Kannabi facts for kids
Yamato Country Ichinomiya, Okami Shrine, Kannabi (Kintai-san). Ookami Shrine has a mountain as its sacred body and does not have a honden.
Kannabi (神奈備, Kamunabi / Kannabi / Kaminabi) refers to a region in shinto that hosts a mitsumashiro or yorishiro (yorishiro) in which the divine spirit (Kami or Goryo) resides. Or, the natural environment as Kamishiro (shintai). In the Manyoshu, there are seven occurrences (22 poems, 23 examples).
Shintai is a mountain or forest where a deity "sits" or "dwells in seclusion," a forest that serves as a shinzoku or ganza, a shinboku or shintai, or a shintai or Sacred mountain as well as sacred areas with distinctive rocks (Meoto Iwa) and waterfalls (Nachi Falls). It is also a generic term for a roughly woven area and a rock throne. There is also "Kannabino," where there are no forests or rocks to serve as a shrine.
Outline
The origin of the word "kannabi" is a subject of debate, with some theories suggesting it stems from "Kannarabi (神並び)" meaning "god alignment," while others propose "nabi" means "hiding" and refers to a place where the gods retreat. This latter theory has been discredited by the discovery of the Kamisai special kana script.
Kannabi embodies the principles of animism, including gratitude, respect, and awe for nature. It also serves as the dividing line between the world of the gods (Shin'iki or Tokoyo) and the this world. Emphasizing the preservation of nature, kannabi is seen as a valuable aspect of satoyama and its surrounding culture. The discovery of endemic soil bacteria in kannabi has sometimes led to the development of new drugs, making it a popular destination for natural environment researchers from around the world.
Contrary to popular belief, today's "Shrine Shinto" is not kannabi-sha but is instead referred to as "shrine." Shrine Shinto is considered a primitive religion that arose spontaneously in Japan and evolved from Ko-Shintō, which encompasses nature worship and spirit worship. In contemporary Shinto shrines, there is often a deity known as "nature" in addition to the main deity. The shrines are adorned with Shimenawas, and there may also be a Keidai shrine within. The surrounding areas may feature sacred trees, stones, and natural elements such as lakes, marshes, and waterfalls in the town's forests, which are considered sacred. Some older shrines lack worship halls or hondens and instead enshrine the natural kannabis as deities.
Kannabi in Izumo Fudoki
The Izumo Fudoki (Izumo Province Fudoki) mentions four "Kannabi" mountains. The kanji for "Kannabi" varies.
- Matsue City, compared to Chausuyama.
- According to the conventional wisdom, it is compared to Asahiyama in Matsue City.
- Izumo City Mt. Taisen.
- Izumo City, Izumo Prefecture, Japan.
See Also
- Age of the Gods
- Ko-Shintō
- Himorogi・Iwakura (Yorishiro)
- Shintai・Yorishiro
- Shinboku
- Sacred mountains・Mountain worship
- Kannagi (Shinto)
- Chinju no Mori
