Tradition / Region: Japanese mythology
Alternate Names: Hideri no Kami, Batsu, Hiderimo
Category: Mountain dweller, One eyed
The Myth
Long ago, it was said that drought was not merely the absence of rain, but the presence of a being. Wherever this being lingered, the land dried, rivers shrank, and crops withered under an unforgiving sun. This being came to be known in Japan as Hiderigami, the god of drought.
The origin of this power reaches back to ancient tales from the continent. In the Classic of Mountains and Seas, there is a goddess named Ni, daughter of the Yellow Emperor. After quelling a great storm caused by the dragon Yinglong and the wind god Feng Bo, Ni lost her place in heaven. Wherever she walked upon the earth thereafter, rain ceased to fall. The land cracked and dried beneath her feet. To protect the world, the emperor ordered her to dwell far to the north, beyond the Red River. Yet at times she escaped, and when people chased after her, they cried out, “God, please return to the north,” knowing that her presence meant ruin.
Other ancient writings speak of drought spirits living deep in the mountains. They are described as strange beings—part human, part beast—with twisted forms. Some had only one arm and one leg, their bodies covered in hair, basking openly beneath the burning sun. Others were said to be small, naked creatures with eyes set high upon their heads, able to run as fast as the wind. When these beings appeared, rain vanished, and severe drought followed.
In Japan, these stories were gathered and given form. The drought spirit was called Hideri no Kami, and it was believed to dwell on remote mountains, descending unseen to spread heat and desolation. Some said the drought god crept into human homes, stealing food and goods, draining not only the land but the fortune of families as well.
People feared Hiderigami deeply. When rain failed and rice fields cracked, offerings were made and prayers spoken, begging the god to depart. It was believed that only by appeasing or driving away this being could the sky be moved to weep again.
Thus Hiderigami remained in memory—not always seen, but always felt—an invisible god of heat and hunger, whose presence turned fertile land into dust and reminded people that drought itself could walk the world.
Gallery
Sources
TYZ-Yokai Blog contributors. (n.d.). 干天神 (Hiderigami). In TYZ-Yokai Blog, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1076296168.html
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