FUNADAMA – Shinto goddess of ships and boats. Like Toyota she was a daughter of the sea god Watatsumi. (Remember, I mostly go by the Kojiki and the Nihongi, the earliest written accounts of Shinto myths. Those two books refer to the humanoid Watatsumi as the god of the sea. Ryujin the dragon god of the sea came from later traditions. )
Sailors, fishermen and all travelers by sea, river or lake would pray to her Funadama for protection and there is still a festival dedicated to her on August 15th of each year in Saitama prefecture. The festival commemorates the goddess’ protection of travelers on the Ara River who prayed for safe transport from Chichibu to Edo in the Tokugawa period, 1603-1867.
Women’s hair, dice and/or money would be inserted into the masts of ships to invoke the protection of Funadama.
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