Shinto Gods

[Dark Gami]

I was reading this book about Japanese mythology and it said there that there are over 3 million Shinto deities. Now, logic goes that if the number of gods is such a big one, there should be some lists of them, right? No person can memorize so many god names and if such lists wouldn't exist then they would be forgotten. Does anyone know where I can find such a list? I've searched the web, but all I found were lists with a few dozen deities.

 

[yukio_michael]

Now, logic goes that if the number of gods is such a big one, there should be some lists of them, right?

I don't think that you're familiar with the concept of the word logic...

Just read a book on the most prevalent characters in Shinto mythology, what does having a huge list of names serve you, absolutely nothing.

 

[Buntaro]

Dark,

You need to contact a Shinto priest. He may be able to help you.

I once had a discussion with a Shinto priest, and it was fascinating.

No, just because a list exists, does not mean it would be on the Internet. (Your logic is invalid. I used to teach Logic....)

 

[taehyun]

The word is about 8 milion gods, but it is only a word, which generaly means that the Japanese have many gods. There aren't lists, because the actual number is neither 8milion nor 3 milion.Nobody know exactly how many gods exist in Japan, everyone serves either the main gods or the local small deities.

 

[GodEmperorLeto]

Most Shinto deities are local spirits and patrons. Each little area has its own pantheon of minor deities, rituals, and rites, with a handful of major, national deities that everyone shares. The development of the religion is very closely tied with the history of Japan and its evolution as a culture during the Yamato Period and subsequent unification eras.

 

[Anohito]

Most Shinto deities are local spirits and patrons. Each little area has its own pantheon of minor deities, rituals, and rites, with a handful of major, national deities that everyone shares. The development of the religion is very closely tied with the history of Japan and its evolution as a culture during the Yamato Period and subsequent unification eras.

This is a very important point. The Japanese word "kami" is not quite synonymous with the English word "god". When someone says their are X million kami in Shinto, it's not quite the same as saying there are X million gods in Shinto.

On a related note, it annoys me very much when Americans translate the word "kami" as "God", even though there has been NO indication that the speaker is Christian, since the default meaning of "God" in American society is the Christian deity. There are not many Christians in Japan.

 

[yukio_michael]

On a related note, it annoys me very much when Americans translate the word "kami" as "God", even though there has been NO indication that the speaker is Christian, since the default meaning of "God" in American society is the Christian deity. There are not many Christians in Japan.

Translations like this are tricky, because there are no Western equivalents... I used to consider translations like this as sloppy, or rough, but it's really to do with chosing what best implies meaning without obscuring the original content.

 

[Mycernius]

I always took the word Kami not only to mean God or Gods, but also to refer to spirits or the divine, after all isn't the use of it in the word Kamikaze mean Divine, as in "Divine wind". The Shinto religion is based on an animistic belief, so everything that is alive would have some spirit guardian attached to it and hence a divine being or centre. So the word Kami wouldn't really have an equivalent meaning a monothesitic society because they attach the word God to one being rather than take such things as angels and demons.

Most Shinto deities are local spirits and patrons. Each little area has its own pantheon of minor deities, rituals, and rites, with a handful of major, national deities that everyone shares. The development of the religion is very closely tied with the history of Japan and its evolution as a culture during the Yamato Period and subsequent unification eras.

Something you will find within Greek, Roman, Egyptian mythological beliefs. Local Gods being associated within a larger pantheon. Hinduism is also said to millions of Gods, probably for the same reason as GodEmperorLeto pointed out.

 

[GodEmperorLeto]

Something you will find within Greek, Roman, Egyptian mythological beliefs. Local Gods being associated within a larger pantheon. Hinduism is also said to millions of Gods, probably for the same reason as GodEmperorLeto pointed out.

It's funny you should bring this up because....

Translations like this are tricky, because there are no Western equivalents... I used to consider translations like this as sloppy, or rough, but it's really to do with chosing what best implies meaning without obscuring the original content.

The Greek "ﾆ津と陳ｿﾆ津?津竿津哉津? might be a rough equivalent, and is the origin of the word "demon". But they are definitely on a level that is separate from the ﾆ津?津θ津哉津 (gods), whereas 窶堋ｩ窶堙 (kami) are all spiritual beings. The Romans had multiple layers of spirits, but that was just it--they were multiple layers, and a "devs" and a "spiritvs", or the "divi" and the "lares" were all separated by strength, influence, and function.

So far as I know, these distinctions do not exist in Japanese. 窶堋ｩ窶堙 are 窶堋ｩ窶堙? regardless of power or importance.

 

[Buntaro]

Hi everybody!

We already have a spelling convention, to distinguish pantheistis gods from the monotheistic God. God, with a capital G, refers to the monotheistic God. A lower-case g, as in god (usually in the plural form, gods) refers to pantheistis gods.

 

[Mars Man]

Ah shucks...Buntaro san, you beat me to it! I was just gonna say the same. I do like the post, GodEmperorLeto, that you made pointing out the differences there and the fact that the Greek 'diamon' could be a rough equivalent...it is even used that way by a few of the early chruch fathers.

Hey, Buntaro--this is a little off subject but how's 'bout another go at it. I'll e-mail you. MM

 

[taehyun]

Some scholars usualy use the word "deity" when refering to things like kami,it comes from Latin and has been used when still people believed in Jupiter and Juno.

 

[Dark Gami]

But if there is no complete list with all the kami, don't they loose track of them?

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

Perhaps keeping track of all of them is not important in Shinto.

 

[epigene]

Although this has already been explained by the other posters, let me put it this way:

The gods in Shinto are referred to collectively as "yaoyorozu no kami." "Yaoyorozu" is written 8 million but it does not represent an exact number. It is a term that symbolizes "infinite number." That is the reason why "yaoyorozu no kami" should not be translated into "8 million gods" but more correctly "myriad deities."

It represents the Shintoist world vision that deity or spirit lives in every creature and object in this world. That is why the Japanese do not care much about knowing the names of deities (probably except for the famous ones featured in legends, ancient literature and those brought into Japan through Buddhism). In the traditional Japanese perspective, gods do not exist apart from man to be glorified and prayed to but are found everywhere in nature and also close to everyday human living.

Hope it helps!

 

[Rahmie]

There is a list at wikipedia look under Japanese mythology. You will find more links there. Good Luck!

 

[Dark Gami]

Arigato. That clarified it for me.