Kami of the mountains (yama no kami) were thought instrumental in securing an abundant harvest for early agricultural communities. Kami were petitioned to descend from their mountain abodes and invest the rice fields with their vitality. But since deities are notorious for their unpredictable behavior (see the "Kojiki: Record of Ancient Matters" for examples), it was also critical to send back the kami at the end of the harvest. These movements of "calling" and "returning" the kami remain central to Shinto rituals today and are important to remember when one reads or hears that a particular kami "lives" at a shrine or in a natural object (such as a uniquely formed rock, as seen in slide 16)
All photos and text © Copyright John K. Nelson, 1999