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75. Uka-no-mitama-kami

宇迦之御魂神 

"The August Spirit of Food"

Lineage

Father: Susano-o-no mikoto 須佐之男命 (57)

Mother: Kamiōichi-hime-mikoto (73)

Main Shrines

Takekoma Jinja                竹駒神社       

Miyagi-ken, Iwanuma-shi, Inari-chō 1−1  

宮城県岩沼市稲荷町1−1                             

Kasama Inari Jinja          笠間稲荷神社        

Ibaraki-ken, Kasama-shi, Kasama 1          

茨城県笠間市笠間 1   

Toyokawa Inari                豊川稲荷

Aichi-ken, Toyokawa-shi, Toyokawa-chō 1

愛知県豊川市豊川町1

Hyōtanyama Inari Jinja 瓢箪山稲荷神社

Ōsaka-fu, Ōsaka-shi, Hyōtanyama 8-1

大阪府東大阪市瓢箪山町8-1

Uka-no-mitama-kami is better known as Inari-kami/Inari-Ōkami. Note that the Nihon Shoki gives her parents as Izanagi (12A) and Izanami (12B). Other names she is known by include Uka-no-mitama-kami, Uka-no-mitama, Uka-no-kami, Waka-uka-no-no-mikoto,  Uka-no-mitama-no-mikoto, and Ina-kura-tama-no-mikoto. Common to most of these names is the component "uka," meaning grains or cereals, and this kami's main function is the protector of the five grains (gokoku) (wheat, rice, beans, and two species of millet): it is in this role  that he/she is the main kami enshrined at Fushimi Inari Taisha.

The Engishiki equates the kami with Toyōuke-hime-no-mikoto. Another name reflecting his, or more properly her, close connection to agriculture is Uke-mochi-no-kami (“Protector of Food.”) This name does not appear in the Kojiki, only in the Nihon Shoki, and there only once, in the 11th version of Chapter V of the Age of the Gods, Aston p22, 小島 p59). Other names are  Miketsu-gami and Ōketsu-hime-no-mikoto (the Japanese forms of these names can be found here). 

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