Translation guide
This is a specific mythological figure from Japanese Shinto mythology. The entry refers to Kagutsuchi (カグツチ), the fire god whose birth caused the death of his mother, Izanami. The guide focuses on how to refer to this deity in Japanese, including the name, descriptive phrases, and contextual usage.
To refer to the fire deity by his proper name in Japanese mythology.
The most common name for this deity. Often written in katakana, but can also be written as 迦具土神 or 軻遇突智 in historical texts.
カグツチは火の神です。
Kagutsuchi is the god of fire.
Full formal name used in the Kojiki (古事記). Includes the prefix '火之' (hi no) meaning 'of fire'.
To describe the deity without using the proper name, focusing on the mythological event.
A descriptive phrase meaning 'the fire god who burned Izanami-no-Mikoto to death'. Natural when explaining the myth.
In everyday conversation, simply saying カグツチ is sufficient. The longer descriptive phrases are used when telling the myth or emphasizing the event. The full formal names are mostly for academic or religious contexts.
Hi-no-Kagutsuchi-no-Kami burned Izanami-no-Mikoto to death.
Alternate kanji representation found in the Nihon Shoki (日本書紀). Rarely used outside academic contexts.
軻遇突智は火の神である。
Kagutsuchi is a fire deity.
The fire god who burned Izanami-no-Mikoto to death was later slain.
More explicit: 'the fire god who burned his mother to death during childbirth'. Useful for clarity.
出産時に母を焼き殺した火の神の話は有名です。
The story of the fire god who burned his mother to death during childbirth is famous.