| relig. |
Literally 'rough god', though he has also a nigi-mitama nature (see Tama), manifested in healing. His Buddhist name is sambo kojin ('kojin of the three treasures') and according to tradition he was first worshipped by the founder of Shugendo, En-no-Ozunu. He is identified with kamado-gami (god of the hearth, the heart of the home) and presides over the kitchen where he is also known as yakatsu-kami and may receive a monthly offering of a branch of pine known as kojin-matsu. When enshrined outside he is equated with jigami (land kami) or with yama-no-kami (mountain kami). Kojin may also possess mediums (see Kojin kagura) and is invoked in healing illnesses of various kinds A Popular Dictionary of Shinto (Brian Bocking) |
