shiyakujin no hokora
A Book of Little Traditions
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ToCminzoku shintôminkandenshôThe Others

The Others – 09 / 03 / 2020
Various preternatural creatures in Japanese folklore. Some of these are regarded as kami.
kairikiranshin かいりきらんしん 怪力乱神
kai (mystery, apparition, suspicious)
riki (strength, force, might, vigour, energy)
ran (disturb, disorder, riot, war)
shin | kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)

❖ (supernatural things, unnatural phenomena, spirits and demons)
❖ Also pronounced kairyokuranshin
kairyokuranshin かいりょくらんしん 怪力乱神
kai (mystery, apparition, suspicious)
ryoku (strength, power)
ran (disturb, disorder, riot, war)
shin | kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)

❖ (supernatural things, unnatural phenomena, spirits and demons)
yôkai – (Literally: demon, spirit, or monster)
dôji どじ 童子
dô (juvenile, child)
ji (child)
dôji (boy, kid, child)

❖ Child attendants of bosatsu
❖ Also called dôjin
dôjin どじん 童臣
dô (child)
jin (retainer, subject)

❖ Child attendants of kami
dôjô hôshi どうじょうほうし 道場法師
dô (moral, teachings)
jô (location, place)
hô (method, law, rule, principle, model, system)
shi (expert, teacher, master)

❖ (Buddhist monk dôjô)
❖ A child endowed by the thunder kami with supernormal strength
❖ Several Japanese folk heros are his descendants
gama-sennin がませんにん 蝦蟇仙人
ga | ka (shrimp, prawn, lobster)
ma (toad)
sen (hermit, wizard)
nin (person)
sennin (immortal mountain wizard in dôkyô, mountain man – esp. a hermit)

❖ Toad Sage (dôka)
❖ An immortal, his constant companion is kinsen – a three legged 'wealth beckoning' toad
❖ Also called kôsensei
kôsensei こうせんせい 侯先生
kô (lord, daimyo)
sen (before, previous, precedence)
sei (life, genuine, birth)
sensei (teacher, master, doctor)
kinsen キンセン 金蟾
kin (gold)
sen (toad)

❖ (Chin: Jin Chan – literally: Golden Toad)
❖ Written with katakana
❖ Usually depicted as a toad with red eyes, flared nostrils and only one hind leg, sitting on a pile of Chinese coins, with another coin in its mouth
❖ A popular fû sui charm for prosperity
hagoromo はごろも 羽衣
ha (feathers)
goromo | koromo (garment, clothes)

❖ (Literally: feather robe)
❖ Female beings who wear a feathered robe of swan feathers and has miraculous powers
marebito まれびと 稀人
mare (rare, phenomenal)
bito | hito (person)

❖ Visiting kami in disguise who fulfill certain community functions
namahage なまはげ 生剥
nama (life, genuine, birth)
ha.ge (come off, peel, fade, discolor)

❖ A marebito who comes to a village at the New Year and reprimands errors and encourages effort
ryû りゅう
(dragon, imperial)

❖ A dragon kami
kôryû こうりゅう 蛟竜
蛟龍
kô (dragon)
ryû (dragon, imperial)

kô (dragon)
ryû (dragon, imperial – outdated kanji)

❖ Generic name for rain dragons
❖ Also pronounced kô-ryô
kôryô こうりょう 蛟竜
蛟龍
kô (dragon)
ryô (dragon, imperial)

kô (dragon)
ryô (dragon, imperial – outdated kanji)
mizuchi みずち
水父
mizuchi (dragon)

mizuchi (young dragon)

mizu (water)
chi | chichi (father)
mizuchi (water father)

❖ Generic name for river dragons
ryûjin りゅうじん 竜神
龍神
ryû (dragon, imperial)
jin | kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)

ryû (dragon, imperial – outdated kanji)
jin | kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)

❖ A protective dragon kami associated with water, the sea, and fishing
❖ Also called ryôjin, watatsumi, oo-watatsumi kami
ryôjin りょうじん 竜神
龍神
watatsumi わたつみ 海神
綿津見*
oo-watatsumi
kami
おおわたつみ
かみ
大綿津見神*
ryô (dragon, imperial)
jin | kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)

ryô (dragon, imperial – outdated kanji)
jin | kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)

wata (sea, ocean)
tsu (implied genitive particle 'of')
mi | kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)

*wata.tsu.mi (ateji for: wata (sea, ocean) – tsu (genitive particle 'of') – mi (kami))

oo (great, large, big)
*wata.tsu.mi (ateji for: wata (sea, ocean) – tsu (genitive particle 'of') – mi (kami))
kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, gratitude, awe, or terror)
toyotama-hime とよたまひめ 豊玉姫
豊玉媛
toyo (bountiful, excellent, rich)
tama (jewel)
hime (princess)

toyo (bountiful, excellent, rich)
tama (jewel)
hime (beautiful woman, princess – outdated kanji)

❖ Daughter of ryûjin
❖ Also called otohime
otohime おとひめ 乙姫
oto- (strange, witty)
hime (princess)
watasumi sanjin わたつみさんじん 綿津見三神*
*wata.tsu.mi (ateji for: wata (sea, ocean) – tsu (genitive particle 'of') – mi (kami))
san (three)
jin | kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, awe, gratitude, fear/terror)

❖ (three watatsumi kami)
❖ Rule the upper, middle, and lower seas
❖ Created through izanagi's misogi after returning from yomi
❖ (See ryûjin)
nakatsu
watatsumi kami
なかつ
わたつみかみ
中津
綿津見神*
naka (middle, center)
tsu (genitive particle 'of')
*wata.tsu.mi (ateji for: wata (sea, ocean) – tsu (genitive particle 'of') – mi (kami))
kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, gratitude, awe, or terror)

❖ Rules the middle sea
sokotsu
watatsumi kami
そこつ
わたつみかみ
底津
綿津見神*
soko (bottom, underneath)
tsu (genitive particle 'of')
*wata.tsu.mi (ateji for: wata (sea, ocean) – tsu (genitive particle 'of') – mi (kami))
kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, gratitude, awe, or terror)

❖ Rules the lower sea
uwatsu
watatsumi kami
うわつ
わたつみかみ
上津
綿津見神*
uwa- (above, surface, top)
tsu (genitive partice 'of')
*wata.tsu.mi (ateji for: wata (sea, ocean) – tsu (genitive particle 'of') – mi (kami))
kami (that which inspires feelings of reverence, gratitude, awe, or terror)

❖ Rules the upper sea
yama-uba やまうば 山姥
yama (mountain)
uba (old woman)

❖ Mountain witch
yuki-onna ゆき 雪女
yuki (snow)
onna (female, woman)

❖ kami of snow, princess of the moon, or a woman who died in the snow
❖ Also called yuki-jorô, yuki-onago, yuki-nyôbô, yuki-hime, yuki-anesan, yuki-musume, yuki-omba, yukinba, yukifuri-baba
yuki-jorô ゆきじょろう 雪女郎
yuki-onago ゆきおなご 雪女子
yuki-nyôbô ゆきにょうぼう 雪女房
yuki-hime ゆきひめ 雪姫
yuki-anesan ゆきあねさん 雪姉さん
yuki-musume ゆきむすめ 雪娘
yuki-omba ゆきおんば 雪乳母
yukinba ゆきんば 雪婆
yukifuri-baba ゆきふりばば 雪降り婆
yuki (snow)
jo (female, woman)
rô (son, counter for sons)
yuki-jorô (snow prostitute / entertainment woman)

yuki (snow)
ona (female, woman)
go | ko (child)
yuki-onago (snow woman / girl)

yuki (snow)
nyô (female, woman)
bô (chamber, room)
nyôbô (wife / court lady)
yuki-nyôbô (snow wife / court lady)

yuki (snow)
hime (princess / young lady of noble birth)
yuki-hime (snow princess / young lady of noble birth)

yuki (snow)
ane (elder sister)
san (honorific)
yuki-anesan (snow elder sister)

yuki (snow)
musume (daughter / young girl / maiden)
yuki-musume (snow daughter / young girl / maiden)

yuki (snow)
om | chichi (milk, breasts)
ba | haha (mama, mother)
omba (old woman, grandma, wet nurse)
yuki-omba (snow old woman, grandma, wet nurse)

yukin (snow-)
ba (old woman, grandma, wet nurse)
yukinba (snow old woman, grandma, wet nurse)

yuki (snow)
fu.ri (alighting, descending)
baba (old woman, grandma, wet nurse)
yukifuri-baba (snow fall old woman, grandma, wet nurse)

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