Amatsu

Amatsu (Gunjounese: 天津, Amatsu), is a religion that originated in Gunjou. Commonly referred to as Amatsuism, Amatsu is a polytheistic religion founded in the heart of Gunjou. Originally a loosely organized set of folk beliefs and folklore, Amatsuism formalized itself as a religion after the spread of a formal writing system and unification of various folk beliefs, leading to a codification of beliefs and gods.

Introduction to Amatsuism
Amatsuism, being polytheistic, believes in the existence of multiple gods, known as Amatsugami (天津神). In Amatsuism, anything could be considered a god and may be seen in all things. Whether that be the sun, the mountains, the sea, the grass, or the sky, they may be worshipped and revered as Amatsugami. However, since the formal codification and structuring of the religion, minor gods must be approved by the religion’s hierarchy to be considered proper gods.

Origins of the Amatsugami
Amatsugami originate from local folklore, oral and written tradition, and practices. Upon the structuring of the religion, pre-existing gods continued to be worshipped as have been. However, the Amatsugami that came after required permission from Amatsuism’s hierarchy to be recognized by the rest of the faith.

Amatsu Folklore
Much of Amatsu folklore is documented in the Tenkaishi (天海誌; lit. Heavenly Sea Records), ancient Amatsuist sacred texts cataloging the various myths and folktales accumulated over the centuries.

Creation
Followers of Amatsuism believe that at the world’s birth, the first people were the nine core gods of Amatsuism. At the beginning, there was Amanami (天波), a goddess embodying the primordial seas. Amanami is central to the Amatsu faith and its primary god, given the faith was born on the island nation of Gunjou, where the seas are most important.

It is said that at the dawn of creation, Aminami, in her solitude, contemplated her own existence. Ultimately, this resulted in enlightenment and the birth of Yō/You (陽), the god of the sun. However, as years passed, Yō felt a growing pain from his own flames. Amanami, feeling sorry for her son, turned her own heart as a conduit for her son’s light, effectively curing him of his alignment. Her heart, which had become a conduit for Yō’s light, gave birth to Kurokami (黒神), the goddess of the moon.

The myth progresses with Yō and Kurokami soon falling for one another, eloping to the skies without Amanami’s knowledge. However, after Kurokami had left the seas to join Yō in the sky, the waters receded, forming land and birthing the goddess Yamashiro (山城), representative of the mountains, the earth, and death. Amanami, lacking her heart, transformed into a black and white fish, disappearing into the sea. Kurokami and Yō, realizing what they have done, in their guilt, vowed to separate from one another for all of eternity, heading towards opposite sides of the world.

The couple wept, mourning for Amanami and each missing the other. The heavens rained for years with the deities' tears, falling onto the earth. Yō’s tears bore trees as Kurokami’s bore flowers, giving birth to the twin goddesses Tsubomi (蕾), the goddess of life and fertility, and Mio (美), the goddess of youth, beauty, and love. The twins eventually both fell for Yamashiro and married her. From their marriage, Tsubomi bore two sons Takemichi (武道), the god of time and destiny, and Hatagami (将神), the god of war and camaraderie. Mio gave birth to a daughter, Kanata (金立) the goddess of wealth and luck. Ultimately, these core gods bore their own children spawning more gods. It is said that the blood of the gods still runs through us, only having been diluted through generations.

Amatsugami
Regarding the gods (Amatsugami) of Amatsuism, there are major gods that are central to Amatsuism and shared among all its believers despite local differences and the belief in minor gods. The domains of minor gods may overlap with other gods, such as major ones. The gods often have multiple forms, with one that is usually humanoid and another that is not.

Major Gods
Primary domains of each god are in bold.

Minor Gods
Primary domains of each god are in bold.