noun
sorceress; medium; female fortuneteller
A woman who acts as a spiritual medium or fortune-teller, often in folk religious contexts. Compare 巫女 (みこ), which is more common for shrine maidens.
See also: 巫女 (みこ)
村の市子は、神がかりになって人々の相談に乗った。
The village sorceress went into a trance and gave advice to the people.
noun
child from the city
Only when written 市子
Archaic meaning, restricted to the 市子 spelling. Literally 'city child', but not used in modern Japanese.
古文書に「市子」とあるのは、都会から来た子供を指すことがある。
In old documents, 市子 can refer to a child who came from the city.
巫女 is the standard term for a shrine maiden or female shaman, while 市子 is a less common synonym often used in folk contexts.
The derivation is uncertain. The kanji 市 (market/city) and 子 (child) may reflect an old association with itinerant fortune-tellers, but this is speculative.