Onarigami

Onarigami (おなり神^?, also written as をなり神) is the ancient belief of the Ryūkyūan people that spiritual power is the domain of women. The roles of women in Okinawan society and the ritual traditions of the Ryūkyūan religion are related to this belief. Women with exceptionally high spiritual power are called kaminchu (神人^?, also read as "kamigutsu") and many have specific jobs in society. Though the role of priestesses has changed over time, they are still celebrated in Okinawa today.

Ryukyuan religion is the indigenous belief system of the Ryūkyū Islands. It is largely based on ancestor veneration and concerned with relationships with the supernatural world. It is similar to Shinto but is also influenced by Polynesian religious beliefs and practices.

Over time, Ryūkyūan religious practice has been influenced by Chinese religions, Buddhism, and Shinto.

In the late fifteenth century, King Shō Shin established a formal hierarchy of religious officials that corresponded closely to the hierarchy of male government officials. He appointed his sister as the high priestess, known as the kikoe-ōgimi. By the sixteenth century, the traditional Ryūkyūan beliefs were part of a well-structured state religion in the Ryūkyūan Kingdom. The hierarchy of priestesses were an important factor in keeping the Ryūkyūan Kingdom unified. The royal authority of kings was closely interwoven with the power of female religious officials to confer spiritual power (seji or shiji) (Smits, 55). However, the king was not originally a large part in most important rites of the state. His role was passive compared to the Buddhist monks, high priestess and other leading female religious officials (Smits, 101).

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