Apasam Kamui

Apasam Kamui is the Ainu "kamui" ("god") of the threshold. Apasam Kamui is called upon for protection during changes of state.

Depiction

Apasam Kamui is conceived as either a male and female couple or a dual entity, similar to the Roman Janus. The "kamui" oversees transitions, and this dual nature allows Apasam Kamui to perceive both sides of a transition in order to better guard the supplicant.Ashkenazy, Michael. "Handbook of Japanese Mythology". Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio, 2003. 120-121]

Mythology

Apasam Kamui is called upon whenever a change of state is occurring. This "kamui" is called upon to protect women during difficult labor, to protect people against angry "kamui" such as the plague god Pakoro Kamui, to protect travelers on journeys through foreign lands, and, conversely, to protect the Ainu in their dealings with other cultures.

Notes

References

*Ashkenazy, Michael. "Handbook of Japanese Mythology". Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio, 2003.
*Etter, Carl. "Ainu Folklore: Traditions and Culture of the Vanishing Aborigines of Japan". Chicago: Wilcox and Follett, 1949.
*Munro, Neil Gordon. "Ainu Creed and Cult". New York: Columbia University Press, 1995.