Apasam Kamuy

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Apasam Kamuy is the Ainu kamuy (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. 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.^[1]

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 , 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.

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