Kawa-no-Kami

Kawa-no-Kami (河の神 or 川之神), also known as Kahaku (河伯) is a river deity in Japanese mythology. He is king of the river gods.[1]

The line with this, kami is not mentioned in classical text. The Man'yōshū does however include poems indicating that Kawa-no-Kami serves the emperor.[2] Kawa-no-Kami is mentioned in the Nihon Shoki. Kappa are a representation of him.[3]

Etymology

The god goes by the name "Kawa-no-Kami". It is also known as "Kahaku", a name that is believed to be inspired by the Chinese god of the Yellow River, Hebo.[2] Both names are considered generic terms for a god of rivers or streams.[2] The same is applicable to Korea's Habaek (see Habaek's etymology).[4]

Worship

Many sources show that people offered human sacrifice to Kawa-no-Kami. In earlier times, when rivers were in flood, people would offer human sacrifice to please Kawa-no-Kami. With the introduction of Buddhism this practice ended. This led people to use dolls made of flowers or straw as offerings to Kawa-no-Kami instead. This is still practiced today in some parts of Japan.[5][2]

Further information: Shinto in popular culture

Kawa-no-Kami is a minor character in the 2001 animated movie Spirited Away. There is a scene where Kawa-no-Kami goes to the bath house. He is filled with trash which gives him the appearance of a stinking spirit. This led staff to be hesitant to clean him. When Chiriro is asked to clean Kawa-no-Kami, she discovers something sticking out of Kawa-no-Kami's side. She decides to pull it out. The other staff then helps Chihiro when they realize he is not a stinking spirit but a river spirit filled with pollutants. Many have said the scene represents themes about environmental issues.[6][7]

See also

References

  1. ^ Coulter, Charles Russell; Turner, Patricia (2013-07-04). Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities. Routledge. p. 265. ISBN 978-1-135-96390-3.
  2. ^ a b c d "Encyclopedia of Shinto詳細". 國學院大學デジタルミュージアム (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-09-04.
  3. ^ Krenner, Walther G. von; Jeremiah, Ken (2016-05-01). Creatures Real and Imaginary in Chinese and Japanese Art: An Identification Guide. McFarland. p. 113. ISBN 978-1-4766-1958-3.
  4. ^ Kang, Kyeonggu (2010). 고구려 의 건국 과 시조 숭배 (in Korean). the University of California. p. 26.
  5. ^ Ashkenazi, Michael (2003). Handbook of Japanese Mythology. ABC-CLIO. p. 197. ISBN 978-1-57607-467-1.
  6. ^ "What Does "Spirited Away" Say About Environmentalism? | Watch | The Take". What Does “Spirited Away” Say About Environmentalism? | Watch | The Take. 2015-11-19. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  7. ^ "Spirited Away". 28 November 2014.
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