Kawa-no-Kami

Kawa no kami is a river deity in Japanese mythology. He is also king of the river gods.[1]

The lineage of this kami is not mentioned in classical text. However, the Man'yōshū includes poems indicating that Kawa no kami serves the emperor.[2] Kawa no kami is mentioned in the Nihon Shoki and it is said that kappa are a representation of him.[3]

Name

The god typically goes by Kawa no kami but he also goes by Kahaku. His name is considered a generic name for kami of rivers or streams.[2]

Worship

Many sources show that people offered human sacrifice to Kawa no kami. Back in the day when rivers were in flood, people would perform human sacrifice to please Kawa no kami. However, with the introduction of Buddhism this practice ended. Leading to people using dolls made of flower or straw instead as offerings to Kawa no kami. This is still practiced today in some parts of Japan.[4][2]

Further information: Shinto in popular culture

Kawa no kami is a minor character in the 2001 animated movie Spirited Away. There is a scene where Kawa no kami goes to the bath house. The god is full of so much trash giving the appearance of a stink spirit leading the staff to be hesitant to clean him. When Chiriro is tasked to clean Kawa no Kami she discovers something sticking out from the side of Kawa no kami so she decides to pull it out. The other staff then assist Chihiro then they realize he wasn't a stink spirit after all but a river spirit corrupted by pollution. Many have argued the scene in particular represents themes about environmental issues.[5][6]

References
  1. Coulter, Charles Russell; Turner, Patricia (2013-07-04). Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities. Routledge. p. 265. ISBN 978-1-135-96390-3.
  2. "Encyclopedia of Shinto詳細". 國學院大學デジタルミュージアム (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-09-04.
  3. Krenner, Walther G. von; Jeremiah, Ken (2016-05-01). Creatures Real and Imaginary in Chinese and Japanese Art: An Identification Guide. McFarland. p. 113. ISBN 978-1-4766-1958-3.
  4. Ashkenazi, Michael (2003). Handbook of Japanese Mythology. ABC-CLIO. p. 197. ISBN 978-1-57607-467-1.
  5. "What Does "Spirited Away" Say About Environmentalism? | Watch | The Take". What Does “Spirited Away” Say About Environmentalism? | Watch | The Take. 2015-11-19. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  6. "Spirited Away". 28 November 2014.
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