Kamui

### Members

Cupray, Kandakoro, Chironnup, Okikurumi, Hasinaw-uk, Hoyau, Huci, Kunnecup, Tokapcup, Yushkep, Repun, Pauchi, Kim-un

### Enemies

Kunne-Kamui

The **Kamui** are the most major classification of deity in Ainu belief.

## Overview

The Kamui is the primary Pantheon of the Ainu religion. The Kamui are integral to the Ainu mythology, with the majority of stories and legends are about them. The Kamui oversee the forces of the world from heaven, though sometimes they descend down to the mortal world which they do commonly.

## Description

### The two groups of Kamui

There are two two distinct groups of Kamui; the virtuous Kamui and the demonic evil Kunne-Kamui. These two factions have been at war since the beginning of time. Despite being considered as a different group the Kunne-kamui are still considered Kamui both out of fear and from their origin.

### Kamui Heirarchy

The Kamui have a sort of heirarchy they follow. Minor spirits are at the bottom and usually live on earth, they are commonly prayed to by ainu civilians for help with minor things like crops and hunting. The following level is home to the Ituren-Kamui or guardian spirits, who are prayed to by both Civilians and Shamans for physical protection from illness and injuries. The next level are the Kamui who control the broad forces of nature, unlike the previous two levels these Kamui are delineated, actually being described and directly worshipped. These nature Kamui can be contacted through Ainu Shamans who the Kamui use to speak through as most of them live in Kamui-kotan, these Kamui are contacted for important matters like plagues, calamities, storms and childbirth. The second highest level is home to a single Kamui named Cikap. Often named the leader of the Kamui, Cikap presides over the Kamui themselves and is prayed to for help when other Kamui aren't doing their job and endangering humanity, as well as organizing the other Kamui to combat the Kunne-kamui. Finally at the apex is Kotan-kar the creator of the Kamui. Kotan-kar isn't often prayed to as the Kamui themselves are supposed to be their delegates, however during world ending scenarios Kotan-kar is prayed to for help.

## History

### Creation

Before time began the original Kamui Kotan-kar birthed its self from nothing before creating the rest of the Kamui. The world at first was only a mix of mud and water in a primordial sludge with demons raging in the storm clouds. Eventually Kotan-kar had an idea, so he had the Kamui of the sky; Kandakoro send the wagtail Kamui Mosir-kara to form the earth. Mosir-kara then stomped the sludge of the earth with its tail and feet, creating the land and the seas. With that Kotan-kar named the world Moshiri.

However after the earth had been formed the Kamui and the evil Kamui quarreled over who would rule over the new world. The evil Kamui wanted to rule it with brutality and stagnation, the virtuous Kamui wanted to rule it flexibly and peacefully. Eventually they came up with a competition; which ever faction saw the rising sun first would rule the world. They all gathered at night and sat quietly waiting for the sun, however when enough time passed Chironnup shouted "I see the sun!" causing all the Kamui good and bad to look over to where he was pointing, causing them to miss the rising sun as Chironnup became the first one to view the sun, cementing the good Kamui's rule over the world.

After contest had been won all the Kamui gathered near Kotan-kar, who gave them the mission of populating the newly created world with life. Each Kamui descended down to the earth and gave life to their own forms of life, populating the world with animals, plants, rivers and mountains while the newly created Kunne-kamui sulked in Teinei-pokna-moshiri or hell. Once the Kamui ascended back to Kamui-kotan, the Kunne-kamui emerged and spread disaster and plagues throughout Moshiri.

### Okikurumi and the golden age

After the death of Okikurumi's biological parents, Kotan-kar asked the sun Kamui Tokapcup and the moon Kamui Kunnecup to parent the orphaned child. Once Okikurumi was brought into the mortal world he brought about the golden age of humanity through his intelligence and overall kind nature.

### The war against Cupray

Through a series of complicated events the leader of the Kunne-kamui Cupray ate both Tokapcup and Kunnecup, planning on bringing both the spiritual realm and the mortal world crashing together. However through the help of Okikurumi the Kamui met the armies of the Kunne-kamui in the mortal world, waging war against them.

Despite refusing to take part in the war, Kotan-kar watched the battle intensely. They watched as several of their Kamui good and bad die, deciding that enough of their children had died Kotan-kar warped themself to the battlefield, Their arrival caused the army of evil Kamui to sumbit and drop hostilities. Cupray angered by the Evil Kamui losing the will to fight, consumes each one. Kotan-kar then fuses with Okikurumi and battles Cupray, the grand battle ends with Kotan-kar beating Cupray and freeing luminary Kamui and the Kunne-kamui.

## Myths and Legends

The Kamui's theological origin is extremely mysterious as the Ainu had no way to write down the history of their stories. However it is belived that it not only predates shintoism but also served as inspiration for shintoism.

## Trivia

* The word Kami is believed to have been taken and mutated from the word Kamui.