Mountain God - Yama no Kami

Japanese: 山神 - やまのかみ

〘Noun〙① A god who protects the mountains. Yamagami. ※The Chronicles (720), 40th year of Emperor Keikō ( Kitano Honkun) “When they reached Mt. Ifuki , the mountain god transformed into a giant snake and met the road. ” ② An abbreviation of “Yama no Kami Matsuri (Mountain God Festival).” ※Umezu Masakage Diary - April 10th, 1612 (Keicho 17) “The mountain god gathered the inhabitants of the mountains at the remains of the Kafuki and came to view it.”③ A mountain spirit. Yamako. A demon . ※Ryōkō-in Myōhō Renge-kyō, late Heian period (around 1050), vol. 2: "In every place there are demons, devils , demons, demons, and demons who eat human flesh." ④ Wife. In particular, this refers to one's wife who has become nagging as the years pass after marriage. ※Toraakira's Kyogen, Hanako ( late Muromachi period - early modern period), "We have also been trying to get people to leave, but the goddess of the mountains of Rei has not left us for even a moment." ⑤ (Because she was a nagging and frightening presence to prostitutes) Yarite . ※Kibōshi, Imayo Yoshiwara Tanka (1776), vol. 1: "Kuruwa no Uchi no Kami" ⑥ A goddess who appears in Kagura dance. ※Kibyoshi Ukiyosou Kumen Jumen (1792) "In this world, the mountain gods of the Twelve Kagura dances make noise with spoons in hand" ⑦ A freshwater fish of the order Scorpaeniformes and family Cotidae. In Japan, it only lives near the Chikugo River, but is often seen downstream of rivers in China and the Korean peninsula. In particular, in Matsue, downstream of the Yangtze River, it has long been known as the Matsue bass. It lives in the upper and middle reaches of rivers and descends to the river mouth in winter to spawn. ⑧ Also known as fish, straw hat and loach . [Etymology] ① is a guardian deity that promises farmers a rich harvest, and was the representative of the indigenous deities (earth gods) closest to the people. For that reason, it was seen as a heretic by the lineage of gods (heavenly gods) centered around the emperor, and was sometimes treated as a monster like ③.

Yama-gami [Mountain God]

〘Noun〙 A god who protects the mountains. A god who rules over the mountains. A mountain god. ※Bonshubon Shasekishu (1283) Five volumes: "There was also a centipede, a mountain god, a snake, and a familiar voice, who lived in the mountains."

San-jin [Mountain God]

〘Noun〙 A god who resides in a mountain and rules over that mountain. Mountain god. ※Keikokushu (827) 10. One poem about entering the mountains (Kukai) "Even in the hardships of the time, the mountain god and the trees are tempted _{to become phlegm} " (Li Duan - Banzi Ling Poem)

Source: The Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary About the Selected Edition of the Japanese Language Dictionary Information

Japanese:

〘名〙① 山を守りつかさどる神。やまがみ。※書紀（720）景行四〇年是歳（北野本訓）「五十山(いふきやま)に至(いた)るに、山神(やまノカミ)大蛇(をろち)に化(な)りて道(みち)に当(あた)れり」② 「やまのかみまつり（山神祭）」の略。※梅津政景日記‐慶長一七年（1612）四月一〇日「山の神にて、かふきの跡に山中のすまふを集、見物致候」③ 山の精。やまこ。魑魅(ちみ)。※龍光院本妙法蓮華経平安後期点（1050頃）二「処処に皆、魑(ヤマノカミ)・魅(さはのかみ)・魍魎(みつは)夜叉・悪鬼有りて、人の肉を食噉す」④ 妻。特に、結婚後年を経て口やかましくなった自分の妻のことをいう。※虎明本狂言・花子（室町末‐近世初）「われらも人をばさいさいやり候へども、れいの山のかみが、すこしの間もはなさぬに依て」⑤ (遊女にとって口やかましく恐い存在であるところから) 遣手(やりて)。※黄表紙・今様吉原たんか（1776）上「くるわの内の山のかみ」⑥ 神楽舞に登場する女神。※黄表紙・浮世操九面十面（1792）「今の世に十二神楽の山(ヤマ)の神(カミ)は杓子を持って騒ぐ」⑦ カサゴ目カジカ科の淡水魚。日本には筑後川の付近にしか生息しないが、中国や朝鮮半島の川の下流に多く見られる。特に揚子江下流の松江では、昔から松江鱸魚として有名。河川の上・中流域に生息し、冬に産卵のため河口域に下る。⑧ 魚、蓑笠子(みのかさご)・鰍(かじか)などの異称。[語誌]①は農民に豊かな実りを約束する守り神であり、民衆にとって最も近しい土着神（地祇）の代表であった。それだけに、天皇を中心とする神々（天神）の系統からは異端視され、③のように妖怪扱いを受けることもあった。