Yushkep Kamuy is the kamuy (goddess) of the spiders in Ainu mythology. She is also known as Ashketanne Mat (Long-fingered Woman). She is the familiar of female shamans and is called upon to aid in childbirth.
A kamuy is a spiritual or divine being in Ainu mythology, a term denoting a supernatural entity composed of or possessing spiritual energy.
The Ainu or the Aynu, in the historical Japanese texts the Ezo (蝦夷), are an indigenous people of Japan and Russia.
Yushkep Kamuy is a benevolent and wise figure in Ainu mythology. Although Ainu women were, traditionally, generally subordinate to men, they held power in some domains, most notably in marriage, where they controlled the choice of partners. [1] One of Yushkep Kamuy's most prominent myths reinforces this autonomy.
According to the legend, Yushkep Kamuy was pursued by Poronitne Kamuy, a demonic being who lived beyond the horizon. A friendly deity warned Yushkep Kamuy of her unwelcome suitor, and she prepared a trap for him, setting her servants to ambush him. She then transformed herself into a reed. When Poronitne Kamuy appeared, he found her home apparently empty and began to search for her. While he searched among the coals of the hearth, her servant Chestnut Boy, who had hidden there, jumped up and struck his eye. When he fell backwards in surprise, he was jabbed by another servant, Needle Boy. Subsequently, his other eye was stung by Hornet Boy, his hand bitten by Viper Boy, and, as he was trying to escape, Mortar Boy and Pestle Boy fell onto his head. The badly injured demon fled, never to be heard from again. [1]
Yushkep Kamuy is said to assist Nusakoro Kamuy in his duties. She is also called upon by women during childbirth, because her long fingers allow her to safely extract the baby.
Kagu-tsuchi or Kagutsuchi (カグツチ), referred to as Hinokagatsuchi (火之迦具土) in the Kojiki, and Kagutsuchi (軻遇突智) or Homusubi (火産霊) in the Nihon-Shoki, is the kami of fire in Japanese mythology.
Chūjō-hime (753?–781?) was by most accounts a daughter of the court noble Fujiwara no Toyonari who escaped persecution at the hands of her stepmother by becoming a nun at the Taima-dera in Nara. There she took on the name Zenshin-ni or the Dharma name Honyo (法如). She has become a folk heroine, the subject of numerous Japanese folktales which celebrate her filial piety. She is sometimes called the Japanese Cinderella.
Ae-oyna-kamuy is an Ainu kamuy (god) and culture hero. In Ainu mythology, he is credited with teaching humans domestic skills, and for this reason he is called Aynurakkur.
Apasam Kamuy is the Ainu kamuy (god) of the threshold. Apasam Kamuy is called upon for protection during changes of state.
Cikap-kamuy is the Ainu kamuy (god) of owls and the land. He is responsible for overseeing the behavior of humans and kamuy. He is considered a deity of material success.
Hasinaw-uk-kamuy is the Ainu kamuy (goddess) of the hunt. She is sometimes called Isosange Mat and Kamuy Paseguru.
Kamuy-huci is the Ainu kamuy (goddess) of the hearth. Her full name is Apemerukoyan-mat Unamerukoyan-mat, and she is also known as Iresu Kamuy. She is among the most important kamuy of Ainu mythology, serving as keeper of the gateway between the world of humans and the world of kamuy.
Kandakoro Kamuy is the Ainu kamuy (god) of the sky. He is the prime originator of Ainu mythology, responsible either directly or indirectly for the creation of all things.
Kenas-unarpe (ケナㇱウナㇻペ) is an Ainu kamuy (god). She is a blood-drinking monster who preys upon hunters. However, she is sometimes called upon to assist in childbearing.
Kim-un-kamuy is the Ainu kamuy (god) of bears and mountains.
Kina-sut-kamuy (キナスッカムイ) is the Ainu kamuy (god) of snakes. He is a benevolent figure who is called upon for protection against various calamities.
Moshirkara Kamuy is an Ainu kamuy (god). At the command of Kandakoro Kamuy, he is said to have created the earth, shaping it and preparing it for humans to inhabit. Like Kandakoro Kamuy, he plays little part in Ainu mythology after the creation of the world is complete.
Nusa-kor-kamuy (ヌサ・コﾙ・カムイ) is an Ainu kamuy (god). Called the community-founding kamuy, he represents the dead and serves as a messenger to the other kamuy.
Pauchi Kamuy is the Ainu kamuy (god) of insanity.
Repun Kamuy is the Ainu kamuy (god) of the sea.
Shiramba Kamuy is the Ainu kamuy (god) of wood, grains, and other forms of vegetation. He is therefore also the kamuy of many household tools, which contain wood. He is sometimes portrayed as the brother of Hash-inau-uk Kamuy, the goddess of the hunt.
Waka-ush Kamuy is the Ainu kamuy (goddess) of fresh water. She is also known as Petorush Mat.
Ling Lun is the legendary founder of music in ancient China. In Chinese mythology, as described in the Lüshi Chunqiu, he was said to have created bamboo flutes which made the sounds of many birds, including the mythical phoenix. "In this way, he invented the five notes of the ancient Chinese five-tone scale and the eight sounds made by eight musical instruments. The "Yellow Emperor" (Huangdi) is said to have ordered the casting of bells in tune with those flutes.
Kōjin, also known as Sambō-Kōjin or Sanbō-Kōjin (三宝荒神), is the Japanese kami (god) of fire, the hearth, and the kitchen. He is sometimes called Kamado-gami, literally the god of the stove. He represents violent forces that are turned toward the betterment of humankind.