also: いぬがみづかい
dog-spirit shaman; witch doctor who uses inugami
A person who controls or employs inugami (dog spirits) in Japanese folk belief, often for cursing or divination. The term is historical and folkloric.
It was believed that an inugami-tsukai would curse people by manipulating dog spirits.
Standard kanji spelling.
Alternate reading with rendaku; less common.
Compound of 犬神 (inugami, 'dog spirit') and 使い (tsukai, 'user, handler'). The exact historical origin of the inugami belief is uncertain, but it is rooted in regional Japanese folk religion.