Webisu - the Kami (deity) of water

In medieval times, Webisu's origin came to be tied together with that of Hiruko, born without bones due to his mother's transgression during the marriage ritual. Hiruko struggled to survive but, as he could not stand, he was cast into the sea in a boat of reeds before his third birthday. The story tells that Hiruko eventually washed ashore—possibly in ancient Hokkaidō—and was cared for by the Ainu Webisu Saburo (戎三郎). For some communities, in addition for being a deity of fishing, wealth, and fortune, Webisu is also associated with objects that would drift ashore from the sea such as logs and even corpses. This ongoing project capturing the offerings of visitors to the North Devon shoreline as well as those washed up by the tides reflects the relationship between the people of North Devon and the sea.