mizu no kami water legends

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. Yama no Kami 山の神 Yamanokami - Introduction .
. Ta no Kami 田の神 Tanokami - Introduction .
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Mizu no Kami, Mizunokami 水の神 Deity of Water - Legends

. Mizu no Kami 水の神 Deity of Water / Suijin 水神 .
- Introduction -

水神様 / スイジンサマ Suijin Sama


venerated in Katsuyama, Okayama


- Another name for this deity is
. Ido no Kami 井戸の神 / Idogami 井戸神 Deity of the Well .

. kawa no kami 川の神と伝説 Legends about the "River Deity" .

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. Uma to Mizu no Kami 馬と水の神 Mizunokami and Horse Legends .

. Unagi to Mizu no Kami 鰻と水の神 Mizunokami and Eel Legends .

- - - A dragon is often seen as Mizunokami.
. ryuu, ryū 龍 / 竜 と伝説　Ryu - dragon legends .

- - - A serpent is often seen as Mizunokami.
. hebi 蛇と伝説 Legends about snakes and serpents .

- - - The Kappa is often seen as Mizunokami Suijin
. suijin 水神 河童 Kappa as water deity .
and Kappa Jinja　河童神社 Kappa Shinto Shrines

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Kanahebisui Shrine

Located in Iwanuma City in Miyagi Prefecture, Kanahebisui Shrine boasts a long history spanning 1000 years.
The name Kanahebisui is spelled as "gold, serpent, and water" in Japanese, hence visitors come to worship the golden serpent enshrined here in prayer for good financial fortune and business prosperity.
The shrine also has a good reputation for a variety of flowers such as cherry trees, wisteria, peony and azalea that offer beautiful sceneries from spring through early summer. The breathtaking wisteria trellis that is said to be 300 years old, as well as the garden with approximately 1,300 peony trees, please a great number of visitors in each season.
- source : ana.co.jp/en/jp/japan-travel-planner... -




Kogane Suijin Sake 黄金水神酒 　
from 金蛇水神社 Kanahebisui Jinja, Kanahebisui Shrine
宮城県岩沼市 Miyagi, Iwanuma city.

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

. kani 蟹 crab, Krabbe .
People who believe in 金毘羅権現 Konpira Gongen think that crabs are messengers of Mizunokami.
When they make a wish, they stop eating crabs until it is fulfilled. Some have never eaten a crab in their whole life.

. Konpira Daigongen . 金毘羅大権現 .




............................................................................　Akita 秋田県
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仙北郡 Senboku district

. tanishi 田螺 mud snails .
Mud snails are seen as messengers of Mizunokami. They protect from fire.




............................................................................　Fukuoka 福岡県
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みやま市 Miyama city 瀬高町 Setaka machi town

Suijin sama スイジンサマ, the Kappa
The Idogami 井戸神 God of the Well is also called Suijin Sama.
Its festival is on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month and called
Kappa San Matsuri 河童さん祭り Festival of Kappan San.
People make special offerings of salt, small sardines a
nd rice packed in large bamboo leaves and add some Sake poured into bamboo tubes.




............................................................................　Fukushima 福島県
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いわき市 Iwaki city

mochi 餅 rie cakes for Suijin Sama
On the New Years day people make offerings of mochi 餅 rice cakes, put red chopsticks into them and fasten a mizuhiki 水引 auspicious paper string around it.
This offering is hung on the jizai kagi 自在かぎ / 自在鈎 pot hook over the open hearth.
When the whole family gathers around the hearth, someone takes it of secretly and eats the rice cake to become a strong man.



. irori 囲炉裏 / 居炉裏 / いろり　open sunken hearth .

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南会津郡 Minami-Aizu district 檜枝岐村 Hinoemata village

On the way to the village Shrine of the village, there is a stone called
Hashiba no baa sama 橋場のばあ様 the old woman at the bridge .
She is the messenger of the Water Deity. People come here to pray for prevention of water accidents.

- Hashiba no Banba 橋場のばんば -

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十念寺 Temple Junen-Ji
福島県須賀川市




............................................................................　Ibaraki 茨城県
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竹原村 Takehara village

. Kappazuka 河童塚 Mound for Kappa .




............................................................................　Ishikawa 石川県
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鳳至郡 Hosu district 門前町 Monzen

daija 大蛇 a huge serpent
In the upper stream of the river 五十洲川 Igisugawa there is a deep river pool where people perform amagoi 雨乞い rain rituals.
The Mizunokami was seen as a huge serpent.
Once this serpent wanted to get a young woman from the village. The parents of the girl made a doll and put some poison inside. They left the doll on the river side and the huge serpent ate it - and then died.




............................................................................　Kagawa 香川県
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東かがわ市 Higashi-Kagawa city

Suijin Sama does not like metal things, so they must not be thrown into water.





............................................................................　Kagoshima 鹿児島県

. Legends about the Kappa 河童伝説 from Kyushu.

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熊毛郡 Kumage district 上屋久町 Kamiyaku town

suijin sa 水人サア Suijin Sama (in the local dialect)
In the local river lives a Kappa, called ガラッパ Garappa in the local dialect.
Many years ago a fisherman was stolen his mussels and fish by this Kappa.
If people make offerings of salt and rice to 川の水神様 the Mizu no Kamisama, Water Deity of the River, they will have no accidents.
If one coughs loud to announce his presence before going into the river or the sea for fishing, Suijin will not be taken by surprize and not curse anyone.

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川内市 Sendai city 向田町 Mukoda town

suijin sekizoo 水神石像，Garappa ガラッパ
There is a large statue of Mizunokami in the village which resembles very much the local Garappa Kappa.

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曽於郡 Soo district

Suijin Sama スイジンサマ -
names for the Kappa ガラッパサン Garappa san，ガラッパドン Garappa Don
Garappa don steals cucumbers to eat and pulls children into the river.
Until around 1950 on the day of the Spring Equinox, people could hear a voice like a bird, ピーピー piipii and thought that Suijin Sama is now coming down from the mountains to the river (like Yamanokami and Tanokami).
People can not see the deity, but the sound is frightening and they can not sleep.
In Autumn, when the Deity goes back from the river to the mountain, the villagers do not hear any soune.

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鹿児島市 Kagoshima city

山の神様 Yama no Kami Sama and 水神様 Suijin Sama
Once a hunter was in the mountains when his wife gave birth to a boy. A few years later on the 16th day of the 5th lunar month, Suijin Sama would come to get the baby, but the clever father bound the boy tight to a pole and all was fine.
On this day people also write the name of their children on a cucumber, a special food of Kappa san, and throw it into the river as an offering.


. Ido no Kami 井戸の神 / Idogami 井戸神 Deity of the Well .





............................................................................　Kumamoto 熊本県
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球磨郡 Kuma district 多良木町 Taragi town

- - - - - names for the Kappa
ガワッパ Gawappa，水神様　Suijin sama，ヤマンタロウ　Yama-n-Taro，カワンカミサン Kawa-n-Kami San
People make offerings of dango 団子 rice dumplings for the River Festival and later eat them at home to be protected from mischieves of the River Kappa.
This River Kappa goes back to the mountain forest in Autumn.
.
At the temple 青蓮寺 Shoren-Ji
They celebrate and get 水神の札 an amulet from Suijin on the first day of the second and 12th month of the lunar calendar.
To prorect them from water accidents, the villagers make mochi 餅 rice cakes, write the ritual name of Kobo Daishi 南無大師遍照金剛 on paper to wrap the rice cakes and place them on a stone by the river or throw them into the river.







............................................................................　Miyagi 宮城県
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本吉町 Motoyoshi town

mizu no kami san 水の神さん
When they wanted to built a new road, they had to fill up the well and relocate the statue of 地蔵 Jizo Bosatsu.
Jizo and Mizunokami and Hinokami 火の神 "Deity of Fire" came out every night to meet at the new spot. After some special rituals they stopped to come.

. Legends about Jizo Bosatsu - 地蔵菩薩 .





............................................................................　Miyazaki 宮崎県

. Legends about the Kappa 河童伝説 from Kyushu.

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東臼杵郡 Higashi-Usuki district 西郷村 Nishigo village

Hyoosubo ヒョウスボ Hyosubo (a name for Kappa)
Hyosubo is seen as Mizunokami. In Autumn he goes up to the mountains, in Spring he comes down to the river (just like Yamanokami and Tanokami).
When he is up in the mountains, he sometimes calls 「ヒョー」 hyoooo.

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都城市 Miyakonojo

gaguresan ガグレサン a Kappa 河童
When giving birth it is best to have three deities near by:
鬼子母神 Kishibojin, 箒神様 Hokigami and 水の神様 Mizunokami (in his form as Gagure san).





............................................................................　Niigata 新潟県
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新発田市 Shibata city

Suijin sama 水神様
On the 15th day of the 11th lunar month, people express their gratitude for water.
They make offerings and place them near their ido 井戸 well and along the slope on the beach on branches of the
enoki 榎 nettle tree. To prevent them from meeting any monsters, the villagers do not look back at the tree on their way home.

. enoki 榎 nettletree, Chinese hackberry tree .




............................................................................　Okayama 岡山県

Yamanokami 山の神 and hachi daikoojin 八大荒神 eight great wild deities
The eight great wild deities are venerated at the temple 遍照寺 Hensho-Ji on top of 光明山 Mount Komyosan. The mountain has two peaks and between them is a pond.
In former times people saw a strange light in the pond and thought is must be Yamanokami or Mizunokami.
Later they thought it might have been a large serpent.

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真庭市 Maniwa city

. Legends about the Kappa 河童伝説 .
suijin no kodomo 水神の子供 the child of Mizunokami
Since olden times Kappa is seen as the child of Mizunokami. In Northern Okayama he is called
ゴンゴ Gongo.
Along the coast of Kojima he is called
ゴンゴージ Gongooji
In Maniwa, Yubara city is a river pool called
赤子淵 / 赤子ヶ淵 Akagobuchi, Riverpool of the Baby.
If someone passes here alone, he can hear the voice of a crying baby - and then Gongo is coming out, they say.




............................................................................　Okinawa 沖縄県
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kinmamon 君真物 / キンマモン a female serpent deity
The character jin 壬 represents water.
To pray for enough rain for a good harvest, people invite 太陽神 a sun deity テルコ Teruko, who can control fire and water at the same time.
On many islands the Deity of the Sea 海神 (Kaijin, Wadazumi) is also seen as the Mizunokami.

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A kooro 香炉 incense burner used especially by women is called
kuuru クール Kuru.
Kandin カンディン is a personal deity and like Kuru can be seen as Mizunokami.
Kuru is used by a few women together in prayer groups and when all of this group have died, after the funeral rites, it is disposed of.

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Miti nu kan / anda min / nuchi ミディ・ヌ・カン・ヌチ
are various names for Mizunokami.
anda min （アンダ・ミン）/ anda mizu no nushi アンダ水の主 is Mizu no kami.




............................................................................　Nagano 長野県
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飯山市 Iiyama city

In the river there lives 水神様 Suijin Sama.

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東御市 Tomi city

maruiwa no kashi-wan 丸岩の貸し椀 .
A pious young couple had prayed to the 道祖神 Dosojin, wayside gods and a boy was born.
They wanted to celebrate, but did not have enough trays and bowls for the guests.
At night both saw a beautiful woman in their dreams (Mizunokami), who told them to write the number of trays and bowls on a piece of paper and throw the paper into a crack of the round rock.
They did as advised and next morning the trays and bowls were placed in front of the rock.
After the event they brought them back and the trays and bowls disappeared in no time.
Since then other villagers used the crack in the rock to get help. But then a wicked person did not bring them back and from that time on, no more things were lend for the villagers.

. Zenwanbuchi 膳椀淵 "river pool for trays and bowls". .

. Doosojin 道祖神 Dosojin, Dososhin - Legends about Wayside Gods .



............................................................................　Saitama 埼玉県
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If people eat the first harvest of kyuuri きゅうり cucumbers and to not offer them to 水神様 Suijin Sama, their children will have water accidents.
This Suijin Sama is a Kappa, who is known to like cucumbers.





............................................................................　Shiga 滋賀県
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甲賀郡 Koka district

. Mizunokami and Yamanokami 山の神 .
at shrine 笠山神社 / 瘡山神社 Kasayama Jinja





............................................................................　Wakayama 和歌山県
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日高郡 Hidaka district

. Mizunokami and Yamanokami 山の神 .
- counting trees and fish




............................................................................　Yamaguchi 山口県
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豊北町 Hohoku town

. Mizunokami and Yabugami 藪神　/ ヤブガミ Kami of the thicket, .





............................................................................　Yamanashi 山梨県
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北都留郡 Kita-Tsuru district 小菅村 Kosuge village

Suijin Sama スイジンサマ
is the local name for Mizunokami.
He prevents the river from getting to wild and protects the wells.
When people have to work in a river, they they place a white sheet of paper and salt on a rock, with the inscription:
"Suijin sama, we have to remove this rock, so please go somewhere else."

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西山梨郡 Nishi-Yamanashi district 千代田村 Chioda village

. Tengu 天狗と伝説 Tengu legends "Long-nosed Goblin" .
After having made a new straw roof, people venerate Tengu san, who is seen as Mizunokami, to protect the home from fire.
The ancestors of the yaneya 屋根屋 roof makers is the deity 猿田彦 Sarutahiko, the ancestor of the Tengu.


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- reference source : nichibun yokai database -
水の神 / スイジンサマ - OK
246 水神 to collect

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sakana no bunkashi 魚の文化史 cultural history of fish
矢野憲一 Yano Kenichi (1938 - )

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. Umi no Kami 海の神 God of the Sea / 海神 Watatsumi, Wadatsumi, Kaijin .

. kookai shin, kookaishin 航海神 Kokaishin Deities of Seafarers .

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

. kami　神　Shinto deities - ABC-LIST - .

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