. Ta no Kami 田の神 - Table of Contents .
. Yama no Kami 山の神 - Table of Contents - .
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Yama no Kami 山の神, Yamanokami, God of the Mountain
and legends about okoze 虎魚 / 鰧魚 / オコゼ / ヲコゼ stonefish
okojo オコジョ dried Okoze, in some local dialects
- - - Okojo is also the name of a short-tailed weasel, see below.
The alter-ego of this deity in summer is
. Ta no Kami, Tanokami 田の神 God of the Rice Fields .
Yama no Kami - Deity of the Mountains - is also living in other mountains of Japan.
There are various traditions connected with the worship of this yama no kami, but the practice of offering an ocean fish called okoze is particularly widespread.
Once 山の神と海の神 the Kami of the Mountain and the Kami of the Sea had a fight and because of Okoze,
Yamanokami, the Kami of the Mountain won.
Since that event, Yamanokami likes Okoze.
. okoze 虎魚 (おこぜ, オコゼ ) stonefis, sting fish .
Goliath Tiger fish 乕魚 - Steinfisch, Kaulkopf, Spinnenfisch
- kigo for all summer -
There are two species of 'stonefish', Synanceja verrucosa and Syanaceja horrida also known as the the reef stone or dornorn.
oniokoze, oni-okoze オニオコゼ（鬼鰧、鬼虎魚) devil stonefish, devil stinger
Inimicus japonicus
Some legends about Okoze are related to giving birth and child rearing.
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okojo オコジョ dried Okoze fish, in some local dialects. Not to mix with
- - - Okojo the name of a short-tailed weasel, stoat or ferret.
As such Okojo is 山の神の使い the messenger of Yamanokami.
hondo okojo ホンドオコジョ Mustela erminea nippon
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okoze 虎魚 / 鰧魚 / オコゼ / ヲコゼ stonefish
. Legends and Tales from Japan 伝説 - Introduction .
kamadogami 竈神 Kami of the hearth
In some hamlets of Eastern Okayama if people feel a fever coming, they make an offering of 鰧魚 Okoze to the Hearth Deity and feel healed soon.
The Hearth Deity loves Okoze and does not like any other fish.
. kamadogami 竈神 God of the Hearth .
- Kamagami 釜神 The Hearth Deity -
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yamagami 山神 Mountain Kami
If people lost something in the mountain and do not remember where to look for it, they have to take some 鰧魚 Okoze and go back to the mountain. Once they found their lost item, they put the fish there as an offering.
When lumberjacks go to the mountain to look for some especially fine lumber, they bring an offering of Okoze.
....................................................................... Akita 秋田県 .....
仙北郡 Senboku district
山の神様 Yama no Kamisama
This female deity likes オコジ Okoji （虎魚, okoze, stonefish).
This deity also helps with giving birth and if a birth is difficult, people have to go to the mountain to call her down for help. But she dislikes 産火 fire used during birth. Family members where a birth has occurred are not allowed to go into the mountain for one week.
On the other hand,
Okoze does not like Yamanokami and does not want to be carried over the mountains.
....................................................................... Ehime 愛媛県 .....
今治市 Imabara 玉川町 Tamagawa
yama no kami 山の神
Yamanokami likes Okoze, but since the cats sometimes steal his fish, she dislikes cats. So lumberjacks are not allowed to talk about cats while at work in a mountain forest.
If hunters did not get much, they come back with an offering of Okoze and cast a spell:
"Dear Yamanokami, if you provide a good hunt for us, we will give you all this Okoze."
Thus the greedy Yamanokami will grant their wish.
A tree with two main stems is called Yamanokami no Hashigi 山の神のはしぎ "chopsticks of Yamanokami"
It is taboo to cut it town.
. Yama no Kami 山の神 God of the Mountain - Legends from Ehime .
....................................................................... Fukui 福井県 .....
- and Tokyo 東京都
Eating Okoze after giving birth makes the mother milk flow in abundance.
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....................................................................... Fukushima 福島県 .....
Yamanokami is a very ugly female deity. On days of no hunting people bring Okoze as an offering.
They also pray that the Okoze offerings may be eaten by bears and thus keep them from attacking the hunters.
Some carry one Okoze in their breast pocket and let the face hang out to be seen by Yamanokami.
....................................................................... Gunma 群馬県 .....
碓氷郡 Usui district 松井田町 Matsuida
yama no kami 山の神
Dried Okoze fish is called okojo オコジョ.
If people have to walk through the mountains, they bring an offering of Okojo.
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利根郡 Tone district 片品町 Katashina
okojo オコジョ Okojo weasel
A hunter caught a weasel and cut its tail off. The animal did not die and he cut it three more times before it stopped moving.
On that day, his wife got lost in the mountains and spent two days without food.
If someone sees an Okojo weasel, there might a Yokai monster coming to visit him.
....................................................................... Kumamoto 熊本県 .....
八代 Yatsushiro 東陽村 Toyo
yamawaro ヤマワロ Kappa
He sometimes comes to help lumberjacks with their work.
To thank him, they give him オコゼと酒 Okoze fish and Sake rice wine.
. Yama-Waro やまわろ / ヤマワロ / 山童 Child of the Mountain .
the alter-ego of Kappa 河童 "Child of the River"
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Imojochu liquor, Yamanashi 山梨の芋焼酎
. imojoochuu 甘藷焼酎, 芋焼酎 Shochu Shnaps from sweet potatoes .
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....................................................................... Miyagi 宮城県 .....
yamanokami 山ノ神
If the Matagi bear hunters do not find an animal, the leader takes a piece of Okoze meat wrapped in white ritual paper out of his pocket and offers it to Yamanokami.
And - oh wonder - they soon find their pray.
. matagi タギ professional bear hunters .
....................................................................... Nagano 長野県 .....
okojo オコジョ Okojo weasel
Okojo is 山の神の使い the messenger of Yamanokami. It lives near water and does not mind the presence of humans, but disliked dogs.
As a Messenger of the deity it is not hunted.
okojosama オコジョサマ Okojo sama
In 諏訪地方 the area of Suwa, if people see a weasel while on their way to the forest, this will bring bad luck and they go back home for this day.
Once a hunter went up to 釜無山 Kamanashiyama, saw a weasel on the way but ignored it. Further on he was assaulted by a huge bear.
....................................................................... Nara 奈良県 .....
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吉野郡 Yoshino district 天川村 Tenkawa village
Some villagers see the Tengu as Yamanokami and call him グヒンサン Guhin san.
Others call him おこんぜ Okonze, O-Konze.
....................................................................... Niigata 新潟県 .....
As an amulet to prevent fire disasters, the head of Okoze fish is hung at the entrance of the home.
If stung by a bee or wasp, there are some spells to use, incorporating the Okoze fish.
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三島郡 Mishima district 寺泊町 Teradomari
Being stung by an Okoze fish, people use the pubic hair of a woman, spread it on some rice with 糊 Nori seaweed and put it on the stings.
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上越市 Joetsu city
After a birth if the mother does not have enough breast milk, some Okoze fish is put into Miso soup to drink.
....................................................................... Shiga 滋賀県 .....
甲賀郡 Koka district
yamanokami and mizunokami 山神と水神 Yama no Kami, Kami of the mountain
and his rival Mizu no Kami, Kami of the water
At the shrine 笠山神社 / 瘡山神社 Kasayama Jinja in Kitasoma village there is a legend about Yamanokami and Mizunokami.
They compared the number of their kenzoku 眷属 followers and servants and found they both had the same number.
But later by chance Okoze fish was found and the Kami of Water won.
Since that time,
to make the Kami of the Mountain feel good, people bring offerings of votive tablets with an Okoze painting.
- 瘡山神社
- reference source : norichan.jp/jinja/kenkou2/kasayama... -
....................................................................... 島根県 Shimane .....
If a cow gets lost in the mountain pasture, farmers bring an offer of Okoze fish to make sure they will find it eventually.
....................................................................... Tokushima 徳島県 .....
三好郡 Miyoshi district
yama no kami 山の神
Since Yamanokami likes Okoze fish, hunters bring an offering before they go into the mountain. This will ensure a bountiful hunting expedition.
....................................................................... Toyama 富山県 .....
. Yamanokami no tsukai 山の神の使い the messenger of Yamanokami .
....................................................................... Wakayama 和歌山県 .....
yama no kamisama 山の神様
The 7th day of the 12th lunar month was the Day of Yamanokami.
Since Yamanokami is on his way back to the stars for his winter rest, hunters offer the head of a really ugly-looking Okoze fish to stare at him on his way.
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- reference source : nichibun yokai database -
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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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- #tanokamiokoze #godofthefields #okoze #stonefish #okoji #weasel #ferret -
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