In English, to "spirit away" means to remove without anyone's noticing.
In Japanese folklore, spiriting away (Japanese: Kamikakushi (神隠し), lit. 'hidden by kami') refers to the mysterious disappearance or death of a person, after they had angered the spirits (kami). There are numerous legends of humans being abducted to the spirit world by kami. Folklorist Kunio Yanagita recorded several tales of kamikakushi in Tōno Monogatari (遠野物語, Tōno Tales, 1909).[1]
In Philippine folklore, spiriting away means disappearance of a person towards the land of the Engkantos (enchanted beings). One example is Biringan, a magical city rumored to be found in Samar, Philippines.
- ^ Reider, Noriko T. (April 2005). "Spirited Away: Film of the Fantastic and Evolving Japanese Folk Symbols". Film Criticism. 23 (3): 4–27, 79. Retrieved 2 April 2020.