Kami - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Kami (神) is a Japanese word for the spirits that are worshipped in the Shinto religion. Not all of Kami are gods of the personified type. Instead, they have to do with phenomena and events like the growth of trees, or rain, or wind, or other aspects of Nature; it is believed that these kami live in those natural things.
It is usually said that there are "yaoyorozu-no-kami" (八百万の神, eight-million Kami). In Japanese the number "eight-million" is normally used to mean infinity.
Though the word kami can be translated multiple ways into English, no English word expresses its full meaning.
Some important kami
[change | change source]- Amaterasu, the sun goddess
- Inari, god of foxes
- Kotoamatsukami, the primary kami trinity
- Izanagi, the first man
- Izanami, the first woman
- Shinigami, kami of death
- Ryūjin, god of the sea
- Susanoo, god of storms
- Sarutahiko, kami of Earth
- Tsukuyomi, kami of moon
Related pages
[change | change source]Other websites
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Mythic Texts and Folktales: |