Kamunaobi-no-Kami

Kamunaobi-no-Kami (神直毘神) is a heavenly deity recorded in the purification chapter of the Kojiki (712 CE). The deity emerged through the action of correcting the Magatsuhi misfortune deities formed during Izanagi's purification of the defilements of Yomi, and serves as the core of the cleansing function. According to the Kojiki upper scroll on purification, "the deities formed to correct that misfortune were named Kamunaobi-no-Kami, next Onaobi-no-Kami". When Izanagi returned from Yomi and purified himself at Awakihara in Tsukushi, Yasomagatsuhi and Omagatsuhi were produced; Kamunaobi and Onaobi emerged to correct that misfortune, followed by Izunome, forming the Naobi triad. The deity is named in the Oharae-no-Kotoba liturgy of the great purification at the end of the sixth and twelfth months as the core figure of court and shrine cleansing rites.