Kawanokami legends

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. Shinto Shrines (jinja　神社) - Introduction .
. kami　神　Shinto deities .
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kawa no kami 川の神と伝説 Legends about the "River Deity"

Kappa 河童 is a“Kawa no Kami” 川の神 / 河の神 (lit. River Deity)
. Kawa no Kami, 水神 Suijin and Kappa .
- Introduction -
Kappa カッパ is often seen as Kawanokami or Mizunokami.

. Mizu no Kami, Mizunokami 水の神 Deity of Water .


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Kappa
mentioned in the Nihon Shoki 日本書紀 (Chronicles of Japan), one of Japan's earliest official records, compiled around 720 AD.
Other names: Kahaku (Nihongi)
A generic name for kami of rivers and streams.
The lineage of this kami is not described in the classics. Nihongi's record of Emperor Nintoku's reign contains an anecdote regarding the offering of human sacrifices (hitobashira) to the river deity called "Lord of the River" (Jp. kahaku; Ch. Hebo) at the occasion of constructing a riverbank, and Nihongi's record of Empress Kōgyoku likewise notes that during a great drought, prayers were offered without effect to the "Lord of the River." The Man'yōshū includes poems indicating that the river kami serves the emperor, and numerous records from the Nara period reflect the offering of prayers to the kami of famous mountains and great rivers.
- reference source : Kokugakuin - Nakayama Kaoru -





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kahaku, kawa no kami 河伯 River Deity, "river chief"
Kahaku Shushin 河伯主神



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- - - - - ABC List of the prefectures :


. ryuujin 竜神 /龍神 と伝説 Ryujin, Legends about the Dragon Deity .
Kawanokami is often seen as the same as the Ryujin Dragon Deity.
When he is offshore in the sea his wave pattern can sometimes be seen. In that case the fishermen sit down and pray to the deity.




......................................................................................... Akita 秋田県
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山本郡 Yamamoto district 二ツ井町 Futatsui town

Once upon a time, there was a year with not enough rain and water, people say the Kappa has come out and eaten all the cucumbers.
Since then farmers take the first two cucumbers of the harvest and throw it into the river shouting:
"川の神 Kawanokami, this is our offering!"




......................................................................................... Chiba 千葉県
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夷隅郡 Isumi district 夷隅町 Isumi town

Kappa is seen as Mizunokami, Kawanokami and an incarnation of a dragon deity.
If children are drowning in a river, this is the malicious deed of Kappa.




......................................................................................... Hyogo 兵庫県
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豊岡市 Toyooka city 竹野町 Takeno town

kawasoso, kawa soso 川ソソ Kamakami is called Kawasoso
He usually suppresses the Kappa 川コ Kawako, but lets him go on the last day of the sixth lunar month.
If someone goes into the river on this day, Kawako will take out his inner organs through the anus. He uses some iron tools to do that.




......................................................................................... Iwate 岩手県

Before peeing into a river, people ask Kawanokami to forgive them, to avoid his wrath.




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


. Yama no Kami 山の神 God of the Mountain .
and Kawanokami, Kappa legends




......................................................................................... Kumamoto 熊本県
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熊本市 Kumamoto city

Kawanokami no tatari 川の神の祟　the curse of Kawanokami
Once there lived a man in the city called 平川円蔵 Hirakawa Enzo.
One he went to the local shrine and went to cut down the shinboku 神木 sacred tree, saying it was superstition not to cut such a tree.
Soon his wife became bewitched by the Kawanokami from the river 球磨川 Kumagawa and many strange things happened.

. shinboku 神木, shinju　神樹　sacred tree, divine tree .




......................................................................................... Nagasaki 長崎県
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On the 29th day of the 11th lunar month, Kawanokami comes walking along the road.
There is a strange noise like hyuuhyuu heard along the side of the pond.
It looks like a chidori 千鳥 plover with a long, red beek.
Sometimes it more looks like a man with a high hat, followed by many others. If people try to peek at the procession to see it clearly, it becomes invisible.


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- reference : nichibun yokai database 妖怪データベース -


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- Reference : 川の神

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

. kami　神　Shinto deities - ABC-LIST - .

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- - - - -　 H A I K U　 - - - - -

焼米を炒るや川の神見そなはす



長谷川零餘子 Hasegawa Reiyoshi (1886 - 1928)


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- #kawanokami #rivergod #riverdeity #flussgott #mizunokami #kappa #yamanokami -
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