mountain spirit; mountain god
Refers to a guardian spirit or deity believed to reside in a mountain, often in Japanese folk religion and Shinto contexts.
It is believed that a mountain spirit dwells in this mountain.
Before climbing, they offered a prayer to the mountain god.
Compound of 山 (mountain) and 霊 (spirit, soul). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is used in Japanese folk religion to refer to the spiritual essence of a mountain.