Tanokami, Yama no Kami Legends

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. Ta no Kami 田の神 - Table of Contents .
. Yama no Kami 山の神 - Table of Contents - .
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Ta no Kami, Tanokami 田の神 God of the Fields
Yama no Kami 山の神 God of the Mountain

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

Many legends involve both names of this deity.
In some regions he is coming down to the fields three times a year to watch over the harvest.


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.......................................................................　Fukui 福井県 .....

Most rice farming communities celebrate the departure of Tanokami after the harvest. Some have a special matsuri　祭り Tanokami festival, where children participate in a parade.
Children carry a kodomo mikoshi 子供神輿 protable shrine along the paths of the harvested fields, to express gratitude. Then they walk past each farming house and finally the Mikoshi is placed back in the shrine of the 氏神 Ujigami.



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The most important 15 villages are:
無悪、山内、長江、下吉田、上吉田、脇袋、瓜生、井ノ口、天徳寺、神谷、日笠、兼田、武生、玉置、上野木.

祭りの当日、子どもたちは集落の氏神にお参り、お祓いを受けた神輿（子ども達により事前に飾りつけられる）を先頭に、子ども達が並び、道中を賑やかに太鼓を叩き、「さんよーれー　さんよーれー」等と掛け声をかけ、田植えの済んだ田んぼを見回り、その後各家を巡回する。訪問を受けた家では、安置された神輿に参拝し、お供えをする。集落の全戸を巡回すると神輿を氏神に納め祭りが終了する。
- reference source : info.pref.fukui.jp/bunka/bunkazai...-

. ujigami 氏神 and ujiko 氏子 local worshiper, parishioner of a Shinto shrine .


.......................................................................　Niigata 新潟県 .....
南魚沼郡 Minami-Uonuma district 六日町 Muikamachi

. 社日様 Shajitsu Sama，田の神様 Tanokami Sama，作神様 Sakugami Sama .
Shajitsu Sama, Shanichi Sama 社日様 God of the Shrine Day
when this Kami comes down to the fields or leaves for the mountain



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北蒲原郡 Kita-Kanbara district 紫雲寺町 Shiunjimachi

koosaku no kamisama 耕作の神様 Kosaku no Kami, Deity of Cultivation
Tanokami comes down to the fields on the 16th of the third month and goes back to the mountain on the 16th of the 11th month.
On both days farmers are not allowed to go either to the mountain or to the fields. They prepare 16 botamochi - ohagi ボタモチおはぎ sweet rice balls as offerings on the kamidana 神棚 family shelf of the Gods. They also prepare sekihan 赤飯 auspicious red rice as an offering, finally eaten by the family.
Tanokami is seen as a Deity of Cultivation who resides in the mountain.
Even when he goes back to the mountain in Autumn he is not called 山の神 Yama no Kami.

. ohagi おはぎ sweet wrapped rice cakes .

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- - - - - A legend from Okinawa about Kosaku no Kami :

There is a kaiushi 怪牛 monster bull with eight horns and eight legs, sometimes even 16 legs (8 in front and 8 in back) called ナマントカナシ Namantokanashi.
It beats the fields with its many legs and is thus a 耕作の神様 Kosaku no Kami.



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. Takeminakata no Mikoto 津御名方命 as Deity of Cultivation .

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中蒲原郡 Naka-Kanbara district 村松町 Muramatsumachi

O-Ta no Kami お田の神 "Honorable Tanokami"
Early in the morning of the 16th day of the 3rd month, people hit the empty mortar to produce a welcoming sound for the Tanokami to come down from the mountain. They prepare 16 karako dango カラコ団子 rice dumplings as offerings in the tokonoma 床の間 alcove. In the evening soy beans are boiled and eaten.
On the 16th day of November (the 10th lunar month in the old calendar) they celebrate the Day of O-Tanokami, when the Deity goes back. Again, they prepare karako dango, this time as an offering in the kamidana 神棚 family shelf of the Gods. The Deity fries these dumplings near 炉縁 the fireplace and then leaves for the mountain.


.......................................................................　Yamagata 山形県 .....
西置賜郡 Nishi-Okitama district 小国町 Oguni

Tanokami dango 田の神団子　dumplings for Tanokami
On the 15th and 16th of the 10th month, Tanokami goes back to the mountains.
People prepare special dumplings for him and offer them on the 米びつ container to keep rice.
They hit the mortar with the pestle to make a special sound.

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- reference source : nichibun yokai database -
43 田の神 山の神 to explore (13)

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. Ta no Kami 田の神 - Table of Contents - .

. Yama no Kami 山の神 - Table of Contents - .

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sangaku shinkoo　山岳信仰 religion of the High Mountains is a different matter.

. Shrine, Shinto Shrine (jinja　神社) - Introduction .

. kami　神　Shinto deities - ABC-LIST - .

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