Kotodama

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Kotodama or kototama are words which east Asian cultures believe to have a magical effect on the world. These effects range from stopping earthquakes to creating fires. Kotodama (言霊 or ことだま pronounced [kotodama]) means the soul or power of language. Kotodama are sometimes referred to as "Power Words" and are believed to have great strength in affecting our environment, mind, body, and soul. These words are supposedly reached through enlightenment or when a kami (god) grants a person the use of a Kotodama. Kotodama has a direct translation of "spirit word."

Kotodama are sometimes found in the martial arts, in the form of kiai. Additionally, Kotodama are sometimes found in the form of magical oaths, such as the ukei (archaic ukehi) found in the Kojiki.