Net Spirit - Amidama

Japanese: 網霊 - あみだま

…In addition, places where Odama-sama is worshiped are widely seen in the Seto Inland Sea area. Odama means the spirit of the net, and is attached to the float attached to the top edge of the net as a deity, and if it is lost, there will be no fishing. Needless to say, Ebisu is the basis of the faith of fishermen. …

From 【God of Occupation】

...This god is also called Kanaya-no-kami, Kanaya-no-kami, Kana-chu-no-kami, Kanai-no-kami, etc., and is most prevalent in the ka-chi region of the Chugoku Mountains, where he is the guardian deity of all those involved in iron-related work, from makers of iron and ka-chi, to large and small blacksmiths, casters, tinsmiths, and charcoal kilns. Fishermen who make their living on the sea believe that a divine spirit resides in each fishing tool, and that there is a ship spirit in the boat and a net spirit in the net, but the ship spirit is the most deeply worshipped as the guardian deity of ships. The divine object of the ship spirit is generally said to be a pair of male and female dolls, 12 mon, a woman's hair, and two dice for the game of sugoroku. ...

*Some of the terminology explanations that refer to "net spirits" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…また，オーダマサマをまつるところが瀬戸内海海域に広くみられる。オーダマは網霊の意味で，網のアバ(網の上縁部につける浮子)に取り付けたものを神体とし，これを失うと漁がないという。いうまでもなく，えびすは漁民信仰の基底をなす。…

【職業神】より

…金屋神，金谷神，金鋳神，金井神などと呼ぶのもこの神であり，中国山地の鑪地帯においてもっとも濃厚で，鉄穴（かんな）から鑪，大鍛冶･小鍛冶，鋳物師，鋳掛屋，炭釜にいたるまで，鉄に関する職にたずさわるものはすべてこの神を守護神とした。　海を生業の場とする漁民は，漁の道具一つ一つに神霊が宿ると考え，船には船霊（ふなだま），網には網霊があると信じたが，ことに船霊は船の守護神として，もっとも深く信仰される。一般に船霊の神体は，男女一対の人形，銭12文，女の毛髪，双六の賽2個とされる。…

※「網霊」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について | 情報

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