Noragami Explained: Mythology, Religion and More

Noragami is an anime filled with the supernatural, gods, goddesses and magic. So I just had to regale (bad pun intended) you about it, of course! There’s tons to explore in Noragami , much of it related to Shintoism, Buddhism and the myths of ages past. So let’s dive right into some of the fabulous gods, goddesses and myths your favorite characters from Noragami are based on. Needless to say, spoilers ahead! Yato So, who is Yato based off of, anyway? Well, our favorite god in Noragami may be inspired by the Magatsuhi no Kami. The Magatsuhi no Kami — the Gods of Disaster — are either a collection of gods or one god, depending on the tale. In Japanese, Magatsuhi no Kami is spelled almost exactly the same way as Yato’s title: The God of Calamity. These gods came into being when the god Izanagi no Mikoto purified himself after his trip to Yomi. RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About Spice and Wolf: MERCHANT MEETS THE WISE WOLF Some say that the Magatsuhi no Kami are responsible for disasters . Others believe that they cause anything and everything considered misfortunate. However, some believe that the Matatsuhi no Kami grant people righteous fury when faced with injustice. Later traditions even have them being worshiped as beings who can help us mortals avoid disaster. Tenjin A good number of the gods in Noragami are actual gods. One of those is Tenjin, the god of learning and literature . Tenjin was once human, a man named Sugawara Michizane who lived from 845-903. He was a nobleman, a political figure, and a great scholar. One day, Michizane’s rival convinced the emperor that he was plotting treason, resulting in Michizane’s banishment. Following his death, there was a series of calamities: natural disasters, fires, violent deaths, that sort of thing. Michizane’s vengeful spirit was blamed and his titles and positions were quickly posthumously reinstated. He was then deified as the god of learning, culture and the arts. If you’re in the Osaka area, you can visit Osaka Temmangu Shrine , an ancient shrine that Sugawara Michizane prayed at in the year 901 before later being deified and enshrined there himself. Bishamon Bishamon (also called Bishamonten) is another of the gods. Unlike the anime, Bishamon is always portrayed as male. He is the god of war and is one of the Four Heavenly Kings , protecting the northern direction from the forces of evil. He’s also one of Japan’s Seven Gods of Fortune. RELATED: The Japanese History in Samurai Champloo If you’re in Osaka, you can visit the very first temple in Japan to enshrine Bishamon. Kubasanji Temple in Takatsuki City was first built by the mystic En no Gyoja in the year 679. It houses three statues of Bishamonten, and was considered a very important imperial temple and sits upon a holy mountain. The temple is also famous for its gorgeous fall foliage. Kofuku Kofuku is, like Yato, a goddess who seems more or less created specifically for the anime. However, that doesn’t mean our favorite pink-haired goddess has no roots in other gods. Take the name she gives Hiyori and Yukine, for example: Ebisu Kofuku. Ebisu is one of the Seven Gods of Fortune, the god of fishers , working folk, and luck. In other words, a god of good fortune whose likeness can be found in many businesses for good luck. There is a temple by nearly the same name. Kohfukuji Temple is a Buddhist temple that is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara UNESCO World Heritage Site . It has been moved, burned down, and rebuilt several times over the centuries . If you visit, don’t miss the Nara National Museum which sits directly beside the temple. Todaiji Temple and Kasugataishi Shrine are also just a few minutes walk from Kofuko-ji Shrine. Daikoku Speaking of Kofuko, her regalia Daikoku’s name is also a little misleading. (Is this some kind of ploy on Kofuko’s part to trick unsuspecting potential worshippers into believing she’s a different god altogether? Hmm…) Daikoku may be a regalia, but his name is the same as one of the Seven Gods of Fortune . RELATED: Which Naruto Character Are You Most Like? Daikoku is the god of wealth, the exact opposite of what Kofuko stands for and exactly who she wants others to believe she is. In fact, Daikoku and Ebisu’s statues can often be found together, the two often being worshiped as a pair . Ebisu Funnily enough, we do meet the actual god Ebisu toward the end of Season 2. He’s the god of fishermen and luck. You know how Ebisu doesn’t show up when all the other gods meet in Episode 19? Remember when one of them complains that “this isn’t the month of the gods”? Well, October is considered the month of the gods in the Izumo area. During this time, the gods are summoned to The Grand Shrine of Izumo. However, Ebisu doesn’t hear the summons , never shows up, and is still available for us humans to worship, unlike the other gods, who are all missing that month. Okuninushi Remember Bishamon’s god friend with the pet rabbit? Well, that’s another of the Seven Gods of Fortune: Okuninushi. As with many gods, he has tons of different names, though the one most important to the story is Daikoku . Yep, that’s right. This is the actual god Daikoku’s name is riffing off of. RELATED: A Brief History of the Fate Series Okuninushi is more associated with his Shinto origin stories and being a god of creation whereas Daikokuten is more closely associated with his Buddhist temples. Izanami Izanami is a goddess both in the anime and in Shintoism. She is often referred to as Izanami-no-Mikoto and is a deity of creation. Izanami created the heavens and earth, life and death, and is said to have created the Japanese archipelago itself . Not only is Izanami considered a direct ancestor of the Japanese imperial family via the mythical Emperor Jimmu (she’s Amaterasu’s mother, though stories differ), she is also the mother of several other gods and goddesses. One of these gods is none other than our friend Ebisu . Izanami also died, and is not associated with the land of the dead, Yomi. Stories differ, though, with Izanami’s husband eventually joining her in the underworld in some and never joining her in others. Tsuyu Tsuyu, Tenjin’s plum tree spirit follower, is rather singular. She’s not a regalia but the spirit of a plum tree. This is based on a legend surrounding Sugawara no Michizane before he was deified as Tenjin. He yearned for his favorite plum tree so deeply while in exile that it uprooted itself and flew to him and the place that would one day be his shrine, where it has remained for over 1,000 years. RELATED: SPY x FAMILY's Retro Style is Both Iconic and True to History If you’re in the area, you can visit that very shrine! Dazaifu Tenmangu is Tenjin’s head shrine as well as the location of Sugawara no Michizane’s gravesite. And right there in the courtyard is Tobiume , the plum tree Tenjin loved so very much. Takemikazuchi Remember the god who was trying to kill Ebisu, the one with his face covered? Well, that’s Takemikazuchi, who is also a god outside of the anime. Takemikazuchi is the god of thunder and the sword. He’s also considered a god who brings justice and divine retribution to immortals alike. One of the many battles he partook in was also the first sumo match . Ablution Ceremony Ablutions can be found in cultures and religions the world over . These are purification ceremonies, all of which can be done in tons of different ways. Washing is part of the process in almost all of them in some way, though methodologies vary. For example, priests in Roman Catholic and many Christian Orthodox churches wash their hands before the eucharistic liturgy. Devout Shinto practitioners rinse their hands and mouths before approaching shrines. Monks in some Buddhist traditions will wash in the monastery pool before meditating. And those of the Muslim faith wash their hands, face, and feet before each of their five daily prayer times. RELATED: Golden Kamuy Dives into an Overlooked Period of Japanese History Now, different sects of various religions will have varying ablution rituals. The act itself can mean everything from a more literal cleansing to a more symbolic purifying. But none of them are anywhere near as dangerous as the ablution Yukine undergoes in the anime’s first season! Takamagahara Takamagahara is one of the realms of the gods , the plane of existence where they live. While it is heaven, in a sense, it’s more of a Mount Olympus deal than anything else. This is where gods and goddesses live and exist versus an afterlife. In Noragami , this is treated more like a literal neighborhood where gods are granted plots of land, allowing them to come and go from the realm as they please. Yomi Yomi is the land of the dead in both Noragami and Shintoism. This otherworldly realm is neither a paradise nor hell. It’s merely where the deceased reside after death. Yomi is also closely associated with Izanami. RELATED: A Monster Guide to the Solo Leveling Magic Beasts (So Far) And a fun fact? The entrance to Yomi is a cave that’s also a tourist spot, just like Hiyori says in Noragami . In fact, you can visit the very cave claimed to be the entrance to the underworld. Inome Cave opens onto Inome Bay in Japan. Not only is it a national historic site, it’s also a location where many ancient artifacts and burials have been found. Phantoms You know how Noragami plays with the concept of oceans and various shores that separate the realms of the living, dead, and gods? This is taken one step further with the anime’s phantoms. In Japanese, the phantoms are called ayakashi . Ayakashi are a type of yokai (supernatural beings or spirits). These beings haunt the border of the water and the air — floating directly over the ocean, for example. They come in all shapes and forms. There are the funayurei , the ghosts of sailors who still navigate the waters in search of their old comrades, usually to bring them to the same watery grave. Most famous, perhaps, are the ikuchi , enormous sea monsters who roam the coasts of Japan. In Noragami , these phantoms haunt a metaphorical ocean, that between the world of the living and the worlds of the dead and the gods. And there you have it! These are just some of the many inspirations that formed Noragami . Hopefully, you’ll get to explore some of the places associated with the characters and their real-life temples. Watch Noragami on Crunchyroll now! Explore More Anime Folklore and Mythology The Japanese History in Samurai Champloo The Real Myths and Legends in Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works The Folklore Behind Megumi Fushiguro’s Shikigami in JUJUTSU KAISEN A Comprehensive Guide to the Folklore of JUJUTSU KAISEN The Folklore of Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, Explained

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