*...
- Okami Jinja 意加美神社 in HirakataHirakata, Osakais a city located in north-eastern Osaka, Japan, near the prefectural borders of Nara and Kyoto. It is renowned for its chrysanthemum doll exhibition, as well as Hirakata Park — an amusement park featuring five roller coasters....
and Izumisano, OsakaIzumisano, Osakais a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan.As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 100,022 and the density of 1,820 persons per km². The total area is 55.03 km².The city is home to northern portion of Kansai International Airport... - Kuraokami Jinja 闇龗神社 in Ichikai, TochigiIchikai, Tochigiis a town located in Haga District, Tochigi, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 12,577 and a density of 195.78 persons per km². The total area is 64.24 km².-External links:*...
- Takaokami Jinja 高龗神社 on Mount MiwaMount Miwaor is a mountain located in the city of Sakurai, Nara Prefecture, Japan. It has been an important religious and historical mountain in Japan, especially during its early history, and serves as a holy site in Shinto. The entire mountain is considered sacred, and is home to one of the earliest...
- Takaokami Jinja 多加意加美神社 in Shōbara, HiroshimaShobara, Hiroshimais a city located in northeastern corner of Hiroshima, Japan. The city was founded on March 31, 1954.On March 31, 2005 the towns of Hiwa, Kuchiwa, Saijō, Takano, and Tōjō, all from Hiba District , and the town of Sōryō, from Kōnu District , were merged into the expanded city of Shōbara.The entire...
- Kunitsu Okami Jinja 國津意加美神社 on Iki IslandIki IslandIki Island is an island lying between the island of Kyūshū and the Tsushima islands in the Tsushima Strait, the eastern channel of the Korea Strait. It is currently part of Nagasaki Prefecture of Japan. The city of Iki is the centre of the local government. The island has three ports.The island’s...
In addition, the water-god Takaokami is worshipped at various shrines named Kibune Jinja 貴船神社, found in places such as Sakyō-ku, Kyoto
Sakyo-ku, Kyoto
is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It was created in 1929 when it was split off from Kamigyo-ku.It is located in the north-east corner of Kyoto city. In the east it borders the city of Ōtsu in Shiga Prefecture. In the south Sanjō Street separates it from...
and Manazuru, Kanagawa
Manazuru, Kanagawa
is a town located in Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 8,235 and a density of 1,180 persons per km²...
.
External links
- Kuraokami, Takaokami, Kuramitsuha, Encyclopedia of Shinto
- Kura Okami, The Serene Dragon