Kōjin, also known as , is the Japanese ''

kami are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the ...

'' (''god'') of

fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...

, the

hearth A hearth () is the place in a home where a fire is or was traditionally kept for home heating and for cooking, usually constituted by at least a horizontal hearthstone and often enclosed to varying degrees by any combination of reredos (a low, ...

and the

kitchen A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation in a dwelling or in a commercial establishment. A modern middle-class residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water ...

. He is sometimes called Kamado-gami ( 竃神), literally ''the god of the

stove A stove or range is a device that burns fuel or uses electricity to generate heat inside or on top of the apparatus, to be used for general warming or cooking. It has evolved highly over time, with cast-iron and induction versions being develope ...

''. He represents violent forces that are turned toward the betterment of humankind.

Mythology

The name ''Sambō-Kōjin'' means ''three-way rough deity'', and he is considered a deity of uncertain temper.Ashkenazy, Michael. ''Handbook of Japanese Mythology''. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio, 2003. 244 Fire, which he represents, is a destructive force, as shown in the myth of

Kagu-tsuchi Kagutsuchi (カグツチ; Old Japanese: ''Kagututi''), also known as Hi-no-Kagutsuchi or Homusubi among other names, is the kami of fire in classical Japanese mythology. Mythology Kagutsuchi's birth burned his mother Izanami, causing her dea ...

, the original fire deity, whose birth caused his mother's death. However, Kōjin embodies fire controlled and turned toward a good purpose. He is said to destroy all impurity. He is also responsible for watching over the household and reporting any misdeeds to the ''kami'' of the village or city. These reports are discussed, and the according rewards or punishments assigned, by an assembly of gods in

Izumo province was an old province of Japan which today consists of the eastern part of Shimane Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province is in the Chūgoku region. History During the early Kofun period (3rd century) this region was independent a ...

in the tenth month of the traditional

lunar calendar A lunar calendar is a calendar based on the monthly cycles of the Moon's phases ( synodic months, lunations), in contrast to solar calendars, whose annual cycles are based only directly on the solar year. The most commonly used calendar, t ...

.Ashkenazy 186-187 Kōjin is sometimes identified as an incarnation of Fudō Myō-Ō, who is likewise depicted as surrounded by flames and tasked with dealing with misdeeds. As Kamado-gami, he is sometimes depicted as female.

Worship

Traditionally, a representation of Kōjin is placed near the hearth. This representation might be a simple '' fuda'' (''memorial tablet'') in many homes, or it might be as elaborate as a statue, as is common in

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

temples. In his statues, Kōjin is depicted with flaming hair, fangs, and a contorted face, and he often wields a bow and arrows. He has two pairs of hands. Some representations of Kōjin present him as possessing three heads. The '' Kōjiki'' mentions an imperial script detailing instructions for worshipping Kōjin, in the form of Kamado-gami.

Notes

References

*Ashkenazy, Michael. ''Handbook of Japanese Mythology''. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio, 2003. *Philippi, Donald, trans., ed. ''Kōjiki''. Tokyo: Tokyo University Press, 1968.

External links

JAANUS / Koujin 荒神
- Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System {{DEFAULTSORT:Kojin Buddhist gods Japanese gods Fire gods Shinto kami Buddhism in the Edo period Domestic and hearth deities

Mythology

Worship

See also

Notes

References

External links