Apasam Kamuy
This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (April 2020) |
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[]
- ^ Ashkenazy, Michael. Handbook of Japanese Mythology. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio, 2003. 120-121
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.
Categories:
- Ainu kamuy
- Liminal deities
- Japan culture stubs
- Asian ethnic group stubs
- Japanese mythology stubs