Kannazuki

Another name for the tenth month of the lunar calendar. It is a phonetic variant of "kaminazuki" and can also be read as "kamunazuki" or "kaminashizuki." It is in Mengdong (Mendou) and is also called the "month of drizzle" or the "month of gods leaving." There are several theories about the origin of the name, including that it was called "Kaminashi" (thunderless month) because the thunder ceases to echo in this month, as opposed to June, which is called "Minazuki" (thunderclap month), that it is called "Kaminashi" (upper no kami month) because there are no numbers above 10, that it is called "Kaminashi" (godless month) because it is the month when Izanami-no-Mikoto passed away, and that it is called "Kaminashi" (brewing month) because it is the month when sake is brewed from newly harvested rice. The most famous of these is the theory that in October, gods from all over Japan gather at Izumo Taisha Shrine, and there are no gods in the countries other than Izumo, so this month is called "Kannazuki" (conversely, in Izumo it is called "Kamiarizuki").

[Toshihiko Uda]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

陰暦10月の異称。「かみなづき」の音便で、「かむなづき」「かみなしづき」とも読む。季節は孟冬(もうとう)で、時雨(しぐれ)月、神去り月などともいう。名称の由来については、雷の声が収り果つるゆえに「雷無(かみなし)月」といい、6月を「雷鳴(みな)月」というのに対するとか、10の数より上の数はないので「上無(かみなし)月」というとか、伊弉冉尊(いざなみのみこと)が崩じた月というので「神無(かみなし)月」というとか、新しくとれた米穀で酒を醸造する月というので「醸成(かみなし)月」というなどの諸説がある。なかでもっとも有名なのは、10月には日本国中の神々が出雲(いずも)大社に集まり、出雲以外の国々には神が不在となるため、「神無月」（逆に出雲では「神在(かみあり)月」という）という説である。

［宇田敏彦］

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