Japan: Its History, Arts, and Literature/Volume 6/Gods and Goddesses
GODS AND GODDESSES
Aizen Myō-o. The God of Love. Represented with a fierce expression, three eyes, and six arms.
Amaterasu. Goddess of the Sun. (See the Index.)
Amida. A Buddhist deity, originally an abstraction, the ideal of boundless light. The great idol at Kamakura, the Daibulsu, represents this god.
Anan. A cousin of the Buddha, of wonderful knowledge and memory. Benten. A Goddess of Luck.
Binzuru. One of the Buddha's sixteen disciples, endowed with miraculous power to cure human ailments. He is much worshipped by the lower classes for this reason.
Bishamon. A God of Luck, and also of War.
Buddha. See Sbaka.
Daikoku. A God of Luck, especially of Wealth. Represented as standing on rice bales. He is the son of Susano-ō.
Dainichi Nyorai. One of the Buddhist Trinity, the personification of wisdom and purity.
Daruma. One of the Buddha's followers, who sat in meditation so long that his legs fell off. His image is a favourite for toys, and as a tobacconist's sign.
Dosojin. The God of Roads.
Ebisu. A God of Luck and of Daily Food. He was the third child of the first pair, Izanagi and Izanami, and is represented as a fisherman.
Emma-Ō. Lord of the Buddhist Hell.
Fudo. Believed to have been originally a Brahminical god. He is a God of Wisdom and is often confounded with Dainichi.
Fukurokuju. A God of Luck. He is sometimes called Geiho and is represented with an enormously high forehead. He typifies longevity and wisdom.
Gongen. A generic name for the Shinto incarnations of the Buddha. It is also applied to the deified heroes, and especially to Iyeyasu.
Gwakkō Bosatsu. Buddhist moon-deity.
Hachiman. The God of War. The Emperor Ōjin is the person worshipped under this name. He was the special patron of the Minamoto clan.
Hotei. A God of Luck. He typifies good nature, and is represented as enormously fat.
Inari. Goddess of Rice, closely associated with the fox and popularly considered the fox-deity.
Izanagi and Izanami. In Shintō mythology the first pair of creative beings. From them the gods of the Shintō pantheon are descended. Amaterasu was their first child.
Jizo. A Buddhist God of Mercy; patron of travellers and those in trouble. He is very popular.
Jurōjin. A God of Luck.
Kisbi Bojin. The protectress of children. She was first a woman, then a child-devouring demon, and finally was converted by Buddha and entered a nunnery.
Kogin. God of the Kitchen.
Kompira. A Buddhist deity of obscure origin, identified with Susano-ō and other Shintō gods. He is very popular, especially with seamen and travellers.
Kōsbin. A deification of the day of the Monkey, represented by three monkeys, one blind, one deaf, one dumb, who cannot see, hear, or speak evil.
Kuni-toko-tachi. One of the self-created non-creating gods.
Kwannon. The Goddess of Mercy. She is represented in various forms, with several heads or many arms, and is one of the principal gods.
Marishiten. In Japanese Buddhism the Goddess of Heaven. She is represented with eight arms, two of which hold her symbols of the sun and moon.
Maya Bunin. The mother of the Buddha.
Minatogawa. The name under which Kusonoki Masashige is worshipped.
Miroku. The Buddhist Messiah.
Nikkō Bosatsu. Buddhist sun deity.
Ninigi. Divine grandson of Amaterasu. She sent him down to earth to govern Izumo, presenting him with the jewel, mirror, and sword which form the regalia of Japan. He was the great-grandfather of Jimmu.
Ni-ō. The two kings who guard the outer gates of temples. They are represented by gigantic figures of great hideousness.
Ōkuni-nusbi. Son of Susano-ō. He ruled in Izumo, but retired in favour of Ninigi.
Saruta-hiko. A terrestrial deity who greeted Ninigi.
Sengen. The Goddess of Fuji-yama.
Shaka Muni. Gautama, the founder of Buddhism; usually called the Buddha.
Shi-Tennō. The Four Heavenly Kings who protect the earth from demons, each guarding a quarter of the horizon. Their images are placed at the inner gate of the temple, as are those of the Ni-ō at the outer one.
Sukuna-Biktna. One of the original deities, sent from heaven to assist Ōkuni-nushi in pacifying his realm.
Susano-ō. The Impetuous Male Augustness, and one of the most prominent of the Shintō gods. He was a son of the first pair and a brother of Amaterasu. He was given command of the sea, but neglected it and was banished. Later he terrified his sister and caused her to retire to a cavern, leaving creation in darkness (see the Index under Amaterasu). For this he was again expelled. Proceeding to Izumo, he became the father of the first ruler, Ōkuninushi. By another legend, changing the sex, she was the Moon Goddess and was banished by her sister to night service.
Tenjin (Temman). The deific name of Michizane (see the Index). He is worshipped as the God of Calligraphy.
Tosho. The name under which Iyeyasu was deified.
Toyokuni. The name under which Hideyoshi was deified.
Toyo-uke-bime. Shintō Goddess of Earth or Food. According to one legend, Amaterasu sent Susano-ō, the Moon Goddess, down to Japan to see this food-producing goddess. Toyo-uke-bime created various forms of food for a banquet for the Moon Goddess, including rice, fish, and game. Susano-ō, becoming angry, slew the Earth Goddess. From the dead body sprang cattle, millet, beans, silkworms, and other things fit for the comfort of man. It was because of this deed that the Moon Goddess was forbidden to appear during the day.
Uzume. The goddess who danced before the cavern in which Amaterasu had hidden herself. (See the Index under Amaterasu.)
Takusbi Nyorai. One of the many incarnations of Buddha ; called the Healing Buddha. To him prayers are offered for amelioration in the next life.