Ame No Minaka-nushi No Kami, Takamimusubi No Kami, and Kamimusubi No Kami are collectively known as the Musubi-Kami.

Shintō — the Way of the Kami — was originally known as “Musubi no Michi”, the Way of Musubi (産霊), so the term deserves a little unpacking.

The term “musu”, represented by the kanji 産, has an association with the concepts of giving birth to something, or producing something. An old Japanese poem refers to moss growing on a huge boulder over eight thousand human generations, even as the boulder is eventually reduced to pebbles, which are themselves completely hidden by the moss — the verb used to describe the moss growing is “musu”, apparently spontaneous, endlessly creative and transformative action.

The word “bi”, represented by the kanji 霊, has the sense of things of which nothing can be said but which inspire reverence, despite — perhaps because of — their essentially hidden nature. Just as ancient people revered the Sun, they also revered these things which they could sense, but not describe.

So, the Musubi-Kami are the spiritual beings who are the ultimate progenitors of everything which exists or is said to exist in Heaven and Earth, which is exalted and which inspires reverence, and of which little else may be said.