Kaya-no-hime
Goddess of vegetation, grass and fields
Other namesKanoyanohime-no-Kami (鹿屋野比売神), Kusanooyakaya-no-hime (草祖草野姫), Kusano-hime (草野姫命), and Nozuchi (野槌)
Japanese草祖草野
GenderFemale
Personal information
ParentsIzanami and Izanagi
SiblingsŌyamatsumi

Kaya-no-hime (草祖草野), also called Kanoyanohime-no-Kami (鹿屋野比売神), Kusanooyakaya-no-hime (草祖草野姫), Kusano-hime (草野姫命), or Nozuchi (野槌) (meaning Moorland Elder),[1][2] is the Japanese goddess of vegetation, grass, and fields. She is considered protector of fields.[3][4] She is also considered the ancestor of herbs.[5]

She is the daughter of Izanami and Izanagi. She is married to her husband and brother Ōyamatsumi, and gave birth to eight deities. Some versions of her origin story claim she is also the mother of Konohanasakuya-hime.[6]

Worship

In the past, people often prayed to her before cutting down wood or reeds for building.[7] She was worshipped because the plants that she favored provided the raw materials for furniture and houses.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Kayanohime • A History of Japan - 日本歴史". A History of Japan - 日本歴史. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
  2. ↑ Louis-Frédéric (2005). Japan Encyclopedia. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5.
  3. ↑ Picken, Stuart D. B.; Picken, Stuart (1994). Essentials of Shinto: An Analytical Guide to Principal Teachings. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-26431-3.
  4. ↑ Buttimer, Anne; Wallin, L. (1999-07-31). Nature and Identity in Cross-Cultural Perspective. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-0-7923-5651-6.
  5. ↑ Aveni, Anthony (2021-04-20). Creation Stories: Landscapes and the Human Imagination. Yale University Press. p. 144. ISBN 978-0-300-25124-1.
  6. ↑ Coulter, Charles Russell; Turner, Patricia (2013-07-04). Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-96397-2.
  7. ↑ Hastings, James; Selbie, John Alexander (1921). Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics: Sacrifice-Sudra. T. & T. Clark. ISBN 978-0-567-06509-4.
  8. ↑ Aston, W. G. (2019-09-25). Shinto. BoD – Books on Demand. p. 120. ISBN 978-3-7340-7989-4.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.