HO-MUSUBI

also called Kagu-tsuchi, or Hi-no-kami, in the Shinto religion of Japan, a god of fire. His mother, the female creator Izanami, was fatally burned giving birth to him; and his father, Izanagi, cut him into pieces, creating several new gods. The fire god is revered as a purificatory agent as much as out of fear for his destructiveness. During the hi-matsuri (fire festivals) at the beginning of the new year, worshippers carry back to their home hearths torches lit from the new fire started by the temple priest. The traditional method of lighting a fire for religious purposes is with a fire drill. One of the most popular shrines dedicated to the fire god is on Mt. Atago, near Kyoto.