Next they gave birth to the Island of Chika, another name for which is Heavenly-Great-Male. the "Kami" is the name for the sacred text of the Shinto tradition. It is only that he wishes to wrest my land from me." When he departed thence and reached the moor of Tagi, he said: " Whereas my heart always felt like flying through the sky, my legs are now unable to walk. Having thus spoken, they took fire, and burned a large stone like unto a boar, and rolled it down. The names of the deities that were next born to rectify those evils were: the Divine-Rectifying-Wondrous deity; next, the Great-Rectictifying-Wondrous deity; next, the Female-Deity-Idzu. Sometimes they are passed down orally. Therefore did the eight hundred myriad deities assemble in a divine assembly in the bed of the Tranquil River of Heaven, and bid the deity Thought-Includer, child of the High-August-Producing-Wondrous deity, think of a plan, assembling the long-singing birds of eternal night and making them sing, taking the hard rocks of Heaven from the river-bed of the Tranquil River of Heaven, and taking the iron from the Heavenly Metal-Mountains, calling in the smith Ama-tsu-ma-ra, charging Her Augtsness I-shi-ko-ri-do-me to make a mirror, and charging His Augustness Jewel-Ancestor to make an augustly complete string of curved jewels eight feet long - of five hundred jewels - and summoning His Augustness Heavenly-Beekoning-Ancestor-Lord and His Augustness Great-Jewel, and causing them to pull out with a complete pulling the shoulder-blade of a true stag from the Heavenly Mount Kagu, and take cherry-bark from the Heavenly Mount Kagu, and perform divination, and pulling up by pulling its roots a true cleyera japonica with five hundred branches from the Heavenly Mount Kaga, and taking and putting upon its upper branches the augustly complete string of curved jewels eight feet long - of five hundred jewels - and taking and tying to the middle branches the mirror eight feet long, and taking and hanging upon its lower branches the white pacificatory offerings and the blue pacificatory offering His Augustness Grand-Jewel taking these divers things and holding them together with the grand august offerings, and His Augustness Heavenly-Beckoning-Ancestor-Lord prayerfully reciting grand liturgies, and the Heavenly Hand-Strength-Male deity standing hidden beside the door, and Her Augustness Heavenly-Alarming-Female banging round her the heavenly clubmoss the Heavenly -Mount Kagu as a sash, and making the heavenly spindle-tree her head-dress and binding the leaves of the bamboo-grass of the Heavenly -Mount-Kagu in a posy for her hands, and laying a sounding-board before the door of the Heavenly Rock-Dwelling and stamping, till she made it resound and doing as if possessed by a deity, and pulling out the nipples of her breasts, pushing down her skirt-string "usque ad privates partes". is out of print and hard to obtain. The evolution of Japanese art and its relationship to Buddhism. So, having secretly made the wood of an oak-tree into a false sword and augustly girded it, he went with the bravo to bathe in the River Hi. The old man answered, saying: "I had originally eight young girls as daughters. So, on my doing as they had instructed me, my whole body was hurt." 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. Thereupon His-Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness replied, saying: "Let each of us swear and produce children." At this time, his august sickness very urgent. Next they gave birth to the Island of Tsu, another name for which is Heavenly-Hand-Net-Good-Princess. that relate to the spirituality of Japan, which combines Shinto, While she was thus speaking, His Augustness Heavenly-Beckoning-Ancestor-Lord and His Augustness Grand-Jewel pushed forward the mirror and respectfully showed it to the Heaven-Shining-Great-August deity, whereupon the Heaven-Shining-Great-August deity, more and more astonished, gradually came forth from the door and gazed upon it, whereupon the Heavenly-Hand-Strength-Male deity, who was standing hidden, took her august hand and drew her out, and then His Augustness Grand-Jewel drew the bottom-tied rope along at her august back, and spoke, saving: "Thou must not go back further in than this"! Each group/family of Shinto people record their prayers in books. Then the great deity went out and looked, and said: " This is the Ugly-Male-Deity-of-the-Reed-Plains," and at once calling him in, made him sleep in the snake-house. Then the Kumaso bravo said: " That must be true. ), Section LXXV.Emperor Sui-nin (Part VII.His Death and that of the Empress Hibasu. Section XLVI.Emperor Jim-mu (Part III.The Gigantic Crow and Gods With Tails), Section XLVII.Emperor Jim-mu (Part IV.The Ukashi Brethren), Section XLVIII.Emperor Jim-mu (Part V.The Earth-Spider of the Cave of Osaka), Section XLIX.Emperor Jim-mu (Part. 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. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. Then I will tread on them, and count them as I run across. by Kakuzo Okakura [1906] YAMATO-TAKE IS SENT TO SUBDUE THE EAST AND VISITS HIS AUNT AT ISE, Then the Heavenly Sovereign again urged a command on His Augustness Yamato-take, saying: "subdue and pacify the savage deities and likewise the unsubmissive people of the twelve roads of the East"; and when he sent him off, joining to him Prince -Mi-suki-tomo-mimi-take, ancestor of the Grandees of Kibi, he bestowed on him a holly-wood spear eight fathoms long. have deep connections with Japanese Buddhism, Shinto, and Japanese The Shundai Zatsuwa (A Japanese Philosopher) I mean to marry the deity Great-Name- Possessor." Buddhism, made it difficult to proof the text, so I put it aside. I am called by the name of Foot-Stroking-Elder, my wife is called by the name of Hand-Stroking-Elder, and my daughter is called by the name of Wondrous-Inada-Princess." If thou do like this, I will in one day strangle to death a thousand of the folk of thy land." But the heavenly speaking-lute brushed against a tree, and the earth resounded. The aesthetics of the Japanese Tea Ceremony, and 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. It can take place in the home or in shrines. Kogoshui: Gleanings from Ancient Stories Though I slay it not now, I will slay it when I return"-- and so saying, ascended. Hereupon the eighty deities, seeing this, again deceived him, taking him with them into the mountains, where they cut down a large tree, inserted a wedge in the tree and made him stand in the middle, whereupon they took away the wedge and tortured him to death. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. An account of Japanese Neo-Confucian thought. These three deities His Augustness Elder-Male-of-the-Bottom, His Augustness Elder-Male-of-the-Middle, and His Augustness Elder-Male-of-the-Surface are the three great deities of the Inlet of Sumi. FAQ| Again, the rock with which he blocked up the Even-Pass-of-Hades is called the Great-Deity-of-the-Road-Turning-back, and again it is called the Blocking-Great-Deity-of-the-Door-of-Hades. THE AUGUST RAVAGES OF HIS-IMPETUOUS-MALE-AUGUSTNESS. It is therefore solely with the thought of taking leave of thee and departing, that I have ascended hither. So he took this great sword, and, thinking it a strange thing, he respectfully informed the Heaven-Shining-Great-August deity. THE BEGINNING OF HEAVEN AND EARTH . Then the Empress and likewise the august children, though they tore their feet treading on the stubble of the bamboo-grass, forgot the pain, and pursued him with lamentations. So reaching the land of Wohari, he went into the house of Princess Miyadzu, ancestress of the rulers of Wohari, and forthwith thought to wed her; but thinking again that he would wed her when he should return up toward the capital, and having plighted his troth, he went on into the Eastern lands, and subdued and pacified all the savage deities and unsubmissive people of the mountains and rivers. Hereupon, when they arrived at Cape Keta, thev found a naked hare lying down. So the bird flew off from that country, and stopped at Shiki in the land of Kafuchi. The Kojiki This short and very readable book describes the code of honor of the My dear young sister, Thine Augustness! Hearing that you two fellows, the Kumaso bravoes, were unsubmissive and disrespectful, the Heavenly Sovereign sent me with the command to take and slay you." So then, pursuing after him to the Even-Pass-of-Hades, and gazing on him from afar, be called out to the deity Great-Name-Possessor, saying: "With the great life-sword and the life-bow-and-arrows which thou carriest, pursue thy half-brethren till they crouch on the august slopes of the passes, and pursue them till they are swept into the reaches of the rivers, and do thou, wretch! So when, on descending back, he reached the fresh spring of Tamakura-be and rested there, his august heart awoke somewhat. saying: "Do Thine Augustness rule the Plain-of-High-Heaven." The Nihon Shoki The two texts almosts contains the whole mythological background of the Shinto religion while setting out the early history of the Japanese islands. So, on looking at the head, be saw that there were many centipedes there. Then the Heavenly deities commanded and found out by grand divination, and ordered them, saying: "they were not good because the woman spoke first. Lift up the luxuriant august liquor!". This is the first death in the world. The name of the deity that was born from the august skirt which he next threw down was the deity Loosen-Put. When, having thence penetrated on and subdued all the savage Yemisi [Ainu] and likewise pacified all the savage deities of the mountains and rivers, he was returning up to the capital, he, on reaching the foot of the Ashigara Pass, was eating his august provisions, when the deity of the pass, transformed into a white deer, came and stood before him. Emperor Kei-k (Part V.Yamato-Take Slays the Kumaso Bravoes), Section LXXXI.Emperor Kei-k (Part VI.Yamato-take Slays the Idzumo Bravo), Section LXXXII.Emperor Kei-k (Part VII.Yamato-take is Sent to Subdue the East, and Visits His Aunt at Ise), Section LXXXIII.Emperor Kei-k (Part VIII.Yamato-take Slays the Rulers of Sagamu. Then the Kumaso bravo spoke, saying: "Do not move the sword; I have something to say." Again on the night of the next day the Impetuous--Male deity put him into the centipede and wasp-house; but as she again gave him a centipede and wasp-scarf, and instructed him as before, he came forth calmly. Hereupon his wife the Forward-Princess came bearing mourning implements, and crying. Search| That song said: "Eight clouds arise. from the direction of home clouds are rising and coming!". Section LXXXIX. Shinto consists of ritual practices in public shrines devoted to many different gods, public rituals such as war . The full annotated version of one of the two Japanese national epics. But as for me alas! Various Deeds. So I have now descended from Heaven." Then he asked him: "What is its form like?" society and history. After this, placing in Princess Miyazu's house his august sword "the Grass-Quelling Saber," he went forth to take the deity of Mount Ibuki. Oh! history of Shinto in Japan. The history and practice of Pure Land Buddhism in Japan. A comprehensive history of Mahayana Buddhism, particularly in Japan, and possible ties to Gnosticism and early Christianity. these birds! So speak not too lovingly, Thine Augustness the Deity-of-Eight-Thousand-Spears! The first English translation of the classic tale of 10th century Japanese courtly love. Includes two translated texts from the Nichiren school. A wonderful thousand-year-old collection of Tanka poetry. understanding shinto origins beliefs The names of the deities that were born from her feces were the deity Clay-Viscid-Prince and, next, the deity Clay-Viscid-Princess. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. When this great deity, first built the palace of Suga, clouds rose up thence. So the deity her husband, being distressed, was about to go up from Idzumo to the Land of Yamato; and as he stood attired, with one august hand on the saddle of his august horse and one august foot in the august stirrup, he sang, saying: When I take and attire myself so carefully in my august garments black as the true jewels of the moor, and, like the birds of the offing, look at my breast -though I raise my fins, I say that these are not good, and cast them off on the waves on the beach. The book is densely footnoted, almost to the point where the 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.). ), the first written record in Japan, part of which is considered a sacred text of the Shint religion. Then the deities Foot-Stroking-Elder and Hand-Stroking-Elder said: "If that be so, with reverence will we offer her to thee." Again, as to his breaking down the divisions of the rice-fields and filling up the ditches, it must be because be grudges the land they occupy that His Augustness mine elder brother acts thus." Then the eighty deities spoke to the hare, saying: "What thou shouldest do is to bathe in the sea-water here, and lie on the slope of a high mountain exposed to the blowing of the wind." One of the reasons that sakaki trees are considered sacred in Shinto has to do with the fact that they are evergreens and therefore symbolic of immortality. Then His Augustness the Male-Who-Invites announced to the peaches: "Like as ye have helped me, so must ve help all living people in the Central Land of Reed-Plains when they shall fall into troublous circumstances and be harassed! 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. Shinto ("the way of the Kami") is the name of the formal state religion of Japan that was first used in the 6th century C.E., although the roots of the religion go back to at least the 6th. Section XC.Emperor Kei-k (Part XV.Yamato-take Turns into a White Bird), Section XCI.Emperor Kei-k (Part XVI.Yamato-Take's Butler), Section XCII.Emperor Kei-k (Part XVII.Yamato-take's Descendants), Section XCIII.Emperor Kei-k (Part XVIII. Section XLV.Emperor Jim-mu (Part II.The Cross-Sword Sent Down From Heaven). Being maiden like a drooping plant, my heart is just a bird on a sand-bank by the shore; it will now indeed be a dotterel. So thenceforward he was praised by being called by the august name of his Augustness Yamato-take. A collection of 220 Japanese Haiku. become the deity Master-of-the-Great-Land; and moreover, becoming the deity Spirit-of-the-Living-Land, and making my daughter the Forward-Princess thy consort, do thou make stout the temple-pillars at the foot of Mount Uka in the nethermost rock-bottom, and make high the crossbeams to the Plain-of-High-Heaven, and dwell there, thou villain! Kwaidan If thou do this, I will in one day set up a thousand and five hundred parturition-house. Emperor Sui-nin (Part II. A Hundred Verses from Old Japan Thank you! Section LIII.Emperor Jim-mu (Part X.Genealogies), Section LIV.Emperor Jim-mu (Part XI.His Age and Place Of Burial), Section LXIII.Emperor S-jin (Part I.Genealogies), Section LXIV.Emperor S-jin (Part II.A Pestilence Is Staid By Oho-tata-ne-ko), Section LXV.Emperor S-jin (PART III: Story of Oho-tata-ne-ko's Birth), Section LXVI.Emperor S-jin (Part IV.War With King Take-hani-yasu), Section LXVII.Emperor S-jin (Part V.Peace Restored and Tribute Levied).