The wind god. He has a demon’s staring, horned, and fanged head, and claws on his hands and feet. He grasps a bag from whose open mouth issue the winds. He is sometimes shown as companion to Raijin (Raiden) the thunder deity. Winds were, of course, of great importance to the Japanese. They brought the monsoon rains upon which much agriculture depended, but they were also present in the form of typhoons, dangerous winds that could flatten towns and spread fires.
SEE ALSO:
REFERENCES:
- Joly, Henri L. 1967. Legend in Japanese Art. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Co.
- Okuda, Kensaku, ed. 1970. Japan’s Ancient Sculpture. Tokyo: Mainichi Newspapers.
SOURCE:
Handbook of Japanese Mythology written by Michael Ashkenazi – Copyright © 2003 by Michael Ashkenazi
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