THE BEGINNING OF
HEAVEN AND EARTH
The names of the
deities that were born in the Plain of High Heaven when the
Heaven and Earth began were the deity
Master-of-the-August-Center-of-Heaven; next, the
High-August-Producing-Wondrous deity; next, the
Divine-Producing-Wondrous deity. These three deities were all
deities born alone, and hid their persons. The names of the
deities that were born next from a thing that sprouted up like
unto a reed-shoot when the earth, young and like unto floating
oil, drifted about medusa-like, were the
Pleasant-Reed-Shoot-Prince-Elder deity, next the
Heavenly-Eternally-Standing deity. These two deities were
likewise born alone, and hid their persons.
The five deities
in the above list are separate Heavenly deities.
THE SEVEN DIVINE
GENERATIONS
The names of the
deities that were born next were the Earthly-Eternally-Standing
deity; next, the Luxuriant-Integrating-Master deity. These two
deities were likewise deities born alone, and hid their persons.
The names of the deities that were born next were the deity
Mud-Earth-Lord; next, his Younger sister the deity
-Mud-Earth-Lady; next, the Germ-Integrating deity; next, his
younger sister the Life-Integrating-Deity; next, the deity of
Elder-of-the-Great-Place; next, his younger sister the deity
Elder-Lady-of-the-Great-Place; next, the deity Perfect-Exterior;
next, his younger sister the deity Oh-Awful-Lady; next, the
deity Izanagi or the Male-Who-Invites; next, his younger sister
Izanami or the deity the Female-Who-Invites.
From the
Earthly-Eternally-Standing deity down to the deity the
Female-Who-Invites in the previous list are what are termed the
Seven Divine Generations.
THE ISLAND OF
ONOGORO
Hereupon all the
Heavenly deities commanded the two deities His Augustness the
Male-Who-Invites and Her Augustness the Female-Who-Invites,
ordering them to "make, consolidate, and give birth to this
drifting land." Granting to them a heavenly jeweled spear, they
thus deigned to charge them. So the two deities, standing upon
the Floating Bridge of Heaven pushed down the jeweled spear and
stirred with it, whereupon, when they had stirred the brine till
it went curdle-curdle, and drew the spear up, the brine that
dripped down from the end of the spear was piled up and became
an island. This is the Island of Onogoro.
COURTSHIP OF THE
DEITIES THE MALE-WHO-INVITES AND THE FEMALE-WHO-INVITES
Having descended
from Heaven on to this island, they saw to the erection of a
heavenly august pillar, they saw to the erection of a hall of
eight fathoms. Then Izanagi, the Male-Who-Invites, said to
Izanami, the Female-Who-Invites, "We should create children";
and he said, "Let us go around the heavenly august pillar, and
when we meet on the other side let us be united. Do you go
around from the left, and I will go from the right." When they
met, Her Augustness, the Female-Who-Invites, spake first,
exclaiming, "Ah, what a fair and lovable youth!" Then His
Augustness said, "Ah what a fair and lovable maiden!" But
afterward he said, " It was not well that the woman should speak
first!" The child which was born to them was Hiruko (the
leech-child), which when three years old was still unable to
stand upright. So they placed the leech-child in a boat of reeds
and let it float away. Next they gave birth to the island of
Aha. This likewise is not reckoned among their children.
Hereupon the two
deities took counsel, saving: "The children to whom we have now
given birth are not good. It will be best to announce this in
the august place of the Heavenly deities." They ascended
forthwith to Heaven and inquired of Their Augustnesses the
Heavenly deities. Then the Heavenly deities commanded and found
out by grand divination, and ordered them, saying: "they were
not good because the woman spoke first. Descend back again and
amend your words." So thereupon descending back, they again went
round the heavenly august pillar. Thereupon his Augustness the
Male-who-Invites spoke first: " Ah! what a fair and lovely
maiden!" Afterward his younger sister Her Augustness the
Female-Who-Invites spoke: " Ah! what a fair and lovely youth! "
Next they gave birth to the Island of Futa-na in Iyo. This
island has one body and four faces, and each face has a name. So
the Land of Iyo is called Lovely-Princess; the Land of Sanuki is
called Princess-Good-Boiled-Rice; the Land of Aha is called the
Princess-of-Great-Food, the Land of Tosa is called
Brave-Good-Youth. Next they gave birth to the islands of Mitsu-go
near Oki, another name for which islands is
Heavenly-Great-Heart-Youth. This island likewise has one body
and four faces, and each face has a name. So the Land of
Tsukushi is called White-Sun-Youth; the Land of Toyo is called
Luxuriant-Sun-Youth; the Land of Hi is called
Brave-Sun-Confronting-Luxuriant-Wondrous-Lord-Youth; the Land of
Kumaso is called Brave-Sun-Youth. Next they gave birth to the
Island of Iki, another name for which is Heaven's One-Pillar.
Next they gave birth to the Island of Tsu, another name for
which is Heavenly-Hand-Net-Good-Princess. Next they gave birth
to the Island of Sado. Next they gave birth to
Great-Yamato-the-Luxuriant-Island-of-the-Dragon-fly, another
name for which is
Heavenly-August-Sky-Luxuriant-Dragon-fly-Lord-Youth. The name of
"Land-of-the-Eight-Great-Islands" therefore originated in these
eight islands having been born first. After that, when they had
returned, they gave birth to the Island of Koo-zhima in Kibi,
another name for which island is Brave-Sun-Direction-Youth. Next
they gave birth to the Island of Adzuki, another name for which
is Oho-Nu-De-Hime. Next they gave birth to the Island of Oho-shima,
another name for which is Oho-Tamaru-Wake. -Next they gave birth
to the Island of Hime, another name for which is
Heaven's-One-Root. Next they gave birth to the Island of Chika,
another name for which is Heavenly-Great-Male. Next they gave
birth to the islands of Futa-go, another name for which is
Heaven's Two-Houses. (Six islands in all from the Island of Ko
in Kibi to the Island of Heaven's-Two-Houses.)
BIRTH OF THE
VARIOUS DEITIES
When they had
finished giving birth to countries, they began afresh giving
birth to deities. So the name of the deity they gave birth to
was the deity Great-Male-of-the-Great-Thing; next, they gave
birth to the deity Rock-Earth-Prince; next, they gave birth to
the deity Rock-Nest-Princess; next, they gave birth to the deity
Great-Door-Sun-Youth; next, they gave birth to the deity
Heavenly-Blowing-Male; next, they gave birth to the deity
Great-House-Prince; next, they gave birth to the deity
Youth-of-the-Wind-Breath-the-Great-Male; next, they gave birth
to the sea-deity, whose name is the deity Great-Ocean-Possessor
next, they gave birth to the deity of the Water-Gates, whose
name is the deity Prince-of-Swift-Autumn ; next they gave birth
to his younger sister the deity Princess-of-Swift-Autumn. (Ten
deities in all from the deity Great-Male-of-the-Great-Thing to
the deity Princess-of-Autumn.) The names of the deities given
birth to by these two deities Prince-of-Swift-Autumn and
Princess-of-Swift-Autumn from their separate dominions of river
and sea were: the deity Foam-Calm; next, the deity Foam-Waves;
next the deity Bubble-Calm; next, the deity Bubble-Waves; next
the deity Heavenly-Water-Divider; next, the deity
Earthly-Water-Divider; next, the deity
Heavenly-Water-Drawing-Gourd-Possessor; next, the deity
Earthly-Water-Drawing-Gourd-Possessor. (Eight deities in all
from the deity Foam-Prince to the deity
Earthly-Water-Drawing-Gourd-Possessor.) Next, they gave birth to
the deity of Wind, whose name is the deity Prince-of-Long-Wind.
Next, they gave birth to the deity of Trees, whose name is deity
Stem-Elder; next, they gave birth to the deity of Mountains,
whose name is the deity Great-Mountain-Possessor. Next, they
gave birth to the deity of Moors, whose name is the deity
Thatch-Moor-Princess, another name for whom is the deity
Moor-Elder. (Four deities in all from the deity
Prince-of-long-wind to Moor-Elder.) The names of the deities
given birth to by these two deities, the deity
Great-Mountain-Possessor and the deity, Moor-Elder from their
separate dominions of mountain and moor were: the deity
Heavenly-Elder-of-the Passes; next, the deity
Earthly-Elder-of-the-Passes; next, the deity
Heavenly-Pass-Boundary; next, the deity Earthly-Pass-Boundary;
next, the deity Heavenly-Dark-Door; next, the deity
Earthly-Dark-Door next, the deity Great-Vale-Prince; next, the
deity Great-Vale-Princess. (Eight deities in all from the deity
Heavenly-Elder-of-the-Passes to the deity Great-Vale-Princess.)
The name of the deity they next gave birth to was the deity
Bird's-Rock-Camphor-tree-Boat, another name for whom is the
Heavenly-Bird-Boat. Next, they gave birth to the deity
Princess-of-Great-Food. Next, they gave birth to the
Fire-Burning-Swift-Male deity, another name for whom is the
deity Fire-Shining-Prince, and another name is the deity
Fire-Shining-Elder.
RETIREMENT OF HER
AUGUSTNESS THE PRINCESS-WHO-INVITES
Through giving
birth to this child her august private parts were burned, and
she sickened and lay down. The names of the deities born from
her vomit were the deity Metal-Mountain-Prince and, next, the
deity Metal-Mountain-Princess. The names of the deities that
were born from her feces were the deity Clay-Viscid-Prince and,
next, the deity Clay-Viscid-Princess. The names of the deities
that were next born from her urine were the deity Mitsubanome
and, next, the Young-Wondrous-Producing deity. The child of this
deity was called the deity Luxuriant-Food-Princess. So the deity
the Female-Who-Invites, through giving birth to the deity of
Fire, at length divinely retired. (Eight deities in all from the
Heavenly-Bird-Boat to the deity Luxuriant-Food-Princess.) The
total number of islands given birth to jointly by the two
deities the Male- Who-Invites and the Female-Who-Invites was
fourteen, and of deities thirty-five. (These are such as were
given birth to before the deity the Princess-Who-Invites
divinely retired. Only the Island of Onogoro was not given birth
to and, moreover, the Leech-Child and the Island of Aha are not
reckoned among the children.)
So then His
Augustness the Male-Who-Invites said: " Oh! Thine Augustness my
lovely younger sister' Oh! that I should have exchanged thee for
this single child! " And as he crept round her august pillow,
and as he crept round her august feet and wept, there was born
from his august tears the deity that dwells at Konomoto, near
Unewo on Mount Kagu, and whose name is the Crying-Weeping-Female
deity. So he buried the divinely retired deity the
Female-Who-Invites on Mount Hiba, at the boundary of the Land of
Idzumo and the Land of Hahaki.
TIIE SLAYING OF
TIIE FIRE-DEITY
Then His
Augustness the Male-Who-Invites, drawing the ten-grasp saber
that was augustly girded on him, cut off the head of his child
the deity Shining-Elder. Hereupon the names of the deities that
were born from the blood that stuck to the point of the august
sword and bespattered the multitudinous rock-masses were: the
deity Rock-Splitter; next, the deity Root-Splitter; next, the
Rock-Possessing-Male deity. The names of the deities that were
next born from the blood that stuck to the upper part of the
august sword and again bespattered the multitudinous rock-masses
were: the Awfully-Swift deity; next, the Fire-Swift deity; next,
the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male deity, another name for whom is
the Brave-Snapping deity, and another name is the
Luxuriant-Snapping deity. The names of the deities that were
next born from the blood that collected on the hilt of the
august sword and leaked out between his fingers were: the deity
Kura-okami and, next, the deity Kura-mitsuba.
All the eight
deities in the above list, from the deity Rock-Splitter to the
deity Kura-mitsuha, are deities that were born from the august
sword.
The name of the
deity that was born from the bead of the deity Shining-Elder,
who bad been slain, was the deity
Possessor-of-the-True-Pass-Mountains. The name of the deity that
was next born from his chest was the deity
Possessor-of-Descent--Mountains. The name of the deity that was
next born from his belly was the deity
Possessor-of-the-Innermost Mountains. The name of the deity that
was next born from his private parts was the deity
Possessor-of-the-Dark-Mountains. The name of the deity that was
next born from his left hand was the deity
Possessor-of-the-Densely-Wooded-Mountains. The name of the deity
that was next born from his right hand was the deity
Possessor-of-the-Outlying-Mountains. The name of the deity that
was next born from his left foot was the deity
Possessor-of-the-Moorland-Mountains. The name of the deity that
was next born from his right foot was the deity
Possessor-of-the-Outer--Mountains. (Eight deities in an from the
deity Possessor-of-the-True-Pass-Mountains to the deity
Possessor-of-the-Outer--Mountains.) So the name of the sword
with which the -Male-Who-Invites cut off his son's head was
Heavenly-Point-Blade-Extended, and another name was
Majestic-Point-Blade-Extended. |