Revision as of 21:11, 8 December 2010 by Caninesrock (talk | contribs)
In Japanese mythology, Namazu (鯰) is a giant catfish who causes earthquakes.
Myth
Namazu lives in the mud beneath the earth, and is guarded by the god Kashima who restrains the fish with a stone. When Kashima lets his guard fall, Namazu thrashes about, causing violent earthquakes.
History/Beliefs
Following an earthquake near Edo (modern day Tokyo) in 1855, the Namazu became worshiped as a yonaoshi daimyojin (god of world rectification). He appeared in a series of unsigned prints, showing him forcing the wealthy to excrete coins for the poor, and atoning for his actions against the peasants.
Art/Fiction
- In the episode "Battle Against the Dried Up Demons at the Cultural Festival" of the Inuyasha anime, a gaint catfish demon is captured while thrashing its tail around on the school roof and offered as the main course at the heroine Kagome's school cultural festival.