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{{short description|Japanese belief that mystical powers dwell in words and names}}
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{{nihongo|'''''Kotodama''''' or '''''kototama'''''|[[Wiktionary:言霊|言霊]], sometimes written as 言魂||{{lit|word spirit/soul}}}} refers to the [[Japan]]ese belief that mystical powers dwell in words and names. English translations include "soul of language", "spirit of language", "power of language", "power word", "[[magic word]]", and "sacred sound". The notion of ''kotodama'' presupposes that sounds can affect objects, and that ritual word usages can influence the environment, [[Human body|body]], [[mind]], and [[soul]]. Some interpret the belief as the discovery of commands words that can affect physiology and the mind.{{Cn|date=May 2024}}

==Basis==
This Japanese [[compound (linguistics)|compound]] ''kotodama'' combines ''koto'' [[Wikt:言|言]] "word; speech" and ''tama'' [[Wikt:霊|霊]] "spirit; soul" (or [[Wikt:魂|魂]] "soul; spirit; ghost") [[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]] as ''dama'' in ''[[rendaku]]''. In contrast, the [[unvoiced]] ''kototama'' pronunciation especially refers to {{nihongo|''kototamagaku''|言霊学||"study of ''kotodama''"}}, which was popularized by [[Onisaburo Deguchi]] in the [[Oomoto]] religion. This field takes the Japanese ''[[gojūon]]'' phonology as the mystical basis of words and meanings, in a way that is roughly analogous to Hebrew [[Kabbalah]].

==Etymology==
The etymology of ''kotodama'' is uncertain, but one explanation correlating words and events links two Japanese words pronounced ''koto'': this {{nihongo2|言}} "word; words; speech" and [[Wikt:事|事]] "situation; circumstances; state of affairs; occurrence; event; incident". These two ''[[kanji]]'' were used interchangeably in the name [[Kotoshironushi]] {{nihongo2|事代主}} or {{nihongo2|言代主}}, an oracular ''[[kami]]'' mentioned in the ''[[Kojiki]]'' and ''[[Nihon Shoki]]''. ''Kotodama'' is related with Japanese words such as ''kotoage'' {{nihongo2|言挙}} "words raised up; invoke the magical power of words", ''kotomuke'' {{nihongo2|言向}} "directed words; cause submission though the power of words", and ''jumon'' {{nihongo2|呪文}} "magic spell; magic words; incantation".

==Mythology==
''Kotodama'' is a central concept in [[Japanese mythology]], [[Shinto]], and [[Kokugaku]]. For example, the ''Kojiki'' describes an ''ukei'' (or ''seiyaku'') {{nihongo2|誓約}} "covenant; trial by pledge" between the sibling gods [[Susanoo-no-Mikoto|Susanoo]] and [[Amaterasu]], "Let each of us swear, and produce children."{{Citation needed|date=January 2018}} Uttering the divine words of the [[Shinto]] [[divination]] ritual known as ''[[ukehi]]''{{Clarify|date=March 2012}} supposedly determines results, and in this case, Amaterasu giving birth to five male deities proved that Susanoo's intentions were pure.

==Martial arts==
''Kototama'' or ''kotodama'' is also fundamental to [[Japanese martial arts]], for instance, in the use of [[kiai]].{{Cn|date=May 2024}} [[Morihei Ueshiba]], the founder of [[aikido]] and a student of Deguchi, used ''kototama'' as a spiritual basis for his teachings. [[William Gleason (aikidoka)|William Gleason]] says Ueshiba "created aikido based on the ''kototama'' principle," and quotes him that "Aikido is the superlative way to practice the ''kototama''. It is the means by which one realizes his true nature as a god and finds ultimate freedom."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gleason|first1=William|title=The Spiritual Foundations of Aikido|date=1994|publisher=Destiny Books|location=Rochester, Vermont|isbn=9780892815081|page=55|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S4JRDf6C4iMC&pg=PA55|access-date=6 November 2017|language=en}}</ref> [[Mutsuro Nakazono]], a disciple of Ueshiba, wrote books on the importance of ''kototama'' in aikido, such as ''The Kototama Principle'' in 1983.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gleason|first1=William|title=The Spiritual Foundations of Aikido|date=1995|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=9781620551226|page=194|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C18oDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT194|access-date=6 November 2017|language=en}}</ref>

==Equivalences==
While other cultures have parallels to ''kotodama'', such as [[mantra]], yanling, [[Mana (Oceanian cultures)|mana]], and [[logos]], some Japanese people believe the "word spirit" is unique to the Japanese language. One of the classical [[names of Japan]] is {{nihongo|''kototama no sakiwau kuni''|言霊の幸わう国||"the land where the mysterious workings of language bring bliss"}},<ref>{{cite book |title=[[Kenkyūsha's New Japanese-English Dictionary]] |date=2003 |edition=5th |quote=the soul [spirit] of language; the miraculous power of language [a phrase, a spell].}}</ref>{{ISBN missing|date=November 2017}}{{Page needed|date=November 2017}} a phrase that originated in the ''[[Man'yōshū]]''.

==See also==

* {{section link|Ancient Egyptian conception of the soul#Ren (name, identity)}}
* [[Cledonism]]
* [[Homophone#Japanese|Dōongo]] / ''Dōon Igigo'' ([[wiktionary:同音語|同音語]] / [[wiktionary:同音異義語|同音異義語]], lit. "Like-Sound Utterance" / "Like-Sound Different-Meaning Utterance")—Homophones, while not a-part of ''Shinto''-in-&-of-themselves, occur in many things that are considered lucky are considered-so ''because'' they are homophones of things that are lucky (i.e. ''Jū Nana'' meaning, both 'great wealth'/'prosperity' and the number #17), and, likewise, many things that are considered unlucky are considered-so ''because'' they are homophones of things that are unlucky (i.e. ''Shizan'' meaning, both, '[[stillborn]]' and the number #43).  See also ''[[Tetraphobia]]'', ''[[Japanese superstitions]]'' and ''[[Onomatopoeia]]''.
* [[Linguistic relativity]]
* [[Law of contagion]]
* [[Magic word]]
* [[Mantra]]
* [[Norito]]
* [[Om]]
** [[Om mani padme hum]]
* [[Shabda]]
* [[Sympathetic magic]]
* [[True name]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary|kotodama}}
*[http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/entry.php?entryID=1216 Kotodama], Encyclopedia of Shinto
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071209213050/http://www.aikidojournal.com/encyclopedia?entryID=428 KOTODAMA], Encyclopedia of Aikido
*[http://www.etc.cmu.edu/projects/jlls/kotodama/ Kotodama: The Power of Words], A Videogame that teaches Japanese, Carnegie Mellon

{{Japanese social terms}}

[[Category:Japanese mythology]]
[[Category:Japanese words and phrases]]
[[Category:Language and mysticism]]
[[Category:Magic words| ]]
[[Category:Shinto]]
[[Category:Vitalism]]