noun
A deity or spirit of a river, often appearing in Japanese mythology and folklore. The reading かわのかみ is the standard Japanese reading; the form 河伯 (also read かはく) is a classical Chinese-derived term for a river deity.
See also: 河伯 (かはく)
昔話には、よく河の神が登場する。
River gods often appear in old tales.
村人は河の神に雨乞いをした。
The villagers prayed to the river god for rain.
Compound of 河 (kawa, 'river') + の (no, possessive particle) + 神 (kami, 'god'), with rendaku voicing of kami to gami. The spelling 河伯 is a classical Chinese term for a river deity, borrowed into Japanese.