Some of the Koya-hijiri, being not farmer-like originality, were provided with a yamashi (person engaged in work in mountains, such as woodcutters, etc.)-like character, and it is also said that, when finding a hot spring, they borrowed the name of Kukai, the founder of their sect.
高野聖のうちには、その離農的な性格から、いわゆる山師的なものもおり、それらが温泉を探り当てた際に宗祖たる空海の名を借用したともいわれる。