Ukanomitama
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Ukanomitama (宇迦之御魂神 – Mighty Soul of Sustenance - ''
Kojiki The , also sometimes read as or , is an early Japanese chronicle of myths, legends, hymns, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts down to 641 concerning the origin of the Japanese archipelago, the , and the Japanese imperia ...
'') (倉稲魂命 - ''
Nihongi The or , sometimes translated as ''The Chronicles of Japan'', is the second-oldest book of classical Japanese history. It is more elaborate and detailed than the , the oldest, and has proven to be an important tool for historians and archaeol ...
'') is a ''
kami are the Deity, deities, Divinity, divinities, Spirit (supernatural entity), spirits, mythological, spiritual, or natural phenomena that are venerated in the traditional Shinto religion of Japan. ''Kami'' can be elements of the landscape, forc ...
'' in classical
Japanese mythology Japanese mythology is a collection of traditional stories, folktales, and beliefs that emerged in the islands of the Japanese archipelago. Shinto traditions are the cornerstones of Japanese mythology. The history of thousands of years of contac ...
, associated with food and agriculture, often identified with Inari, the deity of rice.


Name and mythology

The ''Kojiki'' identifies Ukanomitama (宇迦之御魂神 ''Ukanomitama-no-Kami'') as the child of
Susanoo __FORCETOC__ Susanoo (, ; historical orthography: , ), often referred to by the honorific title Susanoo-no-Mikoto (), is a in Japanese mythology. The younger brother of Amaterasu, goddess of the sun and mythical ancestress of the Japanese im ...
by his second wife Kamu-Ōichihime (神大市比売), who was a daughter of
Ōyamatsumi __FORCETOC__ Ōyama-tsumi or Ohoyama-tsumi (Kojiki: or Nihon Shoki: , , ), also Ōyama-tsumi-mi'oya-no-mikoto (), is a god of mountains, sea, and war in Japanese mythology. He is an elder brother of Amaterasu and Susanoo. His other names are Wat ...
(大山津見神), the god of mountains. This text portrays Ukanomitama as the younger sibling of the harvest deity Ōtoshi-no-Kami.Chamberlain (1882)
Section XX.—The August Ancestors of the Deity-Master-Of-The-Great Land.
A variant account recorded in the ''Nihon Shoki'' meanwhile portrays Ukanomitama (here referred to as 倉稲魂命 ''Ukanomitama-no-Mikoto'') as an offspring of
Izanagi Izanagi (イザナギ/伊邪那岐/伊弉諾) or Izanaki (イザナキ), formally referred to with a divine honorific as , is the creator deity (''kami'') of both creation and life in Japanese mythology. He and his sister-wife Izanami are the ...
and
Izanami , formally referred to with the honorific , is the creator deity of both creation and death in Japanese mythology, as well as the Shinto mother goddess. She and her brother-husband Izanagi are the last of the seven generations of primordial ...
who was born when the two became hungry. The deity's name is understood as being derived from ''uka no mitama'', "august spirit (''mitama'') of food (''uka'')". While the above texts are silent regarding the deity's gender, Ukanomitama has long been interpreted to be female, perhaps due to association with other agricultural deities such as Toyouke or
Ukemochi , commonly known as , the daughter of the Shinto deities Izanagi and Izanami, is a goddess of food in the Shinto religion of Japan. In some differing interpretations, Ukemochi is referred to as both male and female. When shown in other forms, Ukemo ...
.


Family tree


References


Bibliography

* * *Philippi, Donald L. (2015). ''Kojiki''. Princeton University Press. .


See also

*
Toyouke-Ōmikami Toyouke-hime is the goddess of agriculture, industry, food, clothing, and houses in the Shinto religion. Originally enshrined in the Tanba region of Japan, she was called to reside at Gekū, Ise Shrine, about 1,500 years ago at the age of Emper ...
*
Ukemochi , commonly known as , the daughter of the Shinto deities Izanagi and Izanami, is a goddess of food in the Shinto religion of Japan. In some differing interpretations, Ukemochi is referred to as both male and female. When shown in other forms, Ukemo ...
Shinto kami Food deities Agricultural gods Agricultural deities Inari faith Kunitsukami {{Japan-myth-stub