I need to rant about some linguistic cookery I’m cooking up in the next chapter of my historical hetalia fic. Because I realize I can rant here about things I thought abt in the writing process.
I realized that it would be really interesting to delineate what each personification calls their species in their own language- and how that reflects their own character.
The first photo is a dialogue between Arthur and Kiku— Arthur calls them “Land Lords” and Kiku calls them “jinushigami.”
Arthur’s title originates from feudalism, and specifically describes aristocracy and ownership over land. (This scene is written before capitalism- but later may give a capitalist connotation as well. Which I imagine Alfred would use the term as well, since he’s #AngloAmerican) It connotes a position of power that personifications may have over humanity- or at least, the land or people which they represent.
Both English and Celtic mythos don’t have an exact translation for the concept of land deities- but also wanted to invoke some faerie court mythos in the aristocratic connotation. To me, Arthur is a character who is both self-serving and a little impulsive in nature, but also cares about human hierarchy- so calling himself a land lord is perfect.
Kiku, on the other hand, uses “jinushigami” which directly translates into “land-master-god.” It is a direct concept that comes from a Shinto context. According to Matsubara Seiji from Kokugakuin University,
“Jinushigami were originally created upon the occasion of the opening of new land, with the purpose of obtaining permission from the resident chthonic kami, or of confining the kami within the land so that it might not curse humans living nearby. Jinushigami can be broadly classified into those which are the ancestral kami (sojin) of the pioneer developers of a region, and those which are the original ancestral kami of a consanguineous clan”
In a dual sense, both protective and family/clan specific land deity. We still have a direct tie to ownership of land in the creation of opening of new land, but less so with the hierarchy over people. Moreso, the jinushigami is there to work on their behalf.
To me, Kiku cares deeply about perception and the duty that is born from perception- while still ultimately being self-serving himself. So this fits what he would call himself.
Finally, in the last photo, we got Koshamain (Hokkaido Ainu OC) speaking…and he says something a little different here. “Kamuy” is an Ainu term that’s roughly gods/spirits that occur everywhere- both in nature and in man-made objects. “Puri” means “way of life/culture/customs”- directly translates to “the way”
So, in this reading, there actually is not a tie to land in his name for personifications. Instead, within the term itself, it’s the culture, the customs, the way of life that get interpreted as what makes the personification. That’s what makes the spirit.
Just some little thoughts….
