Himegami


Himegami is a Shinto goddess. The term may refer to a specific goddess or an unknown female goddess. Typically a himegami is a consort of a male god, hikogami.

Origins and Etymology

Himegami means "female kami" or "goddess" in Japanese. They are important in Japanese mythology and Shinto religion. They often appear with male kami or as mothers to offspring kami.

Kasuga-Hiraoka Himegami

The Kasuga-Hiraoka Himegami is a prominent one.
Hiraoka Shrine is located in the western foothills of the Ikoma Mountains in central Osaka Prefecture. In its earliest days, it was a center for mountain worship and the kami of Kozudake, the peak immediately behind the shrine, came to be identified with Ame-no-Koyane, the tutelary deity of the Nakatomi clan, the ancestors of the Fujiwara clan. There is no documentary evidence of when the shrine was first constructed, but it is believed to be sometime during the Kofun period. When the Fujiwara built Kasuga Taisha in Nara, two of the four kami enshrined were bunrei transferred from this shrine, and the Hiraoka Shrine was thus given the name of Moto-Kasuga.
The four main kami enshrined at Kasuga-taisha are Ame no koyane, Himegami, Futsunushi no mikoto, and Takemikazuchi no mikoto. Though these are the primary divine beings of Kasuga taisha, they are often grouped together as a syncretic, combined deity known as Kasuga Daimyōjin. Kasuga Daimyōjin is composed of five divine beings and each consists of a Buddhist deity and Shinto kami counterpart. The fifth deity, Ame-no-Oshikumone, was added much later and is said to be the divine child of Ame no koyane and Himegami. The importance of the multifaceted kami was that it became a template for future worshipers who wanted to combine several deities to pray to at once.
The four main kami each have a shrine devoted to them which are all in the same architectural style. They are characterized by sloping gabled roofs, a rectangular structure, katsuogi, and chigi. The first hall established is dedicated to Takemikazuchi no mikoto, the second to Futsunushi no mikoto, the third to Amenokoyane no mikoto, and the final hall is attributed to the consort, Himegami.

Motifs

Triadic representation

Mount Kishimayama has three peaks. Each peak represents a different kami. One is a male kami. Another is a female kami. The third is an offspring kami.

Consort and maternal roles

Himegami are usually wives to male kami. For example, Wakasahiko Shrine in Fukui worships a male and a female kami. Samukawa Shrine in Kanagawa does the same. At Kamo Mioya Shrine, a himegami is both a wife and a mother.

Independent worship

Some himegami are not linked to male or offspring kami. For example, the himegami at Hirano Shrine might be the mother of Emperor Kanmu. These himegami are often seen as oracles.

Shrines

Many shrines include himegami. But their origins are often not clear. Shrines like Kasuga Taisha, Ōharano Shrine, and Hiraoka Shrine are examples.

Distribution across Japan

The Engishiki Jinmyocho lists himegami shrines in several provinces. They are in Izumi, Echigo, and Buzen. There are more shrines in Settsu, Yamato, and Izu provinces.

List of shrines

Here shrines are presented
  • Kasuga-Hiraoka Himegami
  • * Kasuga-taisha
  • * Hiraoka Shrine
  • Ōharano Shrine
  • Hirano Shrine