Japan - Shrines and Temples: - - Yama no Kami

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23/08/2017

Yamanokami Regional 18 Kyoto Mie

Yamanokami no daija 山の神の大蛇 great serpent of Yamanokami
6-1 Koyamanakajimacho, Yamashina Ward, Kyoto,

京都市山科区の東部、音羽山ふもとの小山中島町に、長さ十数メートルのわらの「大蛇」が祭られている。
- reference source : kyoto-np.co.jp/info/sightseeing... -

. daija, orochi 大蛇 the huge serpent, great snake .

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Yamanokami Jinja　山の神神社
京都府京都市左京区久多川合町 / Sakyō-ku, Kutakawaichō

This shrine is very remote.
In summer there is a camping ground and children come to play in the 久多川 Kutakawa river.

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亀岡市 Kameoka

. Yama no Kami 山の神 and Tengu 天狗 the Mountain Goblin .
篠村の長尾 Shinomura, Nagao

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京都市 Kyoto

kikai 奇怪 something strange
In 1828, there came a mudslide down from 地蔵山 Mount Jizoyama at Toribeno 鳥辺野. It came all the way down to a place sacred to Yamanokami. The villagers found a large 壺 pot, but thought it quite strange but tried to dig it out completely. Suddenly there was a sound coming out of the ground. The laborer who heard this died on the spot. Later other villagers and even children got ill and died.
An old nun was asked for an oracle. When she fell in trance, they put 幣 a ritual wand in her hands. She begun to talk, saying the soul was a relative of 明智 Akechi and had been buried on the mountain and then called "Yama no Kami", but was still full of anger. So they held rituals at the Jizo hall and buried the pot there, but there were still people dying in the village.

. Toribeno 鳥辺野, とりべの　鳥べの .
an old burrial ground since the Heian period in the Higashiyama 東山 area near Mt. Amidagamine 阿弥陀が峰　in Kyoto.

Yamanokami no batsu 山の神の罰 the punishment of Yamanokami
On the 15th day of the first lunar month, Yamanokami goes to the mountain and throws out seeds for shiba 柴 small firewood trees. On this day villagers are not allowed to go into the mountain forest.
One person did it anyway and never came back. The next summer a villager named 孫助 Magosuke found his robes in takitsubo 滝壷 the basin at the bottom of the waterfall.
But they never found his dead body.

Yamanokami san 山の神さん
In Spring Yamanokami rides on 白兎 a white rabbit and throws seeds of trees and plants on the ground.
In Autumn Yamanokami rides again on his white rabbit and collects seeds of trees and plants.
This Yamanokami has large wings.

. hakuto, shiro usagi 白兎 the white rabbit / hare .

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南丹市 Nantan

. katame no buna 片目の鮒 the crucian carp with one eye . .
Once upon a time, Yamanokami needed the offering of a girl every year, but thanks to purifying rituals of a mountain priest he lost this habit and was contend with the offering of a crucian carp. And after a few years, he needed only the offering of a crucian carp with one eye.

.......................................................................　Mie 三重県 .....

三重県旧美里町 Mie prefecture, former Misato village / Misatochō-Kōzawara
Yamanokami from Kozawara 　高座原の山の神」
The mountain range of 布引山 Nunobiki divides Iga and Ise.
One of the mountains is 経が峰 Kyogamine (814 m) and to its South-East is a region called 芸濃 Geino.
A male and female Yamanokami are placed near the ancient rocks.
- Look at more photos here
- reference source : blog.goo.ne.jp/pzm4366... -

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員弁郡 Inabe district 大安町 Daian cho town

Yamanokami 山の神 - 産土神 Ubusunagami
If a person keeps some earth from the mountain of Yamanokami, he will not get Beriberi.
If a person gets dizzy when driving in a car it helps to put some of the earth on the navel.

. ubusunagami 産土神 Ubusuna Deity of the birth place .

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熊野市 Kumano

Yama no Kamisama 山の神様
Yamanokami is a woman.
Once upon a time someone went deep in to the mountains and daw a woman wearing washing a beautiful Kimono in the river. She told him never to talk about this meeting to anybody.
It was Yamanokami indeed !

. yamaotoko 山男 Mountain Man" monster .
大西喜作 Onishi Kisaku and the cock of Yamanokami

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名張市 Nabari

To avoid a curse from Yamanokami, people are not allowed to work in the mountain forests on the 10th lunar month, when all the Kami meet in Izumo.

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志摩郡 Shima district

If someone cuts down a tree dedicated to Yamanokami, he will fall ill.

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鈴鹿市 Suzuka

On the 7th day of the first lunar month villagers go to the local shrine, collect branches of 松 pine trees and wild bamboo and make a fire.
They bring ritual kirimochi 切り餅 cut rice cakes, one for each member of the family and roast them on the fire.
This will help them to avoid illness and bring good luck.
Yamanokami is also very fond of children and protects them.

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度会郡 Watarai district

Yama no Kami is a woman. She stays at the sea from the third to the eighth lunar month.
The other months she stay in the mountains.

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- reference source : nichibun yokai database -

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. Legends about Yamanokami 山の神と伝説　.

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- - - - - . Join the Updates of Facebook ! . - - - - -

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

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

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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- #yamanokami #godofthemountains #tanokami #yamanokamikyoto #yamanokamimie #kyoto -
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22/08/2017

Yama no Kami Regional 17 Kumamoto

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. Yamawaroo やまわろ / ヤマワロ / 山童 Yamawaro, Yama-Waro
"Child of the Mountain" / Yamawaraji .
- - - - - and his alter ego
Kappa　河童 "Child of the River"

Bronze Statue at the Mizuki Shigeru Road in Sakai Minato / Tottori 水木しげるロード

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ushi 牛 cow, ox, bull
The day for the festival of Yamanokami is the day of the Bull / Oxen.
If people eat meat on this day and the go to the mountain to work, they will have accidents and get wounded.

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天草郡 Amakusa district

kamikakushi 神隠し kidnapped by the gods
Once a man cut down the big tree of Yamanokami. Then there were three days of strong wind.
When the wife and child of that man went out for a walk later, they suddenly disappeared and were not seen again.

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球磨郡 Kuma district

Yamataroo 山太郎 Yamataro is Yamanokami.
When building a mountain hut, ritual branches have to be stood up in the four directions to let Yamanokami know that humans will use this part of land for some time.
If this offering is not done, Yamataro will come at night and shake the hut, throw stoned and destroy the walls.
In that case the forest workers will have to make an apology ritual and built the hut anew.

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玉名郡 Tamana district 玉東町 Gyokuto 木葉 Konoha hamlet

. 木葉猿 Konoha Saru 木の葉猿 monkey from Konoha village .

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八代市 Yatsushiro 東陽村 Toyo mura

gago, gawappa ガゴ，ガワッパ local name for the Kappa
山の神様はガゴである. Yamanokami is Gago.

. Kappa legends from Kumamoto .

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ヤマワロ Yamawaro - with one eye

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- reference source : nichibun yokai database -

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. Legends about Yamanokami 山の神と伝説　.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

- - - - - . Join the Updates of Facebook ! . - - - - -

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

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

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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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- #yamanokami #godofthemountains #tanokami #yamanokamikumamoto #kumamoto #yamawaro -
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Ta no Kami Festivals matsuri

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. 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 matsuri 田の神祭り Tanokami festivals and rituals
for the God of the Rice Fields and for 山の神祭り Yamanokami
Sai no Kami 幸の神 God of Good Fortune

There are many seasonal festivals and rituals to honor the God of the Rice Fields.
Sometimes the dates get mixed up between the old lunar calendar months and the modern counting.

Ebino no Tanokami Matsuri

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Most festivals are held on the day 16 of a lunar month, one day after the full moon
. izayoi 十六夜 (いざよい) moon on day 16 .
In Spring to welcome Yama no Kami to the fields
In Autumn to see him off to the mountain.
Many rituals involve the offering of 16 rice dumplings.

. juuroku dango 十六団子 dumpling offerings for day 16 .

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. ae no koto, aenokoto あえのこと / 饗事 Entertaining the God of the Fields .
Noto Peninsula 能登半島 Noto Hantoo
- kuwa hajime, kuwahajime 鍬始 kuwa matsuri　鍬祭り　festival of the hoe - February 10
- tauchi shoogatsu 田打正月 ritual New Year ploughing - February 11

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Ebino no Tanokami Matsuri えびの田の神祭り
Miyazaki
- see top picture -

毎年5月4日に行われる、えびの市末永地区の田の神祭り。
- reference : pref.miyazaki.lg.jp/contents... -

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Echizen no Tanokami Matsuri 越前の田の神祭り
Fukui

. Tanokami festivals in Fukui .
Children carry a kodomo mikoshi 子供神輿 protable shrine ....

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Gero no Tanokami Matsuri 下呂の田の神祭り
Gero Onsen下呂温泉 Gero Hot Spring - Gifu

- reference : bosenkan.co.jp... -

Tanokami Matsuri - Flower Hat Festival
- quote -
February, | at Mori-Minashi-Hachiman Shrine, Gero Hot Springs, Gifu Pref.
Hanakasa Matsuri（花笠まつり）森水無八幡神社（岐阜県下呂市）
- reference and photos -

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. hiburi matsuri 火振り祭 "fire-swinging festival" .
at Shrine Aso Jinja 阿蘇神社 Kumamoto, now on March 16.

The origin of this ritual goes back to welcoming the god of the fields back in spring, to greet his wife (goze mukae 御前迎え) .

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. Niigata 新潟県白根市 Shirone town .
On the 16th day of the second and tenth month a Tanokami Matsuri 田の神まつり festival for Tanokami is held at the farm houses.

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. ta no kansaa matsuri 田の神さあ祭り / 田の神さぁ　/ タノカンサー.
鹿児島の田の神さあ Kagoshima
In Kyushu, the Ta no kansaa 田の神さあ is still venerated in more than 300 communities ...
- Ta no Kami of the Nishida Fields 西田の田の神さあ
姶良郡姶良町下名西田 Aira district Nishida Shimomyō

This Tanokami protects the Shrine fields of 鹿児島神宮 Kagoshima Jingu. His face is that of an old man with a beard. The statue is about 90 cm high.
In the right hand he holds a meshige メシゲ (shamoji rice paddle in the local dialect), in the left hand a bowl for cooked rice.
This is the classical form of Tanokami as represented in local Kagoshima dance rituals.
The Tanokami Mai 田の神舞 dance ritual at the shrine is held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month (now on a Sunday near to it).
After this dance, the saotome 早乙女 rice planting women begin their work.

. Kagoshima Jingu 鹿児島神宮 Kagoshima Shrine .

In Kagoshima, offerings made to 大黒様 Daikoku sama are not eaten by girls. This will keep the Kami in the home.
On the first day of the 10th lunar month, Daikoku (the Tanokami) goes off to Izumo to meet the other Kami.

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永田川流域の田の神 - 山田町 Yamada Town
A statue from 1723, the figure looks like a priest, with a rice paddle in the right hand and a stick in the left.

- more photos and source : 永田川流域の田の神 Nagatagawa -

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Wakasa no Tanokami Matsuri 若狭の田の神祭り
Wakasa no Yamanokami Matsuri 山の神祭り
Fukui

"Oikemono Jinji (オイケモノ神事)" O Ikemono Jinji is held at Kamo Jinja Kamisha (加茂神社上社) in Wakasa, Fukui.
Oikemono Jinji is an annual and unique ritual to perform divination of this year's harvest, and it was continuously held since about 1000 years ago.
. . . It is believed that the enshrined deity "Yama-no-kami (山の神)" is involved in the seeding.
. Wakasa Kamo Jinja 加茂神社 .

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. - - - - - - 田の神山の神 kigo for haiku related to seasonal events - - - - - .

- - - - - Kigo for Late Spring

ceremony of opening the water channels ..... mizuguchi matsuri 水口祭
preparing a seat for the Field God, ..... ta no kami no koshikake 田の神の腰掛

After opening the water channels and heaving earth on the space above them, this is decorated with some branches and leaves as a seat for Tanokami.

Ceremony for the Seeds
..... tane matsuri 種祭 / ..... nawashiro matsuri　苗代祭

. ono jimai 斧仕舞 packing away the axes .

- - - - - Kigo for early summer

. sanbai oroshi さんばい降し calling the god of the fields .
sanbai matsuri さんばい祭 festival for the god of the fields
sanbai okuri さんばい送り sending off Sanbai
sanbai machi さんばい待ち waiting for the god of the fields
- sanbai 三拝 -

- - - - - Kigo for mid-summer

. sanaburi 早苗饗 (さなぶり) end of rice planting .
tauejimai 田植仕舞 celebrating the end of the rice planting activities
「早上(さのぼり」sanobori indicates a day for Tanokami to go back to 天 the sky.
The farmers take a day of rest and walk along the planted fields with a Shinto priest leading them in the thank-you-prayers to the Tanokami. Later they have a feast of sekihan 赤飯 ritual red rice and mochi 餅 dumplings and enjoy some funny dance performance.

. saotome 早乙女 rice-planting woman .
They make offerings to Tanokami and wear auspicious blue and white robes before going into the fields for planting.

. satsuki imi 五月忌 Absention, abstinence in Satsuki 　
Satsuki is the name for the fifth month of the lunar calendar.
Now 6 Jun – 6 Jul. This is the season of rice planting and welcoming the god of the fields.

. taichuu no majinai 退虫の呪 spell against insects
On the eighth day of the fourth month.
This day was the one when the god of the mountain came back down to the fields for the rice-growing season and was celebrated in many regions.

- - - - - Kigo for early winter

. hiburi matsuri 火振り祭 "fire-swinging festival" .
Aso Shrine Festivals 阿蘇神社 - "fire-swinging festival" Aso Shrine, Kumamoto
The origin of this ritual goes back to welcoming the god of the fields back in spring, to greet his wife (goze mukae 御前迎え(ごぜむかえ) .

. kami no rusu 神の留守 "the Kami are absent" .
kami no tabi 神の旅 the gods are travelling,
After the harvest, Tanokami takes a break to meet all the other Kami at Izumo.

yama no kami matsuri 山の神祭 festival for the god of the mountain
yama no maki koo 山の神講prayer group for the god of the mountain
..... yama no koo 山の講（やまのこう）
yama no ko matsuri 山の講祭festival of the prayer group for the god of the mountain
Held in the winter months at various shrines.
The prayer groups consisted of people who worked in the mountains. They had offerings twice a year, in early spring to open the season and in early winter to give thanks for the year.

. tookanya 十日夜 night of the tenth 　
(tenth day of the tenth lunar month)
Harvest thanksgiving for the god of the fields, celebrated in Eastern and Northern Japan.
(nowadays around November 15). It was day shortly before a full-moon day of old.

. inoko mochi, i no ko mochi 亥の子餅 rice cakes for the wild boar festival - Legends

They were prepared in the hour of the boar and eaten as a harvest thanksgiving. This a custom coming from China.
Here the deity honored is also seen as the God of the Fields (ta no kami).
Inoko is a festival on 旧暦10月の亥の日 the day of the wild boar in the tenth lunar month. On this day 田の神 the Tanokami goes back to the mountains.
Festival of the Goddess 摩利支天 Marishi Ten and her animal, the Wild Boar.

. kagashiage, kakashi age 案山子揚 taking the scarecrows down .
Usually done on the tenth day of the tenth lunar month.
A custom of Nagano prefecture.
The scarecrow is taken from the field and placed in the garden of the home, harvest offerings to the god of the fields (ta no kami) are then made.

. yama no kami matsuri 山の神祭 festival for the god of the mountain .
yama no kami koo 山の神講 prayer group for the god of the mountain
..... yama no koo 山の講（やまのこう） / yama no ko matsuri 山の講祭（やまのこまつり）

. kami no rusu 神の留守 the gods are absent .
The tenth lunar month (now November), after the harvest when the Japanese gods had done their duty, they left their local shrines for a bit of a vacation. They would all go for an audience and to celebrate at the great shrine of Izumo, so the rest of Japan was "without gods".

- - - - - Kigo for the New Year

. kagihiki shinji 鉤引神事 ritual of pulling with hooks .
..... 鉤引（かぎひき）pulling with hooks, tug-of-war with hooks
also known as Uchiue matsuri.
Ritual to honor the deity of the mountain, in various mountain regions of Japan, especially in Nara, Mie and Kumamoto.

Sai no kami no kanjin 幸の神の勧進 Praying to the God of Good Fortune
On January 15.
This custom is mostly followed in the Tohoku region.

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Sai no Kami 幸の神 God of Good Fortune
Also called
Sae no kami 障の神 - 塞の神
A kind of Dosojin, Wayside Deity and also Tanokami

幸(さい)の神と竜 ― 古代が分る鍵 Sai no Kami and the Dragon
谷戸貞彦 Yato Sadahiko

Sai no Kami originated in the San-In region of Western Japan as a deity to protect the farming village by guaranteeing descendants to live in good fortune for ever.
第一章　道の神 - Kami of the Road
第二章　世界の石の神 - Stone Kami in the World
第三章　久那斗の大神 - Kunaji no Kami 岐神 / Kunado no Kami 岐の神 (kami of the border)
第四章　幸姫命 - Sachihime no Mikoto
第五章　サルタ彦大神 - Sarutahiko
第六章　竜神と斎の木 - Dragon Deity and sacred trees
第七章　幸の神と行事 - Festivals for Sai no Kami : 元日の変遷と祭り -- Tanokami 田の神と通過儀礼 -- 渡来人の祭り -- 子孫繁栄の祭り
- reference source : d1.dion.ne.jp/~kunado... -

Saikami Myojin 幸神明神 Great Deity of Good Fortune
Sashikami Myojin サシカミミョウジン

- - - - - In Tokyo
Once the children played with a statue of 明神様 Myojin Sama and let it float in water. An old man of the hamlet took it away from them. Two or three days later, he became very ill.
Maybe this was because he had taken the statue, so he let if float again in water and was soon healed.

. Doosojin 道祖神 The Wayside Gods, Guardians of the Road .
Shakujin 石神, lit. "stone kami"

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- - - - - . Join the Updates of Facebook ! . - - - - -

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

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

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

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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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- #tanokamimatsuri #godofthefieldsfestivals #tanokamimatsuri #yamanokami #kunadonokami #sainokami -
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20/08/2017

Yama no Kami Regional 14 Kagawa

山の神展望台 Yamanokami Tenbodai Observatory
丸亀市広島町茂浦 Hiroshimacho village, Moura, Marugame, Kagawa

. Yama-no-kami Kofungun 山ノ神古墳群 Yamanokami Kofungun .
香川県坂出市加茂町山の神下 / Yamanokami shita, Kamocho, Sakaide, Kagawa "below Yama no Kami Tumulus"

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Japan’s Smallest Prefecture, Kagawa, has the best Udon in the world, Sanuki udon!
. 讃岐うどん Sanuki udon noodles .
讃岐国

手打ちうどん山の神　hand-made Udon - Yama no Kami
大阪府大阪市北区曽根崎新地 - Restaurant in Osaka

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. Yamanokami and his messenger, the Yamainu 山犬 Wolf .
仲多度郡 Nakatado district 琴南町 Kotonami

In Sanuki there are no really tall mountains. Mount 飯野山 Inoyama, better known as 讃岐富士 Sanuki Fuji,
has a flat top almost like a soup bowl. The 四国山脈 Shikoku Mountain Range is difficult to access, with thick forests and dark mountain paths. There are few people, and this is an area to get lost easily. If people were not careful, they might meet a Yokai monster or even worse, not find their way back home.
Under these difficult natural conditions, the villagers in former times took to Yamanokami for help and protection. Before going to the forest for work, they would make offerings and prayers to 山の神さま Yama no Kami sama, a female deity.
Her messenger was the wolf.
Here in Sanuki he was a gentle helper and path finder for lost people. When they called for him in the forest, a wolf would show up and lead the way to the village.

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ryuuoosan no kai 竜王山の怪 Ryuo-San no kai monster
At 竜王山 Mount Ryuosan "Dragon King Mountain", 1060 m high, people sometimes hear the voice of children, even if nobody is there. Sometimes there is a loud noise, sometimes someone is laughign, even a huge priest has been seen roaming around.
Fishermen can see a light above the mountain from their boats. They say it is the Deity of the Mountain having some fun up there.

ushi no yoo na mono 牛のようなもの like a bull
A man named 岡馬次郎 Okaba Jiro went to his water mill for work. On the way he passed Mount 菅生のトキ Sugo no Toki when he saw something like a bull running past. The ground begun to shake and the bull run up to the top of the mountain. Back home Jiro asked the other villagers, but they had not felt any shaking of the ground.
It must have been the local Yamanokami, taking a ride.

yamaneko 山猫 mountain cat
A man was making charcoal, taking them out in the middle of the night, when he heard the voice of a cat. The voice got louder and louder and he thought the cat must have been frightened by Yamanokami.
From this day on, he never worked at night in the mountain.

.......................................................................　Higashi-Kagawa 東かがわ市 .....

The 7th day of the first lunar month is ヤマノカミノキダネマキ the day when Yamanokami plants the seeds for new trees in the forest.
People are not allowed to go to the mountain on this day. If someone dares to go, he might meet Yamanokami and get lost for ever, never to come back. Or he might get a severe wound on his head.
Some families keep this taboo on the ninth day of the first lunar month.

.......................................................................　Marugame 丸亀市 .....
手島町 Teshima

On the ninth day of the first lunar month, Yamanokami performs 護摩を焚く special fire rituals and people are not allowed to go to the mountain.

.......................................................................　Nakatado district 仲多度郡 .....
琴南町 Kotonami

Every month on the ninth day, people do not go to the mountain. This is a day to celebrate Yamanokami with food offerings.
Other families do not go to the mountain on the 7th day of the first, fifth and ninth lunar month.

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- reference source : nichibun yokai database -

..............................................................................................................................................

. Legends about Yamanokami 山の神と伝説　.

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

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

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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Yama no Kami 13 Regional Iwate

Yamanokami Onsen 山の神温泉 hot spring Yamanokami
岩手県花巻市 Hanamaki town

優香苑 Yukaen
Our popular hot spring is 100% natural spring water, made soft and silky on the skin due to its high content of natural mineral deposits. You can enjoy looking at our mountain stream while submerged in the hot water of our large outdoor bath. We also recommend our spacious indoor bath with its high ceiling.
- source and more hot springs : kanko-hanamaki.ne.jp/en... -

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. noogami 農神 / ノウガミ様 No-gami, Nogami, God of the Farmers .
deity for agriculture, especially the rice fields and sake rituals.

On the 16th day of the third lunar month, Yamanokami goes back to the Mountain, and in his place Nogami comes down to the village and the farmers. The villagers have to get up early and make fire. If the smoke climbs up high into the sky, the family will be lucky.

.......................................................................　Kunohe district 九戸郡 .....

To celebrate Nogami on the 16th day of the third and 9th lunar month, villagers prepare
ウキウキダンゴ Ukiuki Dango and offer them to the deity.

. ukiukidango, ukiuki dango うきうきだんご / ウキウキ団子 .
"dumplings swimming buyoantly"
An offering for nogamisama 農神様 God of the Farmers.
ukiuki is a word used for things dumpling on water, as the dumplings do when put into the hot soup.
They are prepared for the last prayer to the god of the harvest (nogamisama) to take with him on his way back to the mountains. Nogamisama is a large boulder at the side of the field.
Made from millet flour mixed (kibiko きび粉) with dango flour.
They are round with a little cavity in the middle "like a navel", so in local dialect they are also called
"hetchoko dango "へっちょこだんご "navel dumplings".

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Yamanokami is seen as a Monkey or as a woman. In some regions he is even seen as a Tengu.
. Yamanokami, 猿 the Monkey .
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In 平内 Hiranai,
the 9th day of the 12th lunar month is the day when Yamanokami, gives birth. Villagers avoid going to the forest on this day, because it brings bad luck and causes injuries.
In 戸田 Toda,
on the 9th day of the 2nd lunar month it is forbidden to go to the mountain. This is the day when Yamanokami is born or re-born. Field work is not done on this day and people hold sacred rituals to venerate the deity.
On this day, Yamanokami also counts the trees in the forest and people can not go there. They take a rest.
Once a wood cutter tried to cut a tree down, but splinters hit his eye and he lost is eyesight.
.
On the 12th day of the 12th lunar month, Yamanokami becomes one year older. This is his special day. Yamanokami has 12 children and women of the village prepare dishes with 12 pieces of Tofu.
If a woman eats such a dish, she will get pregnant and will have 12 children - so the women avoid eating these dishes.

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軽米町 Karumai

Once there was a family with people falling ill, one after the other. An oracle told them to build a small sanctuary for Yamanokami and pray there.

sugi no tatari 杉の祟り curse of the Japanese cedar tree
There was a Shinboku in the forest, but one villager cut it down. He died soon after. The person who bought the wood became blind.
To bread the curse the villagers had to offer prayers at the local Wakamiya Hachiman 若宮八幡 shrine.

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

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山形村 Yamagatamura

Yamanokami is seen as a female deity who gives birth to 12 children in one year, one in each month.

.......................................................................　Shimohei district 下閉伊郡 .....
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岩泉町 Iwaizumi

Yamanokami no koshikake 山の神の腰掛 seat of Yamanokami
A tree with three stems is seen as a seat of Yamanokami and not to be cut down.

. Yamanokami no hooki 山の神の箒 broom of Yamanokami .
and the tengusubyoo 天狗巣病 "nest of a Tegnu", witch's broom disease

namomitakuri ナモミタクリ namomi takuri
Namomi Takuri is another name for Yamanokami. He takes away crying children and eats them. He comes down to the village only during the New Year celebrations.

This is similar to the custom of the
. Namahage なまはげ monsters .
(namomi o hagu)
Similar customs to the Namahage : 遠野市のナモミタクリやヒカタタクリ等がある。
..... namomihagi なもみ剥ぎ, amamihagi あまみはぎ
namamihagi 生身剥（なまみはぎ）、nagomehagi なごめ剥（なごめはぎ）、namomitakuri なもみたくり、ひがたたくり、nanamitakuri ななみたくり、namomi hagi なもみ剥（なもみはぎ）

.......................................................................　Shizukuishi 雫石町 .....

In the village of 南畑ミナミハタ Minamihata they have a festival for Yamanokami.
On this day, young and old, men and women, all use a furoshiki 風呂敷 cotton wrapper to make a mask for their faces and dance in the local Shrine. After that, they spend the night all together in the Shrine (zakone).
If they do not keep this custom, the harvest of 麻 hemp will be bad in the coming year.

. zakone 雑魚寝 sleeping together .
"group sleep" - "like all kind of fish", all crowded together

.......................................................................　Tono 遠野市 Tōno .....

- - - Reference:
山神の憑依について「岩手県遠野地方の事例から」by 川島秀一 Kawashima Shuichi

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A man of about 30 went to a drinking party and came home quite drunk. He mumbled all the time "Yamanokami has taken possession of me!" and then he fell asleep.
A friend who knew about it came visiting next morning and kneeled at his bedside to ask him a question, using him as a medium.
The man said they should venerate Ujigami 氏神 the clan deity and pray for his recovery. After ten days the man was healed and the friend came to say thank you.
Thus the man became quite famous.
- - - - -
Another man possessed by Yamanokami could see right through to the truth in the heart of people.
He told a visitor: In the ground of the entrance to your house there is an old mirror and a sword buried. If you take that away, someone in the house will die soon or the house will burn down. When the visitor came home and started to dig, he found the mirror and sword.
- - - - -
Where the road comes to a T-crossing a villager heard the noise of someone walking down the mountain. When he looked up he saw a huge naked man, all red and with frightening eyes.
This was Yamanokami.
- - - - -
If the female Yamanokami does not come down to help with a birth, three will be a problem. Therefore the husband of a pregnant woman has to go and invite the deity when birth comes close.
The husband takes a horse an lets it find its way, When the horse suddenly stops there is a voice to be heard and the husband knows that Yamanokami is now sitting on the horse. So he leads the horse back home and then makes an announcement. Usually the baby is born by the time the husband comes back.
- - - - -

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田の神神社 - Shrine Tanokami Jinja in Tono

Ta no Kami 田の神

Yama no Kami 山の神

- reference source : dostoev.exblog.jp... -

田の神神社（上郷町倉田）
地元の方は「お田の神さん」と呼んでいるそうです。別当の方はここから少し離れた処にお住まいで草刈りに先日奥様が来ていたとか。この神社の近くに庚申塔群があります。すべての石塔が庚申塔というのもめずらしい。この庚申塔の手入れをしている奥様に伺いました。この方は駒形神社の別当ということで先祖代々受け継ぐ者の苦労をお聞きすることが出来ました。
- reference source : flickr.com/photos... -

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- reference source : nichibun yokai database -

..............................................................................................................................................

. Legends about Yamanokami 山の神と伝説　.

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- - - - - . Join the Updates of Facebook ! . - - - - -

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

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

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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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- #yamanokami #godofthemountains #tanokami #iwate -
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Yama no Kami 12 Regional Aichi Aomori

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. Yama no Kami 山の神 Yamanokami - Introduction .
. Ta no Kami 田の神 Tanokami - Introduction .
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Yama no Kami 山の神 God of the Mountain
and Legends from Aichi 愛知県 and Aomori 青森県

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.......................................................................　Aichi 愛知県 .....

In the mountains live Yamanokami (as 山犬 Yamainu "mountain dog") and the Tengu.
Deep mountains and high mountains are especially venerated.

. Tengu legends from Aichi 天狗 .
tengu sama no isami 天狗様のいさみ flute melody of Tengu - 山の神の松 Yamanokami no matsu
in 知多郡 Chita district 美浜町 Mihama /. 宝飯郡 Hoi district 音羽町 Otowa //

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知多郡 Chita district 南知多町 Minami-Chita

. hibashira 火柱 a pillar of fire .
at 山神祭 the festival for Yamanokami

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宝飯郡 Hoi district 音羽町 Otowa

Once a 天狗 Tengu (others say it was Yamanokami himself) stood on a huge boulder on 山の講 the prayer day of Yamanokami and looked very angry when he saw some kikori 樵 woodcutters coming along to work. They became afraid and run back to the village.
Since then it is forbidden to go to the forest on this prayer day.

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北設楽郡 Kita-Shitara district 豊根村 Toyone

Yamanokami has only one eye and one leg. Therefore a lame person is also seen as Yamanokami.
An old man who went to do some work in the forest saw a monster on one leg, but told no further details.

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南設楽郡 Minami-Chitara district 長篠村 Nagashino

. Sanjinsai 山神祭 Festival for Yamanokami .

- - - - -

yamakagashi ヤマカガシ snake, Rhabdophis tigrinus
Some people have seen this snake heading right to the sky when it starts thundering.
It might be a messenger of Yamanokami or the Kami from 愛宕 Atago

. yamakagashi ヤマカガシ, 山棟蛇 mountain snake .
..... Rhabdophis tigrinus. Tiger keelback

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豊田市 Toyota

kitsune 狐 a fox
Once a man regularly had the urge to defecate at a place sacred to Yamanokami. Every time as he squatted, he heard a strange sound of petapeta petapeta.
When he came next time, the faeces were gone, someone had eaten them. And sometimes he saw a beautiful young temple acolyte walking by.
Once he peeked between his legs and saw a fox, standing on his front legs, wiggeling with his tail, waiting for the feces - food.

The roots of an old oak tree are sacred to Yamanokami.
Yamanokami is a woman and gets angry easily.

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.......................................................................　Aomori 青森県 .....

岩木山の神と鬼 Gods and Demons from Mount Iwakisan (Aomori)
畠山篤 Hatakeyama Atsushi

第１章　
岩木山の神の由来譚の生成― 百沢寺 Mount Iwakisan and Hyakuzawa ・イタコ Itako
（二つ目/ 三つ目の丹後日和の由来；丹後日和の背景と変容；“お岩木様一代記”ほか）
第２章　
岩木山の鬼と水利伝承― 津軽の鬼 Tsugaru no Oni ・山人・大人

. Osorezan 恐山 and the Itako shamans .

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On the 16th day of the third lunar month, Yamanokami becomes ノウガミ農神 the deity of a agriculture.
On the 26th day of the ninth lunar month he goes back to be Yamanokami.
On both days people make special food offerings.

kamigami no toshitori 神々のトシトリ New Year for the Gods
Different Kami have different days to start a new year:

Yamanokami on the 12th, ノウガミ農神 Nogami on the 16th
八幡様 Hachiman sama on the 15th, 観音様 Kannon sama on the 17th
お蒼前様 O-Sozen sama, protector of horses, on the 19th
疫病神様 Ekibyo Kamisama for infectious diseases on the 20th
お地蔵様 O-Jizo sama on the 23 and 天神様 Tenjin sama on the 25th.

. toshi tori 年取 (としとり) getting one year older at New Year.
On the last day of the year, people eat a proper meal with a whole fish (with head and tail fin).
Everyone would be one year older on the next day. Individual birthdays were not celebrated in the Edo period.
- kigo for the New Year -

- - - - -

yamabito 山人 "mountain people"
Suddenly a daughter turned strange and said she wanted to become the bride of Yamanokami. The whole family kept watching her, but one day she just sneaked out and rushed to the mountain.
They all came running after her, but she was already far away at 田代岳 Mount Tashirodake (1,178 m)
and out of sight.

- - - - -

A tree with three trunks is sacred to Yamanokami and also called ミヨマタギ Miyomatagi.
Yamanokami and 狗賓 Guhin often come to sit there, so the tree should not be cut down.
sakasa sugi 逆さ杉 an upside-down cedar tree is also a sacred tree.

. guhin kuhin gubin 狗賓 / グヒン Guhin Tengu Yokai monster .

- - - - -

yamasori 山橇 mountain sled
To build a mountain sled the wood must be prepared in good time. On 山の神の日 the Day of Yamanokami food offerings of 12 シトギ Shitogi cakes and chopsticks are made and people pray for the safety for the whole year.

shitogi mochi しとぎもち Shitogi rice cakes
from Aomori, in the Tsugaru peninsula they where prepared for festivals with the wish for a bountiful harvest. They were offered to the gods on the god shelf (kamidana) and after this taken down and fried in the pan.
Prepared from mochigome rice, water and anko sweet bean paste.

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青森市 Aomori city 野内 Nonai

In Nonai 12 Yamanokami are venerated and 12 offerings of Shitogi are made.
If a woman eats any Shitogi cakes, she will bear 12 children. So women are forbidden to eat them.

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五所川原市 Goshogawara 広田 Hirota

Every month on the 12th day this is celebrated as 山の神の日 the Day of Yamanokami.
If someone goes to the mountain and happens to pass a place where Yamanokami is resting, there will be
a strange whirlwind (tsuburi-kaze つぶり風 / tsumuji-kaze つむじ風）.
Therefore people are not allowed to go to the mountain forest on this day.

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上北郡 Kamikita district

yamasori 山橇 mountain sled
Yamanokami has 12 children. So there should be offerings of 12 ritual wands in the middle of a sled, 12 Shitogi and 12 cups of ritual Sake.
If they do not keep these rituals, the forest workers will suffer injuries.

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西津軽郡 Nishi-Tsugaru district 車力村 Shariki

yamanokami no tatari 山の神の祟り the curse of Yamanokami
The 12th day of the 12th lunar month is the New Year Day for Yamanokami so people are not allowed to go to the mountain forest, lest they will suffer a curse of Yamanokami.
This is even observed by people who belong to the Zen sect of Buddhism.

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三戸郡 Sannohe district 田子町 Takko

karasu 烏 crow

The crow is seen as the messenger of Yamanokami.

yamanokami no ki 山の神の木 tree of Yamanokami
Once a husband had been out cutting trees, but did not come home in due time. His wife started worrying and went looking after him.
She found a beautiful lady supporting her husband, who was high up in a tree. When the wife started talking to the lady, she suddenly disappeared and the husband fell down to his death.
Yamanokami is a female deity, often helping people.

The 内沢家 Uchizawa family
Grandfather had been cutting trees at 朝比奈岳 Mount Asahinadake, when suddenly some family members became ill.
A diviner told him that he had cut down a tree sacred to Yamanokami. So they built a small sanctuary and prayed to Yamanokami.

朝比奈岳 Mount Asahinadake (874 m)

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- reference source : nichibun yokai database -

..............................................................................................................................................

. Legends about Yamanokami 山の神と伝説　.

from Chiba 千葉県 to 山梨県 Yamanashi - will be updated.

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- - - - - . Join the Updates of Facebook ! . - - - - -

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

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

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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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- #yamanokami #godofthemountains #tanokami #aichi #aomori -
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Yama no Kami 11 Regional Ibaraki Ishikawa

Yamanokami and the 庚申 Koshin Deity

. Tsukuba san 筑波山 Mount Tsukuba, Tsukubasan .

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日立市 Hitachi 入四間町 Irishiken cho

. Yamanokami no yadorigi 山の神さんの宿り木 sacred tree for Yamanokami .
When a forest worker tried to cut down the sacred tree of Yamanokami in Irishiken town, he was struck by kanashibari 金縛り a sudden paralysis and could not move any more.

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常陸太田市 Hitachi Ota 真弓町 Mayumi

shinboku 神木 sacred tree
On the mountain of the deity 真弓権現 Mayumi Gongen was a sacred tree for this Kami. But the magistrate had it cut down and sold it anyway. But the tree was taken away by a flood during a strong rain, so the magistrate had another tree cut down. That night there was a yamanari 山鳴り strange rumbling in the mountain and 10 of the forest workers fell dead on the spot. The other workers saw this and fled in great fear.

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石岡市 Ishioka

ryuu 龍 dragons
A male and a female dragon are seen as Yamanokami.
The male dragon once shape-shifted into a woman near the pond, met a young samurai and the two fell in love. But the young samurai died after their first encounter.

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北都留郡 Kita-Tsuru district 小菅村 Kosuge

. Yama no Kami matsuri 山の神祭り Yamanokami festival .

On the second day of the first lunar month, workers take a rest and go to the mountain.
They bring offerings of sake 酒 rice wine in bamboo tubes and place sasa ササの葉 bamboo grass leaves in it. They pour these offerings over the leaves of a tree.
This tree will then become a sacred tree for Yamanokami.

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久慈郡 Kuji district 大子町 Daigo

. daija 大蛇 huge serpent .
In a cave there lives a huge serpent and prevents humans from passing along the road. So the villagers came in a large crowd and drove her out. They could now drink the water from the well and jump into the pond. One man who talked about this pointed to another and became suddenly invisible. The one pointed was maybe the serpent and the others shot him down with arrows.
One arrow hit the eye of the serpent and the animal fled into the pond, where it died.
The people living around the pond say the serpent was Yamanokami.

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久慈郡 Kuji district 中里村 Nakasato

. Yamanokami no yadorigi 山の神さんの宿り木 sacred tree for Yamanokami .
Once a wood worker cut down this tree and thus was hit by the jintsuriki 神通力 divine power of Yamanokami. He could not move his body any more.
After special rituals to honor Yamanokami this spell was finally broken and he could move again.

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久慈郡 Kuji district 小里村 Osato

. Yamanokami no yadorigi 山の神さんの宿り木 sacred tree for Yamanokami .

「峰の三つ股、沢の二股」
A tree with three main stems on the top of a mountain and a tree with two main stems near a swamp are sacred to Yamanokami.
Once a man tried to cut such a tree but instead hit his own leg and obtained a great wound. To heal better he went to a hot spring. While he was on his way, his own home burned down . . . Yamanokami took his revenge.
These trees are also sacred to the Tengu in Gunma.

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桜川市 Sakuragawa 真壁町 Makabe

dondoya no tatari ドンドヤの祟り， dondoyaki no tatari ドンドヤキの祟り
Yamanokami gets angry easily. He is also very poor. If a debt collector comes to his home, he will burn it down and flee fast.
On the 15th day of the 11th lunar month, children prepare straw and make a fire for the Dondonya ritual near the Pine of Yamanokami. The ashes from this fire are never taken back home, this would bring a curse of Yamanokami.

. . dondon yaki どんどん焼き fire rituals .

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多賀郡 Taga district 十王町 Juo machi

. daija 大蛇 huge serpent .
The 弁天池 Benten-Ike pond never dries up.
Putting a stick into the pond and praying for rain to Yamanokami, then taking home some water from the pond, will certainly lead to a good rainfall soon.
In former times there lived a huge serpent in the pond.
. 源義家八幡太郎 Minamoto no Yoshiie Hachimantaro, . (1039 – 1106) built the temple 八幡寺 Hachiman-Ji (Yahata-Ji). Sometimes villagers can see a huge serpent sleeping on the veranda of the temple.
If people throw improper unclead things into the pond, there will soon be a strong storm.

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.......................................................................　Ishikawa 石川県 .....

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能美郡 Nomi district 新丸村 Shinmaru mura

Yamanokami is the same as a 天狗 Tengu.
On days were it is not allowed to go to the mountain, all forest workers must rest. If someone does not keep this taboo and goes to work, he will get hurt and have other misfortunes.

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白峰村 Shiramine mura

. Kanko odori かんこ踊 Kanko Dance festival .
in honor of Saint Taicho coming down from the mountain.
Yamanokami is seen as a Tengu.

Related to
. Hakusan shinkoo 白山信仰 Hakusan (Shiramine) belief .

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- reference source : nichibun yokai database -

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. Legends about Yamanokami 山の神と伝説　.

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

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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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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