Kanayagogami

A god worshipped by blacksmiths, foundries, metallurgists, charcoal burners, and others. As there were many tatara (large bellows used in metallurgy) in the Chugoku Mountains, there were many places where this god was enshrined. The center of these shrines is Kanayako Shrine in Nishihida, Hirose-cho, Yasugi City, Shimane Prefecture, where the Abe clan, the priest, is said to be a family that passed on great spiritual power. According to the "Kanayako Shrine Worship Text" (included in the "Tetsuzan Sosho"), Kanayako first descended from Takamagahara to Harima Chigusa, then rode on a white heron to the Hida mountains in Izumo, where he set up bellows in seven places and taught ironmaking. According to the Kanayakogami Engi Sho, Kanayamahime-no-mikoto, who was born to the god of the mountains and the princess of the sea dragon king, was married to Kanayamahiko-no-mikoto, and thus Kanayakogami was born. Kanayakogami is a goddess, and there is a legend that she abhors dogs and red impurity (the impurity of blood), but not black impurity (the impurity of death).

[Tatsuo Hagiwara]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

鍛冶(かじ)職、鋳物(いもの)師、冶金(やきん)業者、炭焼きなどが祀(まつ)る神。中国山地にはたたら（冶金に用いる大型ふいご）が多く存在した関係で、この神を祀った所が多い。その中心は島根県安来(やすぎ)市広瀬町西比田(にしひだ)の金屋子神社で、神官阿部氏は絶大な法力を伝えた家だという。「金屋子神祭文」（『鉄山叢書(てつざんそうしょ)』所収）によると、初め高天原(たかまがはら)から播磨千種(はりまちぐさ)に降臨、のち白鷺(しらさぎ)に乗って出雲(いずも)比田山中に移り、7か所にふいごを立て製鉄を教えたという。また『金屋子神縁起抄』によれば、山の神と海竜王の姫との間に生まれた金山姫命(かなやまひめのみこと)が、金山彦神と結ばれて生まれたのが金屋子神だという。金屋子神は女神で犬や赤不浄（血の穢(けがれ)）は忌むが、黒不浄（死の穢）を忌まないという伝承が伴う。

［萩原龍夫］

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