Kamo clan

An ancient clan. Also called Kamo or Kamo, clans with the same surname are found all over the country, but two clans based in Kadono, Yamashiro Province (Kyoto Prefecture) and Katsuragi, Yamato Province (Nara Prefecture) are famous. According to ancient traditions such as the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, the former was the Kadono no Moriagatanushi, descended from the Yatagarasu, which appears in the legend of Emperor Jimmu's eastward migration, and was originally tasked with providing firewood, charcoal, and water to the imperial court. Under the Ritsuryo system, they belonged to the Moitorin no Tsukasa, the head of the Shuden-ryo, and the chief water official. Also, a fragment of the Yamashiro no Kuni Fudoki suggests a deep connection with Kamo Shrine (Kyoto City). The latter clan is said to have been descended from Ootataneko, a descendant of Okuninushi no Mikoto, and is considered to be of the same clan as the Miwa clan. According to a lost passage in the Shinsen Shojiroku, they worshipped Kamo Shrine (Gose City, Nara Prefecture) and called themselves Kamo. Their surname was Kimi, and they became Ason in 684 (the 13th year of Emperor Tenmu's reign). The relationship between the Kamo clans of Kazuno and Katsuragi is unclear.

[Kazuhiko Seki]

"Research on the Ancient Japanese Nation" by Mitsusada Inoue (1965, Iwanami Shoten)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

古代の氏族。鴨、加茂とも称し、同姓の氏族が各地に分布するが、山城(やましろ)国（京都府）葛野(かどの)、大和(やまと)国（奈良県）葛城(かずらき)を本拠とする2氏が有名である。記紀などの古伝承によれば、前者は神武(じんむ)東遷伝説にみえる八咫烏(やたがらす)を祖とする葛野主殿県主(とのもりあがたぬし)であり、本来は薪炭・水を朝廷に供することを任務とした。律令(りつりょう)体制下では主殿寮主水司(もいとりのつかさ)に属した。また『山城国風土記(ふどき)』逸文により賀茂神社（京都市）との深い関係が考えられる。後者は大国主命(おおくにぬしのみこと)の子孫大田田根子(おおたたねこ)の後裔(こうえい)大賀茂都美(つみ)を祖とし、三輪(みわ)氏と同族とされている。『新撰姓氏録(しんせんしょうじろく)』逸文によれば、賀茂神社（奈良県御所(ごせ)市）を奉斎し、賀茂と称したとある。姓(かばね)は君(きみ)で684年（天武天皇13）に朝臣(あそん)となる。葛野・葛城の両賀茂氏の関係についてはさだかではない。

［関　和彦］

『井上光貞著『日本古代国家の研究』（1965・岩波書店）』

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