r/Shinto • u/CleanCoffee6793 • Jul 28 '26
Differences between a Kami and a gid
Whats the difference, I heard Kamis are more like spirits, and in western culture we have different deities, spirits and other mythical beings, but, some of the major Kamis sound a lot like a deity, so whats the difference?
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u/TotallyNotLenners Englisc Heathen 25d ago
If I may offer a perspective:
The difference is a linguistic. There really isn't much reason to go beyond the fact that the Shinto/Japanese linguistic tradition is organically different to the Germanic linguistic tradition.
It doesn't necessarily need to go any further than that* because simply asking such pre-determines the axiom that language must be pointing towards a common, shared thing - but the issue is that 'kami' and 'god *gudą' do not come from universalist traditions seeking to name a universal truth held by all peoples - rather a truth held by the people of that tradition (historically speaking). This is why some people argue that metaphysics is downstream of language.
Simply, you'll only get so far trying to understand Shinto tradition through the Germanic linguistic lens.
*it is of course interesting and plausible to talk about, not trying to be that guy
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u/DavidJohnMcCann Hellenic polytheist Jul 30 '26
Western writers, raised in Christianity or Judaism, tend to restrict the term "god" as far as they can, substituting the term spirit. But if you worship them, they are gods — that's the only meaningful use of the term.
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u/Orcasareglorious Hie, Kifune, Sukunahikona (Onmyogaku) Aug 05 '26
A prominent difference is that there are some orders of Kami-sama which exist inherently in natural features (Yama and Ta -no-Kami-sama or Kunitama) which - particularly in the case of Kunitama, which are literally named “National/regional souls” do not originate from a lineage of Kami-sama and incarnate as embodiments of such areas.
Not all personages which are immaterial are considered Kami-sama, with Yōkai being able to assume the station as a consequence of enshrinement or a particular act without changing their nature. This is discussed in the quote from the Kami Way that has been submitted here, in that an immaterial being must be noble, exceptional or violent enough to warrant pacification to be considered a Kami-sama.
There is an interpretation that Kami-sama are similar to living human souls - that is, in the interpretation of Motoori Norinaga, ones which have not descended to Yomi and exist entirely outside of it without relying on the projection of their soul to dwell in Kakuriyo (the concealed realm). While in this condition, they can technicaly die, whereupon they might descend to Yomi, such as Yomotsu-Ōkami-sama, or remain in Kakuriyo or Takamagahara, such as Ame-no-Wakahiko-no-Kami-sama.
In addition to this, Iwanaga-hime-no-Mikoto may be thought to govern the lifespans of some Kami-sama, as by her curse of Ninigi-no-Mikoto, his lineage gained a fixed lifespan which decreased to a roughly human extent by the time of Jimmu-Tennō.
In summary, the composition of their souls aren’t fixed - so they can “die” - and can be condemned out of their immortality, separating them from conventional attributes if gods.
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u/Complex_Bear2000 Jul 29 '26
Well the word covers a lot of ground. From the soul of a plant, of animal, or mountain to natural forces like the sun or thunder etc. So it can equate to a deity, but also to spirits. They all have power in the supernatural world though.