Date
Name Kagura
Gender Feminine & Masculine
Usage Japanese (Modern)
Scripts 神楽, 楽羅, 華楽, 華空, 輝楽, 馨楽, 芳良, 伽倉, 絵椋, etc. (kanji), かぐら (hiragana), カグラ (katakana)
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Meaning & History
From 神楽 (kagura), referring to ancient Shintō music and dancing. It is shifted from earlier kangura and even earlier kamugura, from a combination of 神 (kamu), an old compounded form of kami, referring to a spirit or essence, and 座 (kura), referring to a seat or a high place. That compound was used to refer to the place used to call down the kami to earth with a miko acting as its medium.
The first kanji can be substituted with one that can (partially) be read as ka, like 伽, 華 meaning "flower," 輝 meaning "brightness, brilliance," 馨/芳 meaning "fragrance, aroma" or 絵 meaning "picture, drawing." As for the second kanji, the ones that can be read as (ku)ra can be used, such as 羅 meaning "thin silk, gauze,"空 meaning "sky," 良 meaning "good, excellent," 倉 or 椋 meaning "warehouse, storehouse, treasury."
The first kanji can be substituted with one that can (partially) be read as ka, like 伽, 華 meaning "flower," 輝 meaning "brightness, brilliance," 馨/芳 meaning "fragrance, aroma" or 絵 meaning "picture, drawing." As for the second kanji, the ones that can be read as (ku)ra can be used, such as 羅 meaning "thin silk, gauze,"空 meaning "sky," 良 meaning "good, excellent," 倉 or 椋 meaning "warehouse, storehouse, treasury."