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(→‎Gods in Touhou: Added information about honji suijaku, as well as a clarification regarding Matara-jin)
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| nameJp          ={{ruby-ja|神|かみ}}
| nameJp          ={{ruby-ja|神|かみ}}
| nameEn          =God
| nameEn          =God
| nameIPA          =
| nameAlt          =
| image            =
| caption          =
| title            =
| location        =Anywhere in [[Gensokyo]], [[Underworld]], [[Makai]]
| NotableMembers  =
| NotableMembers  =
*[[Dragon (God)|Dragon]]
*[[Dragon (God)|Dragon]]
*[[The Hakurei God|The Hakurei Shrine's unknown god]]
*[[The Hakurei God|The Hakurei Shrine's unknown god]]
*[[Shinki]]
*[[Shinki]]
*[[Kanako Yasaka]]
*[[Eirin Yagokoro]] (unconfirmed)
*[[Suwako Moriya]]
*[[Iwanagahime]]
*[[Sanae Kochiya]] (Arahitogami)
*[[Minoriko Aki]]
*[[Minoriko Aki]]
*[[Shizuha Aki]]
*[[Shizuha Aki]]
*[[Hina Kagiyama]]
*[[Hina Kagiyama]]
*[[Eirin Yagokoro]]
*[[Sanae Kochiya]] (Arahitogami)
*[[Kanako Yasaka]]
*[[Suwako Moriya]]
*[[Shirou Sendai]]
*[[Sagume Kishin]]
*[[Junko]]
*[[Hecatia Lapislazuli]]
*[[Hecatia Lapislazuli]]
*[[Sagume Kishin]]
*[[Joon Yorigami]]
*[[Shion Yorigami]]
*[[Okina Matara]]
*[[Eika Ebisu]]
*[[Kutaka Niwatari]]
*[[Keiki Haniyasushin]]
| appOfficialgames =
| appOfficialgames =
*''[[Mystic Square]]''  
*''[[Mystic Square]]''  
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*''[[Subterranean Animism]]''
*''[[Subterranean Animism]]''
*''[[Hopeless Masquerade]]''  
*''[[Hopeless Masquerade]]''  
*''[[Impossibe Spell Card]]''  
*''[[Impossible Spell Card]]''  
*''[[Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom‎]]''  
*''[[Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom‎]]''
*''[[Antinomy of Common Flowers]]''
*''[[Hidden Star in Four Seasons]]''
*''[[Wily Beast and Weakest Creature]]''
| appPrintworks    =
| appPrintworks    =
*''[[Silent Sinner in Blue]]''
*''[[Silent Sinner in Blue]]''
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}}
}}


[[File:SSiBAmaterasu.png|thumb|Eine bedeutende [[Yaoyorozu no Kami|Shintogöttin]], [[wikipedia:Amaterasu|Amaterasu Oomikami]], tritt in ''[[Silent Sinner in Blue]]'' Kapitel 16 auf.]]
[[File:SSiBAmaterasu.png|thumb|One of the major [[Yaoyorozu no Kami|gods of Shinto]], [[wikipedia:Amaterasu|Amaterasu Oomikami]], appears in ''[[Silent Sinner in Blue]]'' Chapter 16.]]
Der Begriff ''Gott'' kann sich auf übermenschliche Wesen, aber auch Naturgewalten beziehen. In der japanischen Religion [[Shinto]] werden Götter generell als {{nihongo||神|[[wikipedia:kami|kami]]}} bezeichnet, wobei dieser Begriff umfassender als in [[wikipedia:Monotheism|monotheistischen Religionen]] (Christentum, Judentum, Islam etc.) und auch einigen [[wikipedia:Polytheism|polytheistischen]] ist. Shinto ist im Grunde [[wikipedia:Animism|Animismus]], sodass jede Kreatur, ob lebendig oder tod, aber auch Gegenstände und Ereignisse als Götter oder Teile von ihnen angesehen werden
The term '''god''' refers to concepts such as [[spirit]]s, natural forces and superhuman beings. In Japan's native [[Shinto]] religion, "god" is usually considered equivalent to the term {{nihongo||神|[[wikipedia:kami|kami]]}}. It should be noted, however, that kami include a broader spectrum of beings than those found in [[wikipedia:Monotheism|monotheistic religions]] (e.g. [[Christianity]], Judaism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, etc) or even some [[wikipedia:Polytheism|polytheistic]] ones. Shinto is at its roots an [[wikipedia:Animism|animist]] religion, meaning that any being (alive or dead), object or even phenomenon can be considered a god. Also, it should be noted that the 'G' in "god" should not be capitalized when referring to Shinto gods or any other gods from polytheistic religions.
 
Wie in den meisten polytheistischen Religionen leben die Shintogötter unter Menschen und können ihre Leben direkt beeinflussen. Ihre Persönlichkeiten unterscheiden sich nicht wesentlich von denen normaler Menschen, allerdings umfasst sie auch die Konzepte von {{nihongo|''Ara'' und ''Nigi''|[[wikipedia:ja:荒魂・和魂|荒・和]]}}: werden sie verehrt sind sie in der Lage, Menschen zu beschützen und {{nihongo|Wunder|ご利益|gorieki}} zu wirken, werden sie allerdings erzürnt können sie Katastrophen und {{nihongo|Flüche|[[wikipedia:ja:祟り|祟]]|tatari} manifestieren. Diese Aspekte sind in einigen Fällen so unterschiedlich was Erscheinung und Verhalten betrifft, dass sie getrennt voneinander bezeichnet und angebetet werden. In einem {{nihongo|Schrein|神社|jinja}} können sich Götter niederlassen um mit Menschen zu interagieren, diese Schreine können von Schachteln oder Regalen bis hin zu ganzen Gebäuden und Gebieten reichen.


==Arten von Göttern==
Like many polytheistic religions (e.g. those of ancient Greece and Rome), Shinto gods live among humans and have direct impact on their daily lives. While their personalities are mostly similar to humans, they possess two aspects known as {{nihongo|''Ara'' and ''Nigi''|[[wikipedia:ja:荒魂・和魂|荒・和]]}}: when they are worshiped they will protect people and grant them {{nihongo|blessings|ご利益|gorieki}}, but when angry they will create disasters and {{nihongo|curses|[[wikipedia:ja:祟り|]]|tatari}}. In some cases the Ara and Nigi aspects of a god are so different in appearance and behaviour that they are named or worshipped separately. A {{nihongo|shrine|神社|jinja}} is a place for gods to occupy in order to interact with humans, which can vary in size from a small box or shelf (found in many homes) to an entire building and grounds.
===Yaksha===
{{nihongo|'''Yaksha'''|夜叉|yasha}} sind eine antike Gruppe empfindsamer Geister die als Schutzgötter bekannt sind
Es gibt zwei Arten von Yaksha, freundliche Vertreter nehmen die Form wunderbarer Erdgeister an, während finstere Yaksha die ähnlich wie [[ghost|Geister]] die Wildnis heimsuchen und unachtsame Kreaturen verzehren.
Im [[wikipedia:Buddhismus|Buddhismus]] unterstehen die guten Yaksha Vaisravana (auch [[Bishamonten]]), einem Gott der für Rechtschaffenheit steht.


===Drachen===
==Types of Gods==
===Dragon===
:''Main article: [[Dragon (Species)|Dragon]]''
:''Main article: [[Dragon (Species)|Dragon]]''
{{nihongo|'''Drachen'''|竜|ryuu}} sind reptilische Kreaturen, die in manchen Kulturen als Götter, in anderen als Monster angesehen werden.
{{nihongo|'''Dragons'''|竜|ryuu}} are reptilian creatures viewed as gods in some cultures, and monsters in others.


===Yaoyorozu no Kami===
===Yaoyorozu no Kami===
:''Main article: [[Yaoyorozu no Kami]]''
:''Main article: [[Yaoyorozu no Kami]]''
{{nihongo|'''Yaoyorozu no Kami'''|八百万の神||Lit. "Acht millionen Götter"}} ist der Begriff mit dem im Shinto Götter im Allgemeinen bezeichnet werden, er umfasst aber auch den Glauben als solches.
{{nihongo|'''Yaoyorozu no Kami'''|八百万の神||Lit. "Eight Million Gods"}} is the term in Shinto that is used to refer to gods in general. It also refers to the idea of "believing in Shinto faith".
Sinngemäß übersetzt wird die alte Bedeutung von {{nihongo|acht|八|hachi, ya}} als "Myriade" verwendet, was ausdrückt, dass die menge an Göttern schlicht unzählbar ist.
 
While conventionally translated as "Eight Million Gods", it uses the older Japanese meaning of {{nihongo|"eight"|八|hachi, ya}} as "myriad"; i.e. the number of gods is actually uncountably large.


===Arahitogami===
===Arahitogami===
:''Main article: [[Arahitogami]]''
:''Main article: [[Arahitogami]]''
{{nihongo|'''Arahitogami''' |現人神||"living god"}} sind [[human|Menschen]] die zu Lebzeiten Götter werden, sie sind beides gleichzeitig.
{{nihongo|'''Arahitogami''' |現人神||"living god"}} are humans who become gods while still alive, thus being both at once.
Anders als normale Götter verschwinden Arahitogami nicht wenn sie nicht genug verehrt werden, sie verlieren lediglich ihre göttlichen Aspekte und werden wieder zu normalen Menschen.


===Kahaku===
===Kahaku===
{{nihongo|'''Kahaku'''|河伯||"Flusshäuptling"}} sind die Götter der Flüsse aus der chinesischen Folklore. Sie sind nicht mit den [[Kappa]] zu verwechseln.
{{nihongo|'''Kahaku'''|河伯||"river chief"}} are river gods from Chinese folklore. They should not be confused with the [[youkai]] known as the [[kappa]] from Japanese folklore.


===Yatagarasu===
===Yatagarasu===
:''Main article: [[Yatagarasu]]''
:''Main article: [[Yatagarasu]]''
{{nihongo|'''Yatagarasu'''|八咫烏||"Acht-Spannen Krähe"}} ist eine heilige, dreibeinige Krähe die der Göttin [[wikipedia:Amaterasu|Amaterasu]] dient.
{{nihongo|'''Yatagarasu'''|八咫烏||"eight-span crow"}} is a divine three-legged [[crow]] that serves the Shinto sun goddess [[wikipedia:Amaterasu|Amaterasu]].


===Divine Spirits===
===Divine Spirits===
:''Main article: [[Divine spirit]]''
:''Main article: [[Divine spirit]]''
{{nihongo|'''Divine spirits'''|神霊|shinrei}} sind die Seelen der Menschen, die vor oder nach ihrem Tod zu Göttern geworden sind.
{{nihongo|'''Divine spirits'''|神霊|shinrei}} are the spirits of humans who ascended to godhood before or after their death.


==Götter in Touhou==
==Gods in Touhou==
Shintogötter in Touhou entstehen aus Glauben und speisen aus ihm ihre Kraft. Diese Entstehung kann auch den Aufstieg eines Menschen zum Gott bedeuten. Da sie aus menschlichen Emotionen entstehen haben sie in diesem Punkt eine gewisse Ähnlichkeit mit [[Youkai]], darüber hinaus unterscheiden sich die beiden Spezies jedoch stark.<ref>''[[Silent Sinner in Blue]]'' Chapter 17. "You can't fight gods and youkai the same way."</ref> Da sie allerdings allgemein nicht aus Angst erstehen tun sie ohne Grund nichts, was derlei Gefühle auslösen würde sondern konzentrieren sich eher auf das Ansammeln von Glauben, häufig in Form von Anbetung. Glaube kann sowohl von Menschen als auch von Youkai stammen <ref>''[[Mountain of Faith]]'' Kanako's profile. "Actually, to play together was what gods wished for." "This was exactly the kind of faith Kanako was wishing for."; Reimu A ending. "There's no difference between faith and the ability to share a nice drink together like this.</ref>
The majority of gods in the ''[[Touhou Project]]'' are drawn from or based on the Shinto religion. However, the Buddhist god [[Bishamonten]] is confirmed to exist, implying that the other gods of his pantheon exist as well. Possibly gods from other religions also exist; [[Seiga Kaku]] has made a dismissive reference to Jesus Christ,<ref>''[[Ten Desires]]'' Youmu route</ref> though his divinity was not confirmed.


Shintogötter sind in der Lage, sich aufzuteilen und an mehreren Orten gleichzeitig zu manifestieren. Dies schwächt sie keineswegs, da jedes Fragment für sich die gleiche Macht wie der gesamte Gott enthält.<ref>''[[Silent Sinner in Blue]]'', Kapitel 6</ref> Bestimmte Individuen, etwa [[Watatsuki no Yorihime]], und [[Shrine Maiden]] wie [[Reimu Hakurei]] und [[Sanae Kochiya]] sind in der Lage, Götter zu beschwören und in ihren Körpern zu manifestieren, viele Götter interagieren nur auf diese Weise mit der physischen Welt. Einige haben allerdings selbst Körper, so wie [[Hina Kagiyama]], [[Kanako Yasaka]] und [[Suwako Moriya]],was sie allerdings nicht daran hindert, sich aufzuteilen.
===The Shinto Gods in Touhou===
Shinto Gods in the [[Touhou Project]] are "born" from faith and derive their power from it. Note that being "born" can also refer to ascension to godhood, such as the case of [[Mizue no Uranoshimako]], a human who became a god after his death. As they are born from human belief they share some similarities to youkai, and some youkai have argued that the two are practically the same. However, they have many differences, and for the most part can be considered two different "species".<ref>''[[Silent Sinner in Blue]]'' Chapter 17. "You can't fight gods and youkai the same way."</ref> Unlike youkai, gods are not generally born from fear; thus they do not do things like attacking humans by default, but instead seek out faith, typically in the form of worship.


Götter sind in Gensokyo und auf dem [[Lunar Capital|Mond]] hoch angesehen, teilweise sind sie selbst Shintogötter. In der [[Outside World]] hingegen schwindet der Glaube beständig, beziehungsweise verlagert er sich auf Gegenstände oder Beziehungen <ref>''[[Mountain of Faith]]'' Reimu B Ending. In the outside world, people's faith in gods was weakened by the appearance of bad cults and religions.
Faith from either humans or youkai is valid, and is described by Kanako in Reimu's ''[[Mountain of Faith]]'' A ending as a reverence towards existence, a fear of retribution for one's actions, and the will to enrich one's life, spirit, and body, but it doesn't really have to be that serious. Worship and faith can be as simple as just celebrating with your god.<ref>''[[Mountain of Faith]]'' Kanako's profile. "Actually, to play together was what gods wished for." "This was exactly the kind of faith Kanako was wishing for."; Reimu A ending. "There's no difference between faith and the ability to share a nice drink together like this.</ref>
 
Shinto gods may split their spirits and manifest where ever called on, enabling them to be in many places at once to serve their worshippers; this doesn't diminish the power of the god in any way, as each split part of the same god would have the same amount of power as the original.<ref>''[[Silent Sinner in Blue]]'', chapter 6</ref> Certain individuals, such as [[Watatsuki no Yorihime]] and shrine maidens like [[Reimu Hakurei]] and [[Sanae Kochiya]] can directly call upon the gods to enter their bodies. Most gods interact with the physical world entirely in this manner. Some gods have physical bodies which allow them to act independently without being called upon, such as Kanako and Suwako (and likely [[Hina Kagiyama]], [[Minoriko Aki]], and [[Shizuha Aki]]), but this does not prevent them from splitting their spirit or being invoked in the normal ways.
 
The Shinto gods are well-acknowledged in Gensokyo and by the denizens of the [[Lunar Capital]] (according to Kanako, many of whom have actually been the original gods from relevant mythology, such as [[Sagume Kishin]], as well as [[Lord Tsukuyomi]] and his sister). However, in the [[outside world]], faith has instead been placed on various things such as friendship and news.<ref>''[[Mountain of Faith]]'' Reimu B Ending. In the outside world, people's faith in gods was weakened by the appearance of bad cults and religions.
However, all gods benefit from all faith in them.
However, all gods benefit from all faith in them.
Even though faith and entreatment are different things.
Even though faith and entreatment are different things.
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The object of their faith has merely shifted closer.
The object of their faith has merely shifted closer.
If you're a god who wishes to regain faith from humans...
If you're a god who wishes to regain faith from humans...
try setting your pride aside and being friendly with them.</ref> Aus diesem Grund mussten einige Götter wie Yasako um ihren Fortbestand fürchten. Anscheinend gilt dies jedoch nicht für die bekannteren Shintogötter wie [[wikipedia:Amaterasu|Amaterasu]] oder insbesondere [[wikipedia:Ame-no-Torifune|Ame-no-Torifune]], dem eine ganze [[TORIFUNE|Raumstation]] geweiht ist.
try setting your pride aside and being friendly with them.</ref> Thus, like youkai, it is difficult for some gods such as [[Kanako Yasaka]] and [[Suwako Moriya]] to survive in the outside world as their faith dies out. Presumably more well-known Shinto gods such as Amaterasu still have plenty of faith to go around in the outside world, as there is nothing to indicate their existence is under threat any time soon; in particular, the god Ame-no-Torifune even [[TORIFUNE|had a space station dedicated to him]].


Zu beachten ist, dass ein Glaubensverlust auch die Möglichkeiten eines Gottes verringern, ein Wunder zu wirken. Ein vollkommener Verlust wäre mit dem  Tod des Gottes gleichzusetzen.<ref>''[[Mountain of Faith]]'' [[Sanae Kochiya]]'s profile. "When people lose faith in gods, the gods lose their power. They can't manifest their divine virtues. This is the same as death, for a god.</ref> Eine Ausnahme bilden [[Arahitogami]].
Of note is that loss of faith for a god means a loss of their ability to manifest their power. For a god, losing all their power is equivalent to death<ref>''[[Mountain of Faith]]'' [[Sanae Kochiya]]'s profile. "When people lose faith in gods, the gods lose their power. They can't manifest their divine virtues. This is the same as death, for a god.</ref> (with the exception of [[arahitogami]], who would continue to exist as normal humans).


Neben den Shintogöttern tritt auch [[Bishamonten]], ein buddhistischer Gott, in Touhou auf, allerdings nur indirekt, da er ein sehr beschäftigter Gott ist und [[Shou Toramaru]] als Avatar nutzt. Derzeit ist nichts über das Verhältnis dieser und jener Götter bekannt.
===The Buddhist Gods in Touhou===
Much like how in real life Buddhist and Shinto gods were de facto seen as part of a single system due to the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honji_suijaku honji suijaku] dogma, the Buddhist gods in Touhou don't seem to function differently from their Shinto peers.  


==Charaktere in dieser Kathegorie==
[[Bishamonten]], being extremely busy, uses [[Shou Toramaru]] as an avatar ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gongen gongen]) for the temples that Shou works or worked in ([[Byakuren Hijiri]]'s previous temple and her current [[Myouren Temple]]).
 
[[Okina Matara]] is based on {{nihongo|[http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/monkey-koushin-p3.html#shinraMYOUJIN Matara-jin]|摩多羅神}}, a god historically venerated mostly by the [[wikipedia:Tendai|Tendai Buddhism]] sect. However, like many other medieval Japanese gods, Matara-jin was neither purely Buddhist nor purely Shinto, and arose from of syncretic traditions combining elements from many religions<ref>https://www.persee.fr/doc/asie_0766-1177_2006_num_16_1_1258</ref>.
 
==Characters under this Bestiary==
===[[Touhou Project]]===
===[[Touhou Project]]===
<div style="-moz-column-count:4; column-count:4;">
<div style="-moz-column-count:4; column-count:4;">
*[[Dragon (God)|Drache]]
*[[Dragon (God)|Dragon]]
*[[The Hakurei God|Der unbekannte Gott des Hakureischreins]]
*[[The Hakurei God|The Hakurei Shrine's unknown god]]
*[[Kanako Yasaka]]
*[[Shinki]]
*[[Suwako Moriya]]
*[[Eirin Yagokoro]]
*[[Sanae Kochiya]] (Arahitogami)
*[[Minoriko Aki]]
*[[Minoriko Aki]]
*[[Shizuha Aki]]
*[[Shizuha Aki]]
*[[Hina Kagiyama]]
*[[Hina Kagiyama]]
*[[Shinki]]
*[[Sanae Kochiya]] (Arahitogami)
*[[Eirin Yagokoro]]
*[[Kanako Yasaka]]
*[[Suwako Moriya]]
*[[Sagume Kishin]]
*[[Sagume Kishin]]
*[[Junko]]
*[[Hecatia Lapislazuli]]
*[[Hecatia Lapislazuli]]
*[[Joon Yorigami]]
*[[Shion Yorigami]]
*[[Okina Matara]]
*[[Eika Ebisu]]
*[[Kutaka Niwatari]]
*[[Keiki Haniyasushin]]
</div>
</div>
 
====Gods not original to Touhou====
====Götter die nicht aus Touhou stammen====
<div style="-moz-column-count:4; column-count:4;">
<div style="-moz-column-count:4; column-count:4;">
*[[Mishaguji]]
*[[Mishaguji]]
*[[Wikipedia:Yatagarasu|Yatagarasu]] (Von Utsuho verschluckt)
*[[Wikipedia:Yatagarasu|Yatagarasu]] (Swallowed by Utsuho)
*[[Wikipedia:Sumiyoshi sanjin|Sokotsutsu no Onomikoto]]
*[[Wikipedia:Sumiyoshi sanjin|Sokotsutsu no Onomikoto]]
*[[Wikipedia:Sumiyoshi sanjin|Nakatsutsu no Onomikoto]]
*[[Wikipedia:Sumiyoshi sanjin|Nakatsutsu no Onomikoto]]
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*Gion
*Gion
*Kanayamahiko no Mikoto
*Kanayamahiko no Mikoto
*Ishikoridome no Mikoto
*[[Wikipedia:Ishikori-dome no Mikoto|Ishikori-dome no Mikoto]]
*[[Wikipedia:Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto|Amenouzume no Mikoto]]
*[[Wikipedia:Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto|Amenouzume no Mikoto]]
*[[Wikipedia:Amaterasu|Amaterasu Oomikami]]
*[[Wikipedia:Amaterasu|Amaterasu Oomikami]]
Line 134: Line 163:
*[[Bishamonten]]
*[[Bishamonten]]
*[[Taisui Xingjun]]
*[[Taisui Xingjun]]
*Kanayamabiko no Mikoto
*[[Wikipedia:Daikoku-ten|Daikokuten]]
*[[Wikipedia:Daikoku-ten|Daikokuten]]
*[[Sendai Shirou]]
*[[Sendai Shirou]]
Line 142: Line 170:
*[[Gyoku]]
*[[Gyoku]]


==Weitere Links==
==See Also==
<div style="-moz-column-count:3; column-count:3;">  
<div style="-moz-column-count:3; column-count:3;">  
*[[Yaoyorozu no Kami]]
*[[Yaoyorozu no Kami]]
Line 149: Line 177:
*Wikipedia entry for [[wikipedia:Kami|kami]]
*Wikipedia entry for [[wikipedia:Kami|kami]]
*Wikipedia entry for [[wikipedia:jp:河伯|Kahaku]] (Japanese)
*Wikipedia entry for [[wikipedia:jp:河伯|Kahaku]] (Japanese)
*Wikipedia entry for [[wikipedia:Yaksha|Yaksha]]
*[http://www.obakemono.com/obake/yasha Obakemono entry for Yaksha]
</div>
</div>


==Referenz==
==References==
{{smallrefs|2}}
{{smallrefs|2}}


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[[Category:Religions and Philosophies]]
[[Category:Religions and Philosophies]]


[[en:God]]
[[de:Gott]]
[[pl:Bóg]]
[[pl:Bóg]]
[[ru:Бог]]
[[ru:Бог]]

Revision as of 21:40, 26 April 2020

(かみ)
God
Location

Anywhere in Gensokyo, Underworld, Makai

Notable Members
Appearances
Official Games
Print Works
Other
One of the major gods of Shinto, Amaterasu Oomikami, appears in Silent Sinner in Blue Chapter 16.

The term god refers to concepts such as spirits, natural forces and superhuman beings. In Japan's native Shinto religion, "god" is usually considered equivalent to the term kami (). It should be noted, however, that kami include a broader spectrum of beings than those found in monotheistic religions (e.g. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, etc) or even some polytheistic ones. Shinto is at its roots an animist religion, meaning that any being (alive or dead), object or even phenomenon can be considered a god. Also, it should be noted that the 'G' in "god" should not be capitalized when referring to Shinto gods or any other gods from polytheistic religions.

Like many polytheistic religions (e.g. those of ancient Greece and Rome), Shinto gods live among humans and have direct impact on their daily lives. While their personalities are mostly similar to humans, they possess two aspects known as Ara and Nigi (荒・和): when they are worshiped they will protect people and grant them blessings (ご利益 gorieki), but when angry they will create disasters and curses ( tatari). In some cases the Ara and Nigi aspects of a god are so different in appearance and behaviour that they are named or worshipped separately. A shrine (神社 jinja) is a place for gods to occupy in order to interact with humans, which can vary in size from a small box or shelf (found in many homes) to an entire building and grounds.

Types of Gods

Dragon

Main article: Dragon

Dragons ( ryuu) are reptilian creatures viewed as gods in some cultures, and monsters in others.

Yaoyorozu no Kami

Main article: Yaoyorozu no Kami

Yaoyorozu no Kami (八百万の神, Lit. "Eight Million Gods") is the term in Shinto that is used to refer to gods in general. It also refers to the idea of "believing in Shinto faith".

While conventionally translated as "Eight Million Gods", it uses the older Japanese meaning of "eight" ( hachi, ya) as "myriad"; i.e. the number of gods is actually uncountably large.

Arahitogami

Main article: Arahitogami

Arahitogami (現人神, "living god") are humans who become gods while still alive, thus being both at once.

Kahaku

Kahaku (河伯, "river chief") are river gods from Chinese folklore. They should not be confused with the youkai known as the kappa from Japanese folklore.

Yatagarasu

Main article: Yatagarasu

Yatagarasu (八咫烏, "eight-span crow") is a divine three-legged crow that serves the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu.

Divine Spirits

Main article: Divine spirit

Divine spirits (神霊 shinrei) are the spirits of humans who ascended to godhood before or after their death.

Gods in Touhou

The majority of gods in the Touhou Project are drawn from or based on the Shinto religion. However, the Buddhist god Bishamonten is confirmed to exist, implying that the other gods of his pantheon exist as well. Possibly gods from other religions also exist; Seiga Kaku has made a dismissive reference to Jesus Christ,[1] though his divinity was not confirmed.

The Shinto Gods in Touhou

Shinto Gods in the Touhou Project are "born" from faith and derive their power from it. Note that being "born" can also refer to ascension to godhood, such as the case of Mizue no Uranoshimako, a human who became a god after his death. As they are born from human belief they share some similarities to youkai, and some youkai have argued that the two are practically the same. However, they have many differences, and for the most part can be considered two different "species".[2] Unlike youkai, gods are not generally born from fear; thus they do not do things like attacking humans by default, but instead seek out faith, typically in the form of worship.

Faith from either humans or youkai is valid, and is described by Kanako in Reimu's Mountain of Faith A ending as a reverence towards existence, a fear of retribution for one's actions, and the will to enrich one's life, spirit, and body, but it doesn't really have to be that serious. Worship and faith can be as simple as just celebrating with your god.[3]

Shinto gods may split their spirits and manifest where ever called on, enabling them to be in many places at once to serve their worshippers; this doesn't diminish the power of the god in any way, as each split part of the same god would have the same amount of power as the original.[4] Certain individuals, such as Watatsuki no Yorihime and shrine maidens like Reimu Hakurei and Sanae Kochiya can directly call upon the gods to enter their bodies. Most gods interact with the physical world entirely in this manner. Some gods have physical bodies which allow them to act independently without being called upon, such as Kanako and Suwako (and likely Hina Kagiyama, Minoriko Aki, and Shizuha Aki), but this does not prevent them from splitting their spirit or being invoked in the normal ways.

The Shinto gods are well-acknowledged in Gensokyo and by the denizens of the Lunar Capital (according to Kanako, many of whom have actually been the original gods from relevant mythology, such as Sagume Kishin, as well as Lord Tsukuyomi and his sister). However, in the outside world, faith has instead been placed on various things such as friendship and news.[5] Thus, like youkai, it is difficult for some gods such as Kanako Yasaka and Suwako Moriya to survive in the outside world as their faith dies out. Presumably more well-known Shinto gods such as Amaterasu still have plenty of faith to go around in the outside world, as there is nothing to indicate their existence is under threat any time soon; in particular, the god Ame-no-Torifune even had a space station dedicated to him.

Of note is that loss of faith for a god means a loss of their ability to manifest their power. For a god, losing all their power is equivalent to death[6] (with the exception of arahitogami, who would continue to exist as normal humans).

The Buddhist Gods in Touhou

Much like how in real life Buddhist and Shinto gods were de facto seen as part of a single system due to the honji suijaku dogma, the Buddhist gods in Touhou don't seem to function differently from their Shinto peers.

Bishamonten, being extremely busy, uses Shou Toramaru as an avatar (gongen) for the temples that Shou works or worked in (Byakuren Hijiri's previous temple and her current Myouren Temple).

Okina Matara is based on Matara-jin (摩多羅神), a god historically venerated mostly by the Tendai Buddhism sect. However, like many other medieval Japanese gods, Matara-jin was neither purely Buddhist nor purely Shinto, and arose from of syncretic traditions combining elements from many religions[7].

Characters under this Bestiary

Touhou Project

Gods not original to Touhou

Seihou Project

See Also

References

  1. Ten Desires Youmu route
  2. Silent Sinner in Blue Chapter 17. "You can't fight gods and youkai the same way."
  3. Mountain of Faith Kanako's profile. "Actually, to play together was what gods wished for." "This was exactly the kind of faith Kanako was wishing for."; Reimu A ending. "There's no difference between faith and the ability to share a nice drink together like this.
  4. Silent Sinner in Blue, chapter 6
  5. Mountain of Faith Reimu B Ending. In the outside world, people's faith in gods was weakened by the appearance of bad cults and religions. However, all gods benefit from all faith in them. Even though faith and entreatment are different things. Humans, in their independence, lost the need for faith. Actually, that's not true. Even now, they have faith deep within their hearts. People believe in the news, brands, companies, and friends. The object of their faith has merely shifted closer. If you're a god who wishes to regain faith from humans... try setting your pride aside and being friendly with them.
  6. Mountain of Faith Sanae Kochiya's profile. "When people lose faith in gods, the gods lose their power. They can't manifest their divine virtues. This is the same as death, for a god.
  7. https://www.persee.fr/doc/asie_0766-1177_2006_num_16_1_1258