In mid ninth century, the deity of Hongu, who had been simply called Kumanonimasukami (the deity who resides in Kumano) and whose name had not been clear, became to be called Ketsumimiko or Shosei bosatsu, and a tradition that Ketsumimiko, together with Fusubi and Hayatama in Shingu, were traditional Kumano deities was established ('Kumano Gongen Suijaku Engi,' included in "Chokan-kanmon").
9世紀中ごろになると、単に熊野坐神（くまのにますかみ）とだけ呼ばれ、神名が明確でなかった本宮の神が家津美御子ないし証誠菩薩と呼ばれるようになり、新宮の牟須美・速玉とともに家津美御子が古くからの熊野神であるとの伝承が成立した（「熊野権現垂迹縁起」、『長寛勘文』所収））。