Japanese Mythology

An interesting aspect of the Japanese mythology (日本神話, Nihon shinwa ) is that she explains the origin of the imperial family, considered like divine ascent until the end of the Second world war.

The principal Japanese myths, like generally accepted nowadays, are based on the Kojiki and other complementary works. The Kojiki is the oldest collection of myths, legends and history of the Japan. The Shinto shu explains the genesis of the deities by a Buddhist approach . The Hotsuma Tsutae and the Nihonshoki, as for them, contain versions relatively different from this mythology.

Orthography of the proper names

Many deities enter in scenes these mythological accounts and often under several names. Who more is, certain of these names are so long that they are not easily readable for the majority of the readers. This is why this article uses the name in its shortened form most current.

As follows: Ninigi , or Amenigisikuninigisiamatuhidakahikohono' ninigi' nomikoto in its complete form, can just as easily be shortened in Hikohononinigi or Hononinigi .

In this article, the proper names will be written in the usual historical form. Underlined characters: h , y , and w represents dumb letters which are omitted in their modern forms. This convention is specific to this article. The other syllables are modernized as described below.

if is modernized in shi .
Ti is modernized in chi .
you is modernized in tsu .
hu is modernized in fu .
zi and di is modernized in ji . (The distinction disappeared)
zu and of the is modernized in zu . (The distinction disappeared)
oo is modernized in O or oh .

e.g. Ohonamudi will be able to be written in the forms Ohonamuji , Oonamuji , Ohnamuji , among others.

For historical reasons the syllables in K , S , T , and H are sometimes replaced by their forms deteriorated respectively in G , Z , D , and B .

e.g. Ohonamudi will be able to be written in the forms Ohonamuti and Ohonamuchi (but not Obonamudi ).

Genesis of the world

At the beginning, when the skies and the ground were still in a chaotic state, three deities ( Amanominaka-nushi , Takami-musuhi and Kami-musuhi ), followed of two others, appeared with Takamanohara (high in the skies). They are called the '' Kotoamatukami '' (deities of the distinguished skies) and play only one figurative part in the majority of the myths. They are asexual and incarnate the forces which direct the world.

Came then on ground, two pairs of deities, followed by five other pairs. The first two deities, Kuninotokotachi No kami (the god which exist perpetually as a nation) and Toyokumono No kami (the god of the abundant clouds and the profitable fields), are like the five first without kind. Five pairs are generated by a male deity and a female deity, but which are not husband and woman. Except for the last pair, Izanagi and Izanami , they play only one figurative part in the majority of the myths. These two and five pairs are called Kamiyonanayo (Seven generations).

Izanagi and Izanami

Whereas they are held on the bridge between the skies and the ground ( Amenoukihashi , the floating celestial bridge), the god Izanagi and the goddess Izanami, the floods with Amenonuhoko , the celestial lance, decorated transpierce invaluable stones that their Amatsukami offered. Salt which drips of the lance and fall into the ocean, the island of Onogoro is even formed by it.

Although this island has just appeared, it carries in its center Yahirodono (the room to the eight steps, in which Izanami asks for the hand of his/her companion. From this union are born two malformées entities: Hiruko, the watery child, and Awashima, the island of scum. The malformation of their offspring is due to the fact that it is the woman, Izanami, which required the union. On council of Amatukami, they cancel this union and it is Izanagi which initiates the proposal. From this new union are born the ohoyashima , the eight large islands of the Japanese archipelago:

Awazi
Iyo (called Shikoku later)
Ogi
Tukusi (called Kyūshū later)
Iki
Tusima
Sadomasochistic
Yamato (called Honshū later)

It should be noted that Hokkaidō, Chishima, and Okinawa did not make party of ancestral Japan.

They generated very many other islands and divinities. Among these divinities the majority are of the symbols of nature or the Japanese culture.

Izanami was burned with died by giving rise to Kagutsuti, the incarnation of fire. It was killed by his father plugged by anger, and of this murder spouted out a dozen other divinities.

Travel to the country of deaths

Izanagi cried the loss of his wife and undertook a tour in Yomi No Kuni, the country of the night and death, to bring back it. However Izanami already tasted with the food of the hells and cannot be turned over some among the alive ones without the agreement of the infernal divinities. In the total darkness impatient Izanagi to re-examine his wife, fire puts at a tooth of its comb, for finally seeing it. It finds it steamed and broken up, and discovers that she wants to retain it in Yomi No Kuni. Horrified, he repudiates it and flees. It curses it then and promises to kill each day a thousand of individuals among his people, it with what he rétorque that consequently it will order with his people to give rise to quinze-cents children per day. Thus the cycle of the life and death was founded.

Comment

It is interesting to notice that this Japanese myth presents analogies with two Greek myths:

the removal of Perséphone, which having eaten grains of grenade must remain with the hells part of the year.
the voyage of Orphée in the Hadès, which not being able to retain itself, is turned over to re-examine Eurydice and one second time loses it.

Sun, the Moon and the Storm

After its return of Yomi No Kuni, Izanagi makes a halt with Tsukushi to make a series of ablutions in the River of the orange trees and to purify its body of its contact with death. These ablutions gave rise to a dozen other divinities:

of its left eye is born Amaterasu, the goddess of the Sun.
of its right eye is born Tsukuyomi, the god of the Moon.
of its nose is born Susanoo, the god of the Storm.

This meeting of purification is commemorated in the religion Shintô by ritual ablution, the Harai .

Iwayado, the retirement of the Sun

Susanoo, the Japanese god of the storm was violent and coarse. When it was rejected by his father, it came in Takamanohara (paradise) to bid its farewell with his sister Amaterasu, the Japanese goddess of the sun. But Amaterasu feared that it does not come for more quarrelsome reasons. She then asks him to prove the bona fide of her remarks by a contest: the first of both which generates a male divinity gains. Amaterasu breaks the sword of his/her brother in three pieces which she chews and transforms into three elegant goddesses. Susanoo chews the pearls of fruitfulness of the decorative chains of his/her sister (the Magatama) and generates five male divinities. Then they mutually claim their creations, argant which they result from an object their pertaining. Susanoo is proclaimed victorious.

To trust of its victory it, adopts a proud and disrespectful behavior of its host. It exceeds its rights, the day when it throws the skin of a celestial Cheval in the room where Amaterasu and its following weave. One of them, frightened, opens the entrails with a spindle and dies. Amaterasu, then decides to deprive the world of light: it is confined in the cave of Iwayado and refuses to leave there. The celestial divinities succeeded in nevertheless attracting it outside by the trick: on the council of the goddess Uzume, they place a mirror in front of the entry of the cave and start to laugh with the glares. The curiosity of Amaterasu wakes up and it enquiert this sudden joy whereas the world is private of its light. Uzume answers him that a new goddess more sumptuous than it appeared.

The Jealousy of Amaterasu the force to be left and it sees a very beautiful goddess at the entry of the cave. (But she is unaware of that it is about its reflection.) While it remains amazed, of the gods block the entry of the cave like its retirement. Driven back, she promises more not to flee if Susanoo is exiled skies.

Susanoo and the dragon with eight heads

Exiled kingdom of heaven, Susanoo came to Izumo (from now on Shimane). It found there an old man and his wife crying the fate of their named daughter “Kushinada”. Susanoo required the reason of it of them. The old man explained that they had at one time eight girls, but that a dragon octocéphale and octocaudal named Yamatano-orochi , had eaten their the first seven daughters and claimed now qe him the eighth in grazing ground was given.

Susanoo fell in love with the young girl and promised with her parents to save it in exchange of its hand. It then transformed the young girl into a comb which it hid in its hair, and built around the house a bored wall of eight openings.

Attracted by the odor of saké, the dragon drank so much and as long as it sank in the sleep. Susanoo benefitted from it then to destroy the wretched animal. By cutting out the monster, its saber butted against a miraculous sword hidden in one of the tails of the dragon. This sword was later offered to Amaterasu and was named “Kusanagi”.

Prince Ohonamuji

The Yagami princess

The many half-brothers of Kami-Master-of-The-Large-Province, aspire all to marry the Yagami princess. Whereas they decide to leave for the province where the princess lives, they charge Kami-Master-of-the-Large-Province with carrying their luggage. In way, they meet a white rabbit (but they are unaware of that also is to him a kami). The skin of this rabbit is naked, and he suffers terribly. The many half-brothers then advise with rabbit to bathe in the sea and to expose themselves to the wind to cure. The rabbit decides to take their advice, but the salt water causes only to dig its wounds, making it still more suffer.

Being let outdistance by his/her half-brothers, Kami-Master-of-The-Large-Province meets in his turn of rabbit and asks him what arrives to him. The rabbit explains to him whereas to be able to cross the sea and to come here, he had asked sharks to form a bridge on which he will pass. In exchange, he had promised to them to count them at the time of his passage, in order to help them to know which sharks or rabbits are most numerous. But, whereas it had almost entirely arrived of the other with dimensions of the sea, the rabbit acknowledged with the sharks that they had not counted them. The shark on the back of which it was it had then bitten to punish it its negligence. Having pity of him, Kami-Master-of-The-Large-Province then advises to him to be washed with fresh water and to cover its wounds with pollen of snap ring.

The rabbit decides to take its advice, and cures its wounds well quickly. In thanks of its kindness, he then predicts with Kami-Master-of-The-Large-Province that the Yagami princess will be his wife.

The Suseri princess

Fūjin Kami of the Wind

Fūjin, Kami of the Wind had for worse enemy Raijin, Kami of the Lightning. Fūjin had a twin brother. He faced Raijin in vain, hoping to seize his power. After its defeat, it left, becoming cruel and dark. It fought Fūjin which escaped dead from accuracy. However, later, Fūjin managed to overcome his/her twin brother.

Fūjin was then regarded as most powerful of Kami; all the princesses coveted it. Taken jealousy Raijin the Jura which it would kill its enemy. During a confrontation at Raijin, Fuujin lost. It hid and, weakened, trembled for fear Raijin, which wanted to complete it, finds it.

Fūjin, during this time, faced another Kami and overcame easily it.

Finally cures, sure to beat Raijin, it went to find it. They clashed last once and were entretuèrent.

Abdiquation

Establishment of Ninigi

Amaterasu ordered with its grandson Ninigi to control the world. It offered three treasures then to him:

the chain of pearls of Yasakani (from now on situéé in the imperial house)
the mirror of Yata (from now on located in the sanctuary of Isuzu, with Ise)
the sword Kusanagi (from now on located in the sanctuary of Atuta, with Owari '')

The first two artefacts were used to attract Amaterasu out of the cave as Iwayado; the sword was found by Susanoo in one of the tails of the Yamatano-orochi dragon.

Ninigi and its partner went down on ground and came to Himuka, where Ninigi built its palate.

Prosperity and eternity

Ebb and flow

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First emperor

The legendary first emperor of the Japan is Iwarebiko , whose posthumous title is “ Empereur Jimmu ” (神武天皇). It would have established the empire in the year 660 av. J. - C.

Conquest off the east

Yamato Takeru

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Simple: Japanese mythology

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