Apasam Kamuy is the
Ainu ''
kamuy
A ''kamuy'' ( ain, カムィ; ja, カムイ, kamui) is a spiritual or divine being in Ainu mythology, a term denoting a supernatural entity composed of or possessing spiritual energy.
The Ainu people have many myths about the ''kamuy'', passed ...
'' (''god'') of the threshold. Apasam Kamuy is called upon for protection during changes of state.
Depiction
Apasam Kamuy is conceived as either a male and female couple or a dual entity, similar to the Roman
Janus
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus ( ; la, Ianvs ) is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces. The month of January is named for Janu ...
. The ''kamuy'' oversees transitions, and this dual nature allows Apasam Kamuy to perceive both sides of a transition in order to better guard the supplicant.
[Ashkenazy, Michael. ''Handbook of Japanese Mythology''. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio, 2003. 120-121]
Mythology
Apasam Kamuy is called upon whenever a change of state is occurring. This ''kamuy'' is called upon to protect women during difficult labor, to protect people against angry ''kamuy'' such as the plague god
Pakoro Kamuy, to protect travelers on journeys through foreign lands, and, conversely, to protect the Ainu in their dealings with other cultures.
Notes
References
*Ashkenazy, Michael. ''Handbook of Japanese Mythology''. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio, 2003.
*Etter, Carl. ''Ainu Folklore: Traditions and Culture of the Vanishing Aborigines of Japan''. Chicago: Wilcox and Follett, 1949.
*Munro, Neil Gordon. ''Ainu Creed and Cult''. New York: Columbia University Press, 1995.
Ainu kamuy
Liminal deities
{{Japan-myth-stub