1.
Izumo-taisha
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Izumo-taisha, also Izumo Ōyashiro, is one of the most ancient and important Shinto shrines in Japan. No record gives the date of establishment, located in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, it is home to two major festivals. It is dedicated to the god Ōkuninushi, famous as the Shinto deity of marriage and to Kotoamatsukami, the shrine is believed by many to be the oldest Shinto shrine in Japan, even predating the Ise Grand Shrine. A style of architecture, taisha-zukuri, takes its name from the hall of Izumo-taisha. That hall, and the buildings, were designated National Treasures of Japan in 1952. According to tradition, the hall was much taller than at present. The discovery in the year 2000 of the remains of enormous pillars has lent credence to this, several other buildings in the shrine compound are on the list of Important Cultural Properties of Japan. Amaterasu was much pleased by this action and she presented Izumo-taisha to Ōkuninushi, at one time, the Japanese islands were controlled from Izumo, according to Shinto myths. Izumo, known as the realm of gods or the land of myths, is Izumo-taishas province and its main structure was originally constructed to glorify the great achievement of Ōkuninushi, considered the creator of Japan. Ōkuninushi was devoted to the building of the nation, in which he shared many joys, in addition to being the savior, Ōkuninushi is considered the guardian god and god of happiness, as well as the god who establishes good relationships. According to the Nihon Shoki, the sun goddess Amaterasu said, From now on and you shall cast a spell of establishing good relationship over people to lead them a happy life. I will build your residence with colossal columns and thick and broad planks in the architectural style as mine. The other gods were gathered and ordered by Amaterasu to build the palace at the foot of Mt. Uga. This was due to early Shinto cosmology, when the people believed the gods were above the world and belonged to the most extraordinary. Therefore, Izumo-taisha could have been an attempt to create a place for the kami that would be above humans, before being known as Izumo Ōyashiro or Izumo-taisha, the shrine was known as Okami-no-miya in Izumo, Itsukashinokami-no-miya, Kizuki-no-Oyashiro, Kizuki-no-miya, or Iwakumanoso-no-miya. Evidence of the original Grand Shrine has been found, for example, part of one of the pillars for the structure was found, three cedar trees with a three-meter diameter at its base. It is on display at the shrine, during the Kamakura era, around 1200, the main structure was reduced in size. Then in 1744, the shrine was reconstructed to the present size of 24 meters high and 11 meters square at its base, in the 18th and 19th centuries, as travel became more common in Japan, the shrine became a central place of pilgrimage
2.
Kami
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Kami are the spirits or phenomena that are worshiped in the religion of Shinto. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, as well as beings and the qualities that these beings express, and include the spirits of venerated dead persons. Many kami are considered the ancient ancestors of entire clans, traditionally, great or sensational leaders like the Emperor could be kami. In Shinto, kami are not separate from nature, but are of nature, possessing positive and negative, good and they are manifestations of musubi, the interconnecting energy of the universe, and are considered exemplary of what humanity should strive towards. Kami are believed to be “hidden” from this world, and inhabit a complementary existence that mirrors our own, to be in harmony with the awe-inspiring aspects of nature is to be conscious of kannagara no michi. Though the word kami is translated in multiple ways into English, in this way, the ambiguity of the meaning of kami is necessary, as it conveys the ambiguous nature of kami themselves. Kami is the Japanese word for a god, deity, divinity and it has been used to describe mind, God, supreme being, one of the Shinto deities, an effigy, a principle, and anything that is worshipped. Although deity is the interpretation of kami, some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term. The wide variety of usage of the word can be compared to the Sanskrit Deva and the Hebrew Elohim, some etymological suggestions are, Kami may, at its root, simply mean spirit, or an aspect of spirituality. It is written with the kanji 神, Sino-Japanese reading shin or jin, in Chinese, the character means deity. In the Ainu language, the word refers to an animistic concept very similar to Japanese kami. In his Kojiki-den, Motoori Norinaga gave a definition of kami. any being whatsoever which possesses some eminent quality out of the ordinary, because Japanese does not normally distinguish grammatical number in nouns, it is sometimes unclear whether kami refers to a single or multiple entities. When a singular concept is needed, -kami or -kamisama is used as a suffix. The logograms for kami-sama are those used for shén yàng in Pŭtōnghuà, kami-sama can be used for a divinity, or for a human, such as Tezuka Osamu. The term generally used to refer to multiple kami is kamigami, gender is also not implied in the word kami, and as such it can be used to reference either male or female. The word megami, the use of female kami is a new tradition. The Kojiki also includes descriptions of various kami, in the ancient Shinto traditions there were 5 defining characteristics of kami. They can nurture and love when respected, or they can cause destruction, Kami must be appeased in order to gain their favor and avoid their wrath
3.
Shinto
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Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written historical records of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki in the 8th century. Still, these earliest Japanese writings do not refer to a unified Shinto religion, practitioners express their diverse beliefs through a standard language and practice, adopting a similar style in dress and ritual, dating from around the time of the Nara and Heian periods. The word Shinto was adopted, originally as Jindō or Shindō, from the written Chinese Shendao, the oldest recorded usage of the word Shindo is from the second half of the 6th century. Kami are defined in English as spirits, essences or gods, Kami and people are not separate, they exist within the same world and share its interrelated complexity. Shinto is the largest religion in Japan, practiced by nearly 80% of the population, Shinto has 81,000 shrines and 85,000 priests in the country. According to Inoue, In modern scholarship, the term is used with reference to kami worship and related theologies, rituals. In these contexts, Shinto takes on the meaning of Japans traditional religion, as opposed to religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, Islam. Shinto religious expressions have been distinguished by scholars into a series of categories, Shrine Shinto and it consists in taking part in worship practices and events at local shrines. Before the Meiji Restoration, shrines were disorganized institutions usually attached to Buddhist temples, the current successor to the imperial organization system, the Association of Shinto Shrines, oversees about 80,000 shrines nationwide. Folk Shinto includes the folk beliefs in deities and spirits. Practices include divination, spirit possession, and shamanic healing, some of their practices come from Buddhism, Taoism or Confucianism, but most come from ancient local traditions. Sect Shinto is a designation originally created in the 1890s to separate government-owned shrines from local organised religious communities. These communities originated especially in the Edo period, the basic difference between Shrine Shinto and Sect Shinto is that sects are a later development and grew self-consciously. They can identify a founder, a set of teachings. Sect Shinto groups are thirteen, and usually classified under five headings, pure Shinto sects, Confucian sects, mountain worship sects, purification sects, and faith-healing sects. Koshintō, literally Old Shinto, is a reconstructed Shinto from before the time of Buddhism, today based on Ainu religion and it continues the restoration movement begun by Hirata Atsutane. Many other sects and schools can be distinguished, Kami or shin is defined in English as god, spirit, spiritual essence, all these terms meaning the energy generating a thing. Since the Japanese language does not distinguish between singular and plural, kami refers to the divinity, or sacred essence, that manifests in multiple forms, rocks, trees, rivers, animals, places, and even people can be said to possess the nature of kami
4.
Izumo Province
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Izumo Province was an old province of Japan which today consists of the eastern part of Shimane Prefecture. The province is in the Chūgoku Region and it was one of the regions of ancient Japan where major political powers arose. Even today, the Izumo Shrine constitutes one of the important sacred places of Shinto, it is dedicated to kami, especially to Ōkuninushi, mythical progeny of Susanoo. The mythological mother of Japan, the goddess Izanami, is said to be buried on Mt. Hiba, at the border of the old provinces of Izumo and Hōki, by the Sengoku period, Izumo had lost much of its importance. It was dominated before the Battle of Sekigahara by the Mōri clan, in Japanese mythology, the entrance to Yomi was located within the province, and was sealed by the god Izanagi by placing a large boulder over the entrance. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5, OCLC58053128 Media related to Izumo Province at Wikimedia Commons Izumo Province at JapaneseCastleExplorer. com Murdochs map of provinces,1903
5.
Hare of Inaba
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The Hare of Inaba can refer to two distinct Japanese myths, both from the ancient province of Inaba, now the eastern part of Tottori Prefecture. The Hare of Inaba legend belongs to the Izumo denrai, or tradition of myths originating from the Izumo region, the Hare of Inaba forms an essential part of the legend of the Shinto god Ōnamuchi-no-kami, which was the name for Ōkuninushi within this legend. The hare referred to in the legend is the Lepus brachyurus, or Japanese hare, the Japanese hare ranges between 43 centimetres and 54 centimetres in length, and is much smaller than the common European hare. Japanese hares are typically brown, but may turn white during winter in areas with a varying climate, one version of the tale of the Hare of Inaba is found in the Kojiki, the oldest extant chronicle in Japan, which dates from early in the 8th century. The legend appears in the first of the three sections of the Kojiki, the Kamitsumaki, also known as the Jindai no Maki, or Volume of the Age of the Gods. This section of the Kojiki outlines the myths concerning the foundation of Japan prior to the birth of the Emperor Jimmu, the first Emperor of Japan. In the Kojiki version of the myth, a hare tricks some wanizame into being used as a bridge in order to travel from the Island of Oki to Cape Keta. Cape Keta is now identified with the Hakuto Coast in the city of Tottori. The hare challenges the sharks to see whose clan is larger—that of the sharks, the hare had the sharks lie in a row across the sea. The hare then hopped across them, counting them as he went, nearing the end, the hare exclaims that he has deceived the sharks in order to use them as a bridge. The last shark attacks the hare, ripping his fur from him, Ōnamuchi-no-kami and his eighty brothers were traveling through the Inaba region to woo Princess Yakami of Inaba. While the brothers were on their way to visit the princess, rather than helping the hare, they advised it to wash in the sea and dry itself in the wind, which naturally caused it great pain. In contrast Ōnamuchi, unlike his elder brothers, told the hare to bathe in fresh water from the mouth of a river. The body of the hare was restored to its original state, in gratitude, the hare told Ōnamuchi, the lowest born in the family, that he would marry Princess Yakami. The Hare of Inaba legend emphasizes the benevolence of Ōnamuchi, who was enshrined at the Izumo-taisha. The version of the Hare of Inaba legend told in the Kojiki has been compared to similar myths from Java in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the white hare bit Amaterasus clothes and took her to an appropriate place for a temporary palace along Nakayama mountain and Reiseki mountain. About two hours walk, accompanied by the hare, Amaterasu reached a mountain top plain. Then, the white hare disappeared at Ise ga naru, the place of this legend is in Yazu town and Tottori city, in Tottori Prefecture, where the shrine Hakuto Jinja reveres the white hare
6.
Kojiki
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Kojiki, also known as Furukotofumi, is the oldest extant chronicle in Japan, dating from the early 8th century and composed by Ō no Yasumaro at the request of Empress Genmei. The Kojiki is a collection of myths concerning the origin of the four islands of Japan. Along with the Nihon Shoki, the contained in the Kojiki are part of the inspiration behind many practices. Later, the myths were re-appropriated for Shinto practices including the misogi purification ritual, while the historical records and myths are written in a form of Chinese with a heavy mixture of Japanese elements, the songs are written with Chinese characters that are only used to convey sounds. This special use of Chinese characters is called Manyōgana, a knowledge of which is critical to understanding these songs, the Kojiki is divided into three parts, the Kamitsumaki, the Nakatsumaki and the Shimotsumaki. The Kamitsumaki also outlines the myths concerning the foundation of Japan, the Nakatsumaki begins with the story of Emperor Jimmu, the first Emperor, and his conquest of Japan, and ends with the 15th Emperor, Emperor Ōjin. Many of the stories in this volume are mythological, and the historical information in them is highly suspect. Recent studies support the view that these emperors were invented to push Jimmus reign further back to the year 660 BC, the Shimotsumaki covers the 16th to 33rd emperors and, unlike previous volumes, has very limited references to the interactions with deities. These interactions are very prominent in the first and second volumes, information about the 24th to the 33rd emperors are largely missing, as well. In the Edo period, Motoori Norinaga studied the Kojiki intensively and he produced a 44-volume study of the Kojiki called Kojiki-den. A translation of the Ko-ji-ki or Records of ancient matters, yokohama, Japan, R. Meiklejohn and Co. Princeton University Press and Tokyo, University of Tokyo Press, the Kojiki, An Account of Ancient Matters. There are two branches of Kojiki manuscripts, Ise and Urabe. The extant Urabe branch consists of 36 existing manuscripts all based on the 1522 copies by Urabe Kanenaga, the Ise branch may be subdivided into the Shinpukuji-bon manuscript of 1371–1372 and the Dōka-bon manuscripts. While divided into the Ise branch, it is actually a mixture of the two branches, the monk Kenyu based his copy on Ōnakatomi Sadayos copy. In 1266, Sadayo copied volumes one and three, but did not have access to the second volume, finally, in 1282, he obtained access to the second volume through a Urabe-branch manuscript that he used to transcribe. Historiographical Institute of the University of Tokyo International Research Center for Japanese Studies Japanese Historical Text Initiative Historiography of Japan Bentley, the Authenticity of Sendai Kuji Hongi, A New Examination of Texts, With a Translation And Commentary. Japanese historians and the myths, 1600-1945, The Age of the Gods
7.
Nihon Shoki
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The Nihon Shoki, sometimes translated as The Chronicles of Japan, is the second oldest book of classical Japanese history. The book is called the Nihongi. The Nihon Shoki was finished in 720 under the supervision of Prince Toneri. It is believed to record accurately the latter reigns of Emperor Tenji, Emperor Tenmu, the Nihon Shoki focuses on the merits of the virtuous rulers as well as the errors of the bad rulers. It describes episodes from mythological eras and diplomatic contacts with other countries, the Nihon Shoki was written in classical Chinese, as was common for official documents at that time. The Kojiki, on the hand, is written in a combination of Chinese. The Nihon Shoki also contains numerous transliteration notes telling the reader how words were pronounced in Japanese, collectively, the stories in this book and the Kojiki are referred to as the Kiki stories. The tale of Urashima Tarō is developed from the mention in Nihon Shoki that a certain child of Urashima visited Horaisan. The later tale has plainly incorporated elements from the famous anecdote of Luck of the Sea, the later developed Urashima tale contains the Rip Van Winkle motif, so some may consider it an early example of fictional time travel. Chapter 01, Kami no Yo no Kami no maki, Chapter 02, Kami no Yo no Shimo no maki. Chapter 03, Kanyamato Iwarebiko no Sumeramikoto, Chapter 04, Kamu Nunakawamimi no Sumeramikoto. Yamato Tarashihiko Kuni Oshihito no Sumeramikoto, Chapter 05, Mimaki Iribiko Iniye no Sumeramikoto. Chapter 06, Ikume Iribiko Isachi no Sumeramikoto, Chapter 07, Ōtarashihiko Oshirowake no Sumeramikoto. Chapter 08, Tarashi Nakatsuhiko no Sumeramikoto, Chapter 09, Okinaga Tarashihime no Mikoto. Chapter 13, Oasazuma Wakugo no Sukune no Sumeramikoto, Chapter 14, Ōhatsuse no Waka Takeru no Sumeramikoto. Chapter 15, Shiraka no Take Hirokuni Oshi Waka Yamato Neko no Sumeramikoto, Chapter 16, Ohatsuse no Waka Sasagi no Sumeramikoto. Chapter 18, Hirokuni Oshi Take Kanahi no Sumeramikoto, Take Ohirokuni Oshi Tate no Sumeramikoto. Chapter 19, Amekuni Oshiharaki Hironiwa no Sumeramikoto, Chapter 20, Nunakakura no Futo Tamashiki no Sumeramikoto
8.
Inaba Province
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Inaba Province was an old province of Japan in the area that is today the eastern part of Tottori Prefecture. Inaba bordered on Harima, Hōki, Mimasaka, and Tajima Provinces, the ancient capital, and the castle town, were at Tottori city. Ube jinja was designated as the chief Shinto shrine for the province, ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5, OCLC58053128 Inaba Province at JapaneseCastleExplorer. com Murdochs map of provinces,1903
9.
Oki Province
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Oki Province was a province of Japan consisted of the Oki Islands in the Sea of Japan, located off the coast of the provinces of Izumo and Hōki. The area is now Oki District in modern Shimane Prefecture and its abbreviated form name was Onshū or Inshū, Oki is classified as one of the provinces of the Sanindō. Under the Engishiki classification system, Oki was ranked as a inferior country, the Oki Islands have been settled since the Japanese Paleolithic period, and numerous remains from the Jōmon, Yayoi and Kofun periods indicates continuous human occupation and activity. It was organized as a province under the Ritsuryō reforms in the half of the seventh century. During the late Heian period, due to its remoteness, Oki Province came to known as a place for political exile. In 1221, Emperor Go-Toba was sent to Oki, and died in exile on the islands, In 1332, Emperor Go-Daigo was also sent in exile to Oki, from the Kamakura period Oki Province was governed primarily by the shugo of Izumo Province. In the Muromachi period, it was ruled successively by the Sasaki clan, the Yamana clan, in the Sengoku period the Amago clan held this province. After the Amago fell and the Tokugawa shogunate was established, Oki Province was declared a tenryō dominion under the control of the shogun. The daimyō of Matsue Domain, belonging to the Matsudaira clan, was appointed governor, the entire province had an assessed revenue of only 18,000 koku, although its actual revenues were closer to only 12,000 koku. The province was a frequent port of call for the Kitamaebune coastal trading ships during the Edo period. The exact location of the capital of the province is not known, there are two Shinto shrines which claim the title of Ichinomiya of the province. The Mizuwakasu Jinja in Okinoshima, and the Yurahime Jinja in Nishinoshima, following the Meiji Restoration, Oki Province became Oki Prefecture from February to June 1869. It was then attached to Tottori Prefecture until 1876, when it was transferred to Shimane Prefecture, Oki Province was originally divided into four districts. All of the districts were merged into Oki District on April 1,1969, Shimane Prefecture Ama District Chibu District Ōchi District Suki District Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5, OCLC58053128 Papinot, Edmond, historical and Geographic Dictionary of Japan. Nihon Ōdai Ichiran, ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon, paris, Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. OCLC5850691 Media related to Oki Province at Wikimedia Commons Murdochs map of provinces,1903
10.
Typha
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Typha /ˈtaɪfə/ is a genus of about 30 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. Other taxa of plants may be known as bulrush, including some sedges in Scirpus, the genus is largely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, where it is found in a variety of wetland habitats. Evidence of preserved starch grains on grinding stones suggests they were eaten in Europe 30,000 years ago. Typha are aquatic or semi-aquatic, rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial plants, the leaves are glabrous, linear, alternate and mostly basal on a simple, jointless stem that bears the flowering spikes. The plants are monoecious, with flowers that develop in dense racemes. The numerous male flowers form a spike at the top of the vertical stem. Each male flower is reduced to a pair of stamens and hairs, large numbers of tiny female flowers form a dense, sausage-shaped spike on the stem below the male spike. In larger species this can be up to 30 centimetres long and 1 to 4 centimetres thick, the seeds are minute,0.2 millimetres long, and attached to fine hairs. When ripe, the heads disintegrate into a cottony fluff from which the seeds disperse by wind, Typha are often among the first wetland plants to colonize areas of newly exposed wet mud, with their abundant wind dispersed seeds. Buried seeds can survive in the soil for long periods of time and they germinate best with sunlight and fluctuating temperatures, which is typical of many wetland plants that regenerate on mud flats. The plants also spread by rhizomes, forming large, interconnected stands, Typha are considered to be dominant competitors in wetlands in many areas, and they often exclude other plants with their dense canopy. In the bays of the Great Lakes, for example, they are among the most abundant wetland plants, different species of cattails are adapted to different water depths. Well-developed aerenchyma make the plants tolerant of submersion, even the dead stalks are capable of transmitting oxygen to the rooting zone. Although Typha are native plants, they can be aggressive in their competition with other native species. They have been problematic in regions in North America, from the Great Lakes to the Everglades. Native sedges are displaced and wet meadows shrink, likely as a response to altered hydrology of the wetlands, an introduced or hybrid species may be contributing to the problem. The most successful strategy appears to be mowing or burning to remove the aerenchymous stalks and it may be more important to prevent invasion by preserving water level fluctuations, including periods of drought, and to maintain infertile conditions. Typha are frequently eaten by mammals such as muskrats, that also use them to construct feeding platforms and dens
11.
Tegillarca granosa
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Tegillarca granosa is a species of ark clam known as the blood cockle or blood clam due to the red haemoglobin liquid inside the soft tissues. It is found throughout the Indo-Pacific region from the eastern coast of South Africa northwards and eastwards to Southeast Asia, Australia, Polynesia and it lives mainly in the intertidal zone at one to two metres water depth, burrowed down into sand or mud. Adult size is about 5 to 6 cm long and 4 to 5 cm wide and it has a high economic value as food, and it is kept in aquaculture. Just on the coast of Zhejiang Province alone, blood cockle plantations occupy around 145,000 mu of mudflats and these clams are raised in the river estuaries of the neighboring Fujian Province as well. The meat of this bivalve is served steamed, boiled, roasted, although blood clams are considered one of the more delicious Chinese delicacies, the style of preparation in Shanghai involves quick-boiling them, leaving many of the viruses and bacteria present. A full-color guide to 3,300 of the world’s marine bivalves, a status on Bivalvia after 250 years of research. 901 pp.1 CD-ROM FAO Profile, including production figures and range
12.
Susanoo-no-Mikoto
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Susanoo, also known as Takehaya Susanoo-no-Mikoto and Kumano Ketsumiko no kami at Kumano shrine, is the Shinto god of the sea and storms. He is also considered to be ruler of Neno-Katasu-Kuni, in Japanese mythology, Susanoo, the powerful storm god of Summer, is the brother of Amaterasu, the goddess of the Sun, and of Tsukuyomi, the god of the Moon. All three were born from Izanagi, when he washed his face clean of the pollutants of Yomi, Amaterasu was born when Izanagi washed out his left eye, Tsukuyomi was born from the washing of the right eye, and Susanoo from the washing of the nose. Susanoo used Totsuka-no-Tsurugi as his weapon, the oldest sources for Susanoo myths are the ca.712 CE Kojiki and ca.720 CE Nihon Shoki. They tell of a rivalry between Susanoo and his sister. When he was to leave Heaven by orders of Izanagi, he went to bid his sister goodbye, Amaterasu was suspicious, but when Susanoo proposed a challenge to prove his sincerity, she accepted. Each of them took an object of the others and from it birthed gods, Amaterasu birthed three women from Susanoos Totsuka-no-Tsurugi while he birthed five men from her necklace. Claiming the gods were hers because they were born of her necklace, the two were content for a time, but Susanoo, the Storm God, became restless. In a fit of rage, he destroyed his sisters rice fields, hurled a flayed pony at her loom, Amaterasu, who was in fury and grief, hid inside the Ama-no-Iwato, thus effectively hiding the sun for a long period of time. Though she was persuaded to leave the cave, Susano-o was punished by being banished from Heaven, the Nihon Shoki, here translated by William George Aston in Nihongi, gives the most detailed account of Susanoo and Amaterasu slaying Yamata no Orochi. At this time he heard a sound of weeping at the head-waters of the river and he found there an old man and an old woman. Between them was set a young girl, whom they were caressing and lamenting over, Susanoo no Mikoto asked them, saying, -Who are ye, and why do ye lament thus. The answer was, -I am an Earthly Deity, and my name is Ashi-nadzuchi and this girl is our daughter, and her name is Kushi-nada-hime. The reason of our weeping is that formerly we had eight children, but they have been devoured year after year by an eight-forked serpent and now the time approaches for this girl to be devoured. There is no means of escape for her, and therefore do we grieve. ”Sosa no wo no Mikoto said, If that is so and he replied, and said, I will comply with thy behest and give her to thee. Therefore Sosa no wo no Mikoto on the spot changed Kushi-nada-hime into a many-toothed close-comb which he stuck in the august knot of his hair. Then he made Ashi-nadzuchi and Te-nadzuchi to brew sake, to make eight cupboards, in each of them to set a tub filled with sake. When the time came, the serpent actually appeared and it had an eight-forked head and an eight-forked tail, its eyes were red, like the winter-cherry, and on its back firs and cypresses were growing
13.
Koto (instrument)
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The koto is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument derived from the Chinese zheng, and similar to the Mongolian yatga, the Korean gayageum, and the Vietnamese đàn tranh. The koto is the instrument of Japan. Koto are about 180 centimetres length, and made from kiri wood and they have 13 strings that are usually strung over 13 movable bridges along the width of the instrument. There is also a 17-string koto variant, players can adjust the string pitches by moving the white bridges before playing. To play the instrument, the strings are plucked using three finger picks, otherwise known as plectra, the character for koto is 箏, although 琴 is often used. However, 琴 usually refers to another instrument, the kin. 箏, however, many times the character 箏 is used in titles, while 琴 is used in telling the number of kotos used. The ancestor of the koto was the Chinese zheng and was first introduced to Japan from China in the 7th and 8th century, the first known version had five strings, which eventually increased to seven strings. This particular instrument is known throughout Asia but in different forms, the Japanese koto, which is a relative to the Chinese zheng, the Korean gayageum, and this variety of instrument came in two basic forms, a zither that had bridges and zithers without bridges. When the koto was first imported to Japan, the native word koto was a term for any. Over time the definition of koto could not describe the variety of these stringed instruments. The azumagoto or yamatogoto was called the wagon, the kin no koto was called the kin, the modern koto originates from the gakusō used in Japanese court music. It was a popular instrument among the wealthy, the instrument koto was considered a romantic one, some literary and historical records indicate that solo pieces for koto existed centuries before sōkyoku, the music of the solo koto genre, was established. According to Japanese literature, the koto was used as imagery, in one part of The Tales of Genji, Genji falls deeply in love with a mysterious woman, who he has never seen before, after he hears her playing the koto from a distance. Perhaps the most important influence on the development of koto was Yatsuhashi Kengyo and he was a gifted blind musician from Kyoto who changed the limited selection of six songs to a brand new style of koto music which he called kumi uta. Yatsuhashi changed the Tsukushi goto tunings, which were based on gagaku ways of tuning, and with this change, Yatsuhashi Kengyo is now known as the Father of Modern Koto. A smaller influence in the evolution of the koto is found in the inspiration of a woman named Keiko Nosaka, Keiko Nosaka, felt confined by playing a koto with just 13 strings, so she created new versions of the instrument with 20 or more strings. Japanese developments in bridgeless zithers include the one-stringed koto and two-stringed koto, around the 1920s, Goro Morita created a new version of the two-stringed koto, on this koto, one would push down buttons above the metal strings like the western autoharp. It was named the taishōgoto after the Taishō period, at the beginning of the Meiji Period, western music was introduced to Japan
14.
Hoko yari
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Hoko yari is an ancient form of Japanese spear or yari said to be based on a Chinese spear. The hoko yari came into use sometime between the Yayoi period and the Heian period, possibly during the Nara period, the hoko yari was thought to be a guards spear used in the defense of palisades and gates. One source describes hoko yari as being mounted on a pole and with an eight-inch blade. Like the later-period fukuro yari, the blade had a hollow socket for the pole to fit into. Hoko yari could also have a horn projecting out and slightly forward on one or both sides of the blade, indicating that this weapon was primarily used to thrust back an enemy
15.
Daikokuten
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In Japan, Daikokuten, the god of great darkness or blackness, or the god of five cereals, is one of the Seven Lucky Gods. Daikokuten evolved from the Buddhist form of the Indian deity Shiva intertwined with the Shinto god Ōkuninushi, the name is the Japanese equivalent of Mahākāla, the Buddhist name for Shiva. The god enjoys a position as a household deity in Japan. Daikokus association with wealth and prosperity precipitated a custom known as fukunusubi and this custom started with the belief that whoever stole divine figures was assured of good fortune if not caught in the act. The toshi-no-ichi held at Sensō-ji became the venue of the sale. Many small stalls were opened where articles including images of Daikoku were sold on the eve of New Year celebrations, the Japanese also maintain the symbol of Mahakala as a monogram. The traditional pilgrims climbing the holy Mount Ontake wear tenugui with the syllable of Mahakala. Daikoku is variously considered to be the god of wealth, or of the household and he is recognised by his wide face, smile, and a flat black hat. He is often portrayed holding a mallet called an Uchide no kozuchi, otherwise known as a magic money mallet. Daikokus image was featured on the first Japanese bank note, designed by Edoardo Chiossone, the Butsuzōzui compendium of 1690 lists and illustrates six different manifestations of Daikoku, including the feminine form known as Daikokunyo or Daikokutennyo. As Daikoku is the form of the masculine Mahākāla, Daikokutennyo is the nipponized form of the feminine Mahākāli. When Daikoku is regarded as the feminine Daikokutennyo and Kisshoutennyo is counted among the seven Fukujin, Mahākāla Mahākāli Fukujin deities Buddhist Tenbu deities Shinto-Buddhism syncretism Hinduism in Japan Marici Japan and Indian Asia by Hajime Nakamura. Publication Date,1961 India and Japan, A Study in interaction during 5th cent - 14th century - By Upendra Thakur, media related to Daikokuten at Wikimedia Commons Modern depiction of Daikokuten and Daikokutennyo by Japanese artist Sekishō
16.
Seven Lucky Gods
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The Seven Lucky Gods or Seven Gods of Fortune are believed to grant good luck and often have their place in netsuke engravings or in other representations. Amongst the seven, not all the gods are mythical characters and they all began as remote and impersonal gods, but gradually became much closer canonical figures for certain professions and Japanese arts. During the course of its history, the influence between gods has created confusion about which of them was the patron of certain professions. The worship of this group of gods is also due to the importance of the seven in Japan. These gods have been recognized as such for over a thousand years ago by a number of followers. In the beginning, these gods were worshiped by merchants as the first two of them were gods of business and trade. In ancient times, these gods were worshiped separately, but it happens today – only when it is required for the god to act on behalf of the applicant. The Seven Gods of Fortune started being mentioned as a collective by the year 1420 in Fushimi, in order to imitate the processions of the Daimyo, shortly after a famous artist of the time, Kano Yasunobu, was ordained to portray these gods for the first time ever. From the period of the gods Izanami and Izanagi, Ebisu is the one whose origins are purely Japanese. He is the god of prosperity and wealth in business, and of abundance in crops, cereals and it is now common to see his figure in restaurants where fish is served in great quantities or in household kitchens. Daikokuten is also one of the Shichifukujin and he is the god of commerce and prosperity. There are other characteristics which have also attributed to him, such as being the patron of cooks, farmers, bankers. This god is characterized by his smile, having short legs and he is usually depicted with a bag full of valuable objects. Daikokuten originated as a conflation of the Buddhist death deity Mahākāla with the Shinto deity Ōkuninushi. The Japanese name Daikoku and the Hindi name Mahakala both translate to Great Blackness, per the Butsuzōzui compendium of 1690, Daikoku can also manifest as a female known as Daikokunyo or Daikokutennyo. His origins can be traced back to Hinduism, but he has adapted by the Japanese culture. He comes from the Hindu god Kubera and is known by the name Vaisravana from Hindu culture. He is the god of fortune in war and battles, also associated with authority and dignity and he is literally the protector of those who follow the rules and behave appropriately
17.
International Standard Book Number
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The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an e-book, a paperback and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, the method of assigning an ISBN is nation-based and varies from country to country, often depending on how large the publishing industry is within a country. The initial ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering created in 1966, the 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108. Occasionally, a book may appear without a printed ISBN if it is printed privately or the author does not follow the usual ISBN procedure, however, this can be rectified later. Another identifier, the International Standard Serial Number, identifies periodical publications such as magazines, the ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 in the United Kingdom by David Whitaker and in 1968 in the US by Emery Koltay. The 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108, the United Kingdom continued to use the 9-digit SBN code until 1974. The ISO on-line facility only refers back to 1978, an SBN may be converted to an ISBN by prefixing the digit 0. For example, the edition of Mr. J. G. Reeder Returns, published by Hodder in 1965, has SBN340013818 -340 indicating the publisher,01381 their serial number. This can be converted to ISBN 0-340-01381-8, the check digit does not need to be re-calculated, since 1 January 2007, ISBNs have contained 13 digits, a format that is compatible with Bookland European Article Number EAN-13s. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an ebook, a paperback, and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, a 13-digit ISBN can be separated into its parts, and when this is done it is customary to separate the parts with hyphens or spaces. Separating the parts of a 10-digit ISBN is also done with either hyphens or spaces, figuring out how to correctly separate a given ISBN number is complicated, because most of the parts do not use a fixed number of digits. ISBN issuance is country-specific, in that ISBNs are issued by the ISBN registration agency that is responsible for country or territory regardless of the publication language. Some ISBN registration agencies are based in national libraries or within ministries of culture, in other cases, the ISBN registration service is provided by organisations such as bibliographic data providers that are not government funded. In Canada, ISBNs are issued at no cost with the purpose of encouraging Canadian culture. In the United Kingdom, United States, and some countries, where the service is provided by non-government-funded organisations. Australia, ISBNs are issued by the library services agency Thorpe-Bowker
18.
Japanese mythology
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Japanese mythology embraces Shinto and Buddhist traditions as well as agriculturally-based folk religion. The Shinto pantheon comprises innumerable kami and this article will discuss only the typical elements present in Asian mythology, such as cosmogony, important deities, and the best-known Japanese stories. Japanese myths, as recognized in the mainstream today, are based on the Kojiki, the Nihon Shoki. The Kojiki, or Record of Ancient Matters, is the oldest surviving account of Japans myths, legends, the Shintōshū describes the origins of Japanese deities from a Buddhist perspective, while the Hotsuma Tsutae records a substantially different version of the mythology. One notable feature of Japanese mythology is its explanation of the origin of the Imperial Family, the title of the Emperor of Japan, tennō, means heavenly sovereign. Later, the seven generations of kami, known as Kamiyonanayo, emerged, following the formation of heaven and earth. The first two generations are individual deities called hitorigami, while the five that followed came into being as male/female pairs of kami, in this chronicle, the Kamiyonanayo comprise 12 deities in total. Japans creation narrative can be divided into the birth of the deities, to help them to achieve this, Izanagi and Izanami were given a naginata decorated with jewels, named Ame-no-nuboko. The two deities then went to the bridge between heaven and earth, Amenoukihashi and churned the sea below with the halberd, drops of salty water formed the island, Onogoro. The deities descended from the bridge of heaven and made their home on the island, eventually, they fell in love and wished to mate. So they built a pillar called Amenomihashira around which they built a palace called Yashirodono, Izanagi and Izanami circled the pillar in opposite directions, and when they met on the other side, Izanami, the female deity, spoke first in greeting. Izanagi didnt think that this was proper, but they mated anyway and they had two children, Hiruko and Awashima, but the children were badly formed and are not considered gods in their original form. The parents, who were dismayed at their misfortune, put the children into a boat and sent them to sea, so Izanagi and Izanami went around the pillar again, and this time, when they met, Izanagi spoke first. Izanami died giving birth to Kagutsuchi, also called Homusubi due to severe burns and she was then buried on Mount Hiba, at the border of the old provinces of Izumo and Hoki, near modern-day Yasugi of Shimane Prefecture. His death also created dozens of deities, the gods who were born from Izanagi and Izanami are symbolic aspects of nature and culture. Izanagi lamented the death of Izanami and undertook a journey to Yomi, Izanagi found little difference between Yomi and the land above, except for the eternal darkness. However, this suffocating darkness was enough to make him ache for light, quickly, he searched for Izanami and found her. At first, Izanagi could not see her for she was hidden in the shadows
19.
Fudoki
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Fudoki are ancient reports on provincial culture, geography, and oral tradition presented to the reigning monarchs of Japan, also known as local gazetteers. They contain agricultural, geographical, and historical records as well as mythology, in the narrower sense, Fudoki refer to the oldest records written in the Nara period, later called Kofudoki. Compilation of Kofudoki began in 713 and was completed over a 20-year period, following the Taika Reform in 646 and the Code of Taihō enacted in 701, there was need to centralize and solidify the power of the imperial court. This included accounting for lands under its control, for example, Hayatsuhime became Hayami and Ishinashi no Oki became Ishii. At least 48 of the Gokishichidō provinces contributed to their records, partial records of Hizen, Bungo, Harima and Hitachi remain and a few passages from various volumes remain scattered throughout various books. Those of Harima and Hizen are designated National Treasures, below is a list of extant manuscripts and scattered passages. In 1966 the Agency for Cultural Affairs called on the governments to build open-air museums and parks called Fudoki no Oka near historic sites such as tombs. These archaeological museums preserve and exhibit cultural properties to public understanding of provincial history. Japanese Historical Text Initiative Akimoto, Kichirō, Nihon Koten Bungaku Taikei 2, Fudoki. Zusetsu Chizu to Arasuji de Wakaru, kojima, Noriyuki, Naoki, Kōjirō, Nishimiya, Kazutami, Kuranaka, Susumu, Mōri, Masamori, Uegaki, Setsuya. Nihon no Koten wo Yomu 3 Nihon Shoki Ge • Fudoki, 風土記 texts of the remaining Fudoki & scattered passages in other books. Manuscript scans at Waseda University Library, Hizen,1800, Bungo,1800, Bungo, unknown Tsukamoto, Tetsuzō
20.
Kujiki
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Kujiki, or Sendai Kuji Hongi, is a historical Japanese text. Ten volumes in length, it covers the history of ancient Japan through Empress Suiko, the preface is supposedly written by Soga no Umako. While it includes quotes from Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, volumes five. The overall composition is considered as having compiled between 807 and 936. In a review for Monumenta Nipponica, Mark Teeuwen criticized Bentleys methodology, the Authenticity of Sendai Kuji Hongi, A New Examination of Texts, With a Translation and Commentary. 平成13年 私本 先代舊事本紀 Online text of Kujiki, 『先代旧事本紀』の現代語訳（ＨＩＳＡＳＨＩ） Online text of Kujiki in modern Japanese. 古代史最前線・白河本旧事紀研究会公式ホームページ Website support Shirakawahon Kujiki to be a true document
21.
Hotsuma Tsutae
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The Hotsuma Tsutae is an elaborate epic poem of Japanese legendary history which differs substantially from the mainstream version as recorded in the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki. Although many proponents allege that the Hotsuma predates the mainstream mythology, atsutanes Kokugaku was principally concerned with the Kojiki and the Hotsuma Tsutae would have only muddled his theories. Yasutoshis manuscript was almost lost, but was discovered and rescued in 1993 following the publication of popular books on the subject in the mid-20th century by Yoshinosuke Matsumoto. The Hotsuma Tsutae is known for its text and rhythm and it was written in yamato-kotoba, which only uses a Japanese vocabulary which predates contact with China. In the poem, Amaterasu, the sun kami of Shinto, is male, Matsumoto theorizes that Amaterasu was feminized in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki to provide a justification for the reign of Empress Suiko who reigned just before those documents were written. Although for the most part Japanese academics remain uninterested in this text and this is due to claims that the text was written in an original Japanese alphabet - in academic circles, the existence of writing in Japan before the use of Chinese characters is denied. The general opinion is that it is a false document, however, no definitive conclusion has yet been reached. Yoshinosuke Matsumoto hotsuma tutahe - himerareta nihon kodaisi The Mainichi Newspapers Co, ltd ISBN 4-620-30724-6 ISBN 978-4620307244 - Public appars. Yoshinosuke Matsumoto, Andrew Driver The Hotsuma Legends, Paths of the Ancestors, ISBN4931326013 ISBN 978-4-931326-01-9 - Translated. Modern English translations of the Hotsuma Tsutae tokyo woshite kenkyukai in facebook The Hotsuma Legends, Paths of the Ancestors http, //www. amazon. com/dp/4931326013
22.
Shintoshu
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The Shintōshū is a Japanese story book in ten volumes believed to date from the Nanboku-chō period. It illustrates with tales about shrines the Buddhist honji suijaku theory. This theory, created and developed mostly by Tendai monks, was never systematized, the book had thereafter great influence over literature and the arts. The book is believed to have been written during the late Nanboku-chō period and it carries the note Agui-saku but who exactly wrote it is unclear. Divided in ten volumes and 50 chapters, it supports the Tendai and this theory was never systematized, but became nonetheless the most important tool through which foreign Buddhism was reconciled with local kami beliefs. The book illustrates it through tales dedicated to various shrines and to the Buddhist gods which are the nature of the kami they enshrine. The common point of the tales is that, before being reborn as a kami of an area. The suffering is caused by relationships with relatives, especially wives or husbands. The book had a impact on the literature and arts of the following centuries
23.
Japanese creation myth
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This story is described first hand at the beginning of the Kojiki, the first book written in Japan, and in the Nihon Shoki. Both form the basis of Japanese mythology and Shinto, however. At the beginning the universe was immersed in a beaten and shapeless kind of matter, later there were sounds indicating the movement of particles. With this movement, the light and the lightest particles rose but the particles were not as fast as the light and could not go higher. Thus, the light was at the top of the Universe, and below it, the particles formed first the clouds and then Heaven, the rest of the particles that had not risen formed a huge mass, dense and dark, to be called Earth. When Takamagahara was formed, the first three gods of Japanese mythology appeared, Amenominakanushi Taka-mi-musuhi-no-kami and Kami-musuhi-no-kami and these gods are not mentioned in the rest of the mythology. Then two other gods arose, Kuni-no-toko-tachi-no-kami and Toyo-kumo-no-no-kami These gods also emerged spontaneously, did not have a sex, did not have a partner. Following the creation of Heaven and Earth and the appearance of these gods, Izanagi and Izanami went on to create the Japanese archipelago. The Kojiki, Japanese Records of Ancient Matters, génesis del mundo y aparición de los primeros dioses. Archived from the original on 2007-11-10
24.
Kotoamatsukami
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In Shinto, Kotoamatsukami is the collective name for the first gods which came into existence at the time of the creation of the universe. They were born in Takamagahara, the world of Heaven at the time of the creation, unlike the later gods, these deities were born without any procreation. Afterward, the Kotoamatsukami hiddes away as hitorigami, though the Zōkasanshin are thought to be genderless, another theory stated Kamimusuhi was the woman and Takamimusubi the man, comparing them with water and fire or with yin and yang. Some theories also regard Ame-no-Minaka-Nushi as the source of all creation or as the God of the Big Dipper, strangely, Takamimusubi later reappeared together with Amaterasu as one of the central gods in Takamagahara, and his daughter was the mother of the god Ninigi-no-Mikoto. Later, Takamimusubi was worshiped by the Jingi-kan and considered the god of matchmaking, some Japanese clans also claimed descent from this god, such as the Saeki clan, he is also an Imperial ancestor. As for Kamimusuhi, he has ties with both the Amatsukami and the Kunitsukami of Izumo mythology. Kamimusuhi is also said to have transformed the grains produced by the food goddess Ōgetsuhime after she was slayed by Amaterasus angered brother
25.
Age of the Gods
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In Japanese mythology, the Age of the Gods is the period preceding the accession of Jimmu, the first Emperor of Japan. The kamiyo myths are chronicled in the roll of the Kojiki and in the first. The reigns of Emperor Jimmu and the subsequent monarchs are considered the Human Age, according to early mythology, the Japanese islands were created by Izanagi and Izanami, meaning he who invites and she who invites. They find themselves on a golden bridge staring down at earth. With their jeweled spear, called Amenonuhoko, given by the gods or kami before them, they dip the spear into the ocean, creating the islands of Japan, descending down from the skies, Izanagi and Izanami create their home and create a central Heavenly August pillar. Deciding to populate the land, Izanagi circles the left side of the pillar while Izanami circles the right. Meeting each other on the side of it, Izanami greets her love “oh, what a comely young man. ”Izanagi replies with” How delightfully, I have met a lovely maiden. ”Izanami being a woman speaking first to a man. Their first child Hiruko was born hideous and cast out for its atrocity, trying and trying again, they fail to conceive a proper child. The gods explain to them both about their curse and decide to give another chance. Once again Izanagi and Izanami circle the pillar just as before, Izanami gave birth to the islands of Awaji, Iyo, Oki, Tsukushi, Iki, Tsushima, Sado, and finally Yamato, the largest. They named the land Oyashimakuni, the Land of Eight Great Islands. After that, Izanami gave birth in quick succession to the minor islands that surround the main ones, and to the main kami of sea and harbor, of wind, trees, mountains. Many other kami were born from Izanami’s womb such as Amaterasu and she was known as Heaven-Illumine-of-Great-Deity”, and the Moon God, Tsukiyumi. His silver radiance was not so fair as the golden effulgence of his sister, the last kami conceived was the fire god, Kagutsuchi. During birth, Kagutsuchi severely burned Izanami and eventually slipped away into the Land of Yomi, “The tears Izanagi shed at the death of his wife brought forth further deities. Angered by the sight of the newly born fire kami who had been the cause of Izanami’s death, Izanagi drew his sword, the blood coalescing on the sword brought forth eight martial kami, including the important Takemikazuchi-no-kami and his peer, Futsunushi-no-kami. Eight more fierce kami of mountains and iron emerged from the body and limbs. ”In his anguish, Izanagi followed her to the underworld to rescue her. Nothing remained of his beloved Izanami but a rotting living-dead corpse, as Izanagi runs away in horror, Izanami shrieks in anger for her loves abandonment, “Everyday I shall kill one thousand people in the lands we created”
26.
Kamiyonanayo
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In Japanese mythology, the Kamiyonanayo are the seven generations of kami that emerged after the formation of heaven and earth. According to the Kojiki, these appeared after the Kotoamatsukami. The first two generations were hitorigami while the five that followed came into being as male-female pairs of kami, male deities, in total the Kamiyonanayo consist of 12 deities in this chronicle. In contrast, the chronicle Nihon Shoki, points out that this group was the first to appear after the creation of the universe and it also states that the first three generations of deities were hitorigami and that the other generations of deities were pairs of the opposite sex. Finally the Nihon Shoki uses a different spelling for the names of all deities, the last generation formed by Izanagi and Izanami were the couple that would be responsible for the creation of the Japanese archipelago and would engender other deities. Shinto List of Japanese deities Chamberlain, Basil Hall, the Kojiki, Japanese Records of Ancient Matters. Génesis del mundo y de los primeros dioses. Archived from the original on 2007-11-10
27.
Kuniumi
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In Japanese mythology, the creation of Japan is the traditional and legendary history of the emergence of the Japanese archipelago as narrated in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. According to this legend, after the creation of Heaven and Earth, in Japanese mythology these islands make up the known world. The creation of Japan is followed by the creation of the gods, after the formation, the Heaven was above and Earth was still a drifting soft mush. The first five gods named Kotoamatsukami were lone deities without gender, then came the Kamiyonanayo, consisting of two lone deities followed by five couples. It was the last couple, Izanagi and Izanami that gave earth its solid form, the elder gods delegated the youngest couple Izanagi and Izanami to carry out their venerable mandate, to reach down from heaven and give solid form to the earth. This they did with the use of a precious stone-covered spear named Ame-no-nuboko, standing over the Ame-no-ukihashi, they churned the chaotic mass with the spear. When drops of salty water fell from the tip, they formed into the first island, however, when they met on the other side of the pillar, Izanami was the first to speak, saying, Oh, indeed you are beautiful and kind youth. To which Izanagi replied, Oh, what a most beautiful, Izanagi then rebukes Izanami saying, It is wrong for the wife to speak first. However they mated anyway and later fathered a child Hiruko, who was placed in a reed boat dragged by the current, afterwards they gave birth to Awashima. Neither Hiruko and Awashima were considered children of Izanagi and Izanami. Izanagi and Izanami decided to ascend to heaven and consult the gods at Takamagahara about the ill-formed children that resulted from their union. The gods through divination determined that the woman speaking first during the ceremony was the cause, so the couple returned to Onogoroshima island and repeated the ritual encircling column, only making sure the male-god was the first to speak out greeting. When finished they performed the union successfully and lands began to be born, according to the legend, the formation of Japan started with the procreation of eight large islands by Izanagi and Izanami. In order of birth these islands are the following, Awaji-no-ho-no-sawake-no-shima, currently, Awaji Island, Iyo-no-futana-no-shima, currently and this island had a body and four faces. The names of the faces are as follows, Ehime, Iyo Province, Ihiyorihiko, Sanuki Province, Ohogetsuhime, Awa Province, Takeyoriwake and this island had a body and four faces. The names of the faces are as follows, Shirahiwake, Tsukushi Province, Toyohiwake, Toyo Province, Takehimukahitoyojihinewake, Hi Province, Takehiwake, dubbed Amehitotsubashira, Tsu-shima, today, Tsushima Island. Dubbed Ame-no-sadeyorihime, Sado-no-shima, today, Sado Island, Ohoyamatotoyoakitsu-shima, today, traditionally these islands are known as Ōyashima and as a whole are what is currently known as Japan. In the myth neither Hokkaidō nor the Ryukyu Islands are mentioned as these were not known to the Japanese at the time of compiling the Kojiki, additionally, Izanagi and Izanami then gave birth to six islands, Kibi-no-kojima, Kojima Peninsula of Kibi
28.
Kamiumi
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In Japanese mythology, the story of the birth of the gods occurs after the creation of Japan and refers to the birth of the kami, descendants of Izanagi and Izanami. According to the Kojiki, various gods were born from the relationship between Izanagi and Izanami until the fire deity, Kagutsuchi, at birth burned Izanamis genitals, Izanagi, witnessing the death of his beloved wife, in rage took the ten-grasp sabre and crushed his child, Kagutsuchi. A number of gods were born from the blood and remains of Kagutsuchi, then Izanagi performed the misogi ritual purification through which more gods are born. The last of these are the three most important gods of Shinto, Amaterasu, goddess of the sun, Tsukuyomi, deity of the moon, in her agony, from her vomit, urine and feces more gods were born. At the time Izanagi crept moaning about the body and mourned her death, from his tears Nakisawame was born. Subsequently Izanagi buried Izanami on Mount Hiba and his sadness turned into anger and he decided to kill Kagutsuchi with a ten-grasp sword called Ame-no-ohabari. From the blood of Kagutsuchi the following gods emerged, Iwasaku Nesaku Iwatsutsunoo The gods above were born from the blood fell from the tip of the sword in the rocks. Mikahayahi Hihayahi Takemikagutsuchinoo, also known as Takefutsu or Toyofutsu The gods above were born from the blood fell from the blade of the sword. Kuraokami Kuramitsuha The gods above were born from the blood fell from the handle of the sword. Izanagi then decided to bring back Izanami and goes to Yomi-no-kuni, crossing the gates to that world, he met Izanami and says to her, The countries that you and me have created have not been completed yet. Izanami replied, Too bad you did not come before, for I have eaten in the country of Yomi. however, under no circumstances you may look at me. On saying this, Izanami entered the palace of these gods, however, time passed and she did not return and Izanagi began to despair. So he broke one of the tines of his ornamental comb mizura that he wore in the bun of his hair, lit it in order to light the place. He manages to find Izanami but is surprised to see that she lost her beauty and had become a rotting corpse, Izanagi, shocked, decided to return home, but Izanami was embarrassed by his appearance and commanded the Yomotsushikome to chase Izanagi. In his flight, he took the head-dress from his head, the Yomotsushikome started to eat them but kept chasing the fleeing Izanagi. So he broke the tine of the comb that he wore in his right bun, however, Izanami decided to release the eight gods of thunder and 1,500 warriors from Yomi to continue the pursuit. Izanagi drew and brandished his Totsuka-no-Tsurugi sword to continue his flight, as they pursued him, Izanagi reached the Yomotsu-hirasaka, the slope that descends from the land of the living to Yomi. He took three peaches from a tree that had grown in place and threw them at his pursuers so that they fled
29.
Izanami-no-Mikoto
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In Japanese mythology, Izanami-no-Mikoto is a goddess of both creation and death, as well as the former wife of the god Izanagi-no-Mikoto. She is also referred to as Izanami-no-kami, the first gods Kunitokotachi and Amenominakanushi summoned two divine beings into existence, the male Izanagi and the female Izanami, and charged them with creating the first land. To help them do this, Izanagi and Izanami were given a spear decorated with jewels, the two deities then went to the bridge between heaven and earth, Ame-no-ukihashi, and churned the sea below with the spear. When drops of salty water fell from the spear, Onogoroshima was created and they descended from the bridge of heaven and made their home on the island. Eventually they wished to be mated, so built a pillar called Ame-no-mihashira. Izanagi and Izanami circled the pillar in opposite directions and, when they met on the other side, Izanagi did not think that this was proper, but they mated anyhow. They had two children, Hiruko and Awashima, but they were born deformed and were not considered deities and they put the children into a boat and set them out to sea, then petitioned the other gods for an answer as to what they did wrong. They were told that the male deity should have spoken first in greeting during the marriage ceremony, so Izanagi and Izanami went around the pillar again, this time Izanagi speaking first when they met, and their marriage was finally successful. They bore six more islands and many deities, Izanami died giving birth to the child Kagu-Tsuchi or Ho-Masubi. She was then buried on Mt. Hiba, at the border of the old provinces of Izumo and Hōki, Izanagi was so angry at the death of his wife that he killed the newborn child, thereby creating dozens of deities. The Kojiki talks of the death of Izanami and her tomb and it implies that Izanami transferred her soul to an animal and a human before her death, but does not state whether or not Izanami had incarnations. Izanagi-no-Mikoto lamented the death of Izanami-no-Mikoto and undertook a journey to Yomi and he searched for Izanami-no-Mikoto and found her. At first, Izanagi-no-Mikoto could not see her for the shadows hid her appearance and he asked her to return with him. Izanami-no-Mikoto informed Izanagi-no-Mikoto that he was too late and she had already eaten the food of the underworld and was now one with the land of the dead. She could no longer return to the living but would go and try, the news shocked Izanagi-no-Mikoto, but he refused to leave her in Yomi. While Izanami-no-Mikoto was sleeping, he took the comb that bound his long hair, under the sudden burst of light, he saw the horrid form of the once beautiful and graceful Izanami-no-Mikoto. She was now a form of flesh with maggots and foul creatures running over her ravaged body. Crying out loud, Izanagi-no-Mikoto could no longer control his fear and started to run, intending to return to the living, Izanami-no-Mikoto woke up, shrieking and indignant, and chased after him
30.
Izanagi
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Izanagi is a deity born of the seven divine generations in Japanese mythology and Shinto, and his name in the Kojiki is roughly translated to as he-who-invites or Izanagi-no-mikoto. He is also known as Izanagi-no-Okami and he with his spouse and younger sister Izanami gave birth to the many islands of Japan, and begat numerous deities of Shintoism. But she died giving birth to the fire-god Kagu-tsuchi. Izanagi executed the fire god with the ten-grasp sword, afterwards, he paid his wife a visit in Yomi-no-kuni in the hopes of retrieving her. But she had partaken of food cooked in the furnace of the Underworld, Izanagi betrayed his promise not to look at her, and lit up a fire, only to behold her in her monstrous and hellish state. To avenge her shame, she dispatched the lightning god Yakusa no ikazuchi no kami, Izanagi escaped, but the goddess declared to kill a thousand of his people every day. Izanagi retorted that a thousand and five hundred will be every day. In the cleansing rite after his return, he beget Amaterasu from his eye, Tsukuyomi from his right eye. There is also an odd resemblance to the myth of Adam and Eve, while one of Chinas Four Great Folktales, Baishe Zhuan, Izanagi Boom, a period of high economic growth in Japan in the second half of the 1960s. The name of this deity appears incorrectly spelled as Izagi in Puccinis opera Madama Butterfly, Izanagi, Izanami, Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi and Susanoo are various eye techniques of the Uchiha clan in the Japanese manga Naruto. Izanagi being a technique that can undo a path, in exchange of an eye, Izanami traps a target in an infinite loop, in exchange of an eye. Amaterasu is a flame technique. Tsukuyomi is a technique and Susanoo is an armored entity that acts as the eye holders armor. Izanagi is also the name of a character in the anime Mai-HiME, Izanagi is a Monster Card in the popular Trading Card Game, Yugioh. In the anime Darker than BLACK season 2, Izanagi is referenced multiple times, Izanagi, Izanami, Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi and Susanoo appear as characters in the video game Ōkami. Izanagi is also manifested as a persona for the protagonist in the popular Japanese role playing game, Shin Megami Tensei, Izanagi, Izanami, Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi and Susanoo appear as characters in the video game Puzzle and Dragons. In Nurarihyon no Mago, Sennen Makyou, Kanzen naru fusei, Izanagi is a used by Awashima. Izanagi is a name of a corporation appearing in the Unreal series, Izanagi is also a card from the Kojiki series
31.
Kagu-tsuchi
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Kagu-tsuchi or Kagutsuchi, referred to as Hinokagatsuchi in the Kojiki, and Kagutsuchi or Homusubi in the Nihon-Shoki, is the kami of fire in Japanese mythology. Kagu-tsuchis birth burned his mother Izanami, causing her death and his father Izanagi, in his grief, beheaded Kagu-tsuchi with his sword, Ame no Ohabari, and cut his body into eight pieces, which became eight volcanoes. The blood that dripped off Izanagis sword created a number of deities, including the sea god Watatsumi, kagu-tsuchis birth, in Japanese mythology, comes at the end of the creation of the world and marks the beginning of death. In the Engishiki, a source which contains the myth, Izanami, in her death throes, bears the water god Mizuhame and this story also contains references to traditional fire-fighting tools, gourds for carrying water and wet clay and water reeds for smothering fires. Kagutsuchi was the deity of blacksmiths and ceramic workers. He is worshipped in shrines, one of which is Atago Shrine. In the video game Black Ops 2 in the map Origins, in the anime Fairy Tail, a character named Zancrow uses the Flame God Slayer Magic, and has an attack named after Kagu-tsuchi. In the anime Mai-HiME, Mais Child is based upon Kagu-tsuchi, in the anime Naruto, Shippuden, one of the main characters called Sasuke Uchiha is shown to have the ability to manipulate the black flames of Amaterasu into various weapons. This is referred to as Blaze release, Kagu-tsuchi, which refers to the fire god, in the anime Ao No Exorcist, the hometown to several of the characters is Kyoto, where a powerful sword was made from long ago by, and had to do with Kagu-Tsuchi. In the video game series BlazBlue, the setting of the first two games is the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi. In the video game series Brave Frontier, Kagatsuchi is a battle unit. Hes in the form of a centaur, and is described as a disastrous beast, in the video game Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, Hino-Kagutsuchi is featured as a boss. In the mobile phone game Puzzle and Dragons, developed by Gung-ho, along side with Susanoo, Amaterasu, and Tsukuyomi, Kagutsuchi is one of the 4 Xyz Monsters of Bujin. Engi-shiki, Procedures of the Engi Era
32.
Watatsumi
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Watatsumi, also pronounced Wadatsumi, is a legendary kami, Japanese dragon and tutelary water deity in Japanese mythology. The earliest written sources of Old Japanese transcribe the name of the sea god in a diverse manner, the ca.712 CE Kojiki writes it semantically as 海神 lit. Sea god, and transcribes it phonetically with manyōgana as Wata-tsu-mi 綿津見 lit, cotton port see in identifying Ōwatsumi kami and the Watatsumi Sanjin. The ca.720 CE Nihongi also writes Watatsumi as 海神 sea god, along with 海童 sea child, in the modern Japanese writing system, the name Watatsumi is usually written either in katakana as ワタツミ or in kanji phonetically 綿津見 or semantically 海神 sea god. Note that in addition to reading 海神 as watatsumi, wata no kami, or unagami in native Japanese kunyomi pronunciation, the original Watatsumi meaning tutelary deity of the sea is semantically extended as a synecdoche or metaphor meaning the sea, the ocean, the main. The etymology of the sea god Watatsumi is uncertain, marinus Willern de Visser notes consensus that wata is an Old Japanese word for sea, ocean and tsu is a possessive particle, but disagreement whether mi means snake or lord, god. It is not impossible he concludes, that the old Japanese sea-gods were snakes or dragons, compare the Japanese rain god Kuraokami that was similarly described as a giant snake or a dragon. The comparative linguist Paul K. Benedict proposed that Japanese wata 海 sea derives from Proto-Austronesian *wacal sea, the Kojiki version of the Japanese creation myth honorifically refers to Watatsumi 海神 with the name Ōwatatsumi kami 大綿津見神 Great Watatsumi god. Compare this sea god with mountain god named Ohoyamatsumi 大山積, the world-creating siblings Izanagi and Izanami first give birth to the Japanese islands and then to the gods. When they had finished giving birth to countries, they began giving birth to Deities. A subsequent Kojiki passage describes Watatsumis daughter Otohime and her human husband Hoori living with the sea god, after Hoori lost his brother Hoderis fishhook, he went searching to the bottom of the sea, where he met and married the dragon goddess Otohime. They lived in the sea gods underwater palace Ryūgū-jō for three years before Hoori became homesick, so he dwelt in that land for three years. Hereupon His Augustness Fire-Subside thought of what had gone before, so Her Augustness Luxuriant-Jewel-Princess, hearing the sigh, informed her father, saying, Though he has dwelt three years, he had never sighed, but this night he heaved one deep sigh. What may be the cause of it, the Great Deity her father asked his son-in-law saying, This morning I heard my daughter speak, saying, Though he has dwelt three years, he had never sighed, but this night he heaved one deep sigh. Moreover what was the cause of thy coming here, then told the Great Deity exactly how his elder brother had pressed him for the lost fish-hook. Thereupon the Sea-Deity summoned together all the fishes of the sea, great and small, so all the fishes replied, Lately the tahi has complained of something sticking in its throat preventing it from eating, so it doubtless has taken. On the throat of the tahi being thereupon examined, there was the fish-hook, being forthwith taken, it was washed and respectfully presented to His Augustness Fire-Subside, whom the Deity Great-Ocean-Possessor then instructed. Watatsumi instructs Hoori how to deal with Hoderi, and chooses another mythic Japanese dragon, two Nihongi contexts refer to Watatsumi in legends about Emperor Keikō and Emperor Jimmu
33.
Shinigami
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Shinigami are gods or supernatural spirits that invite humans toward death, and can be seen to be present or interpreted to be present in certain aspects of Japanese religion and culture. In Buddhism, there is the Mara that is concerned with death, the Mrtyu-mara. It is a demon that makes humans want to die, and it is said that upon being possessed by it, in a shock, one should want to commit suicide. Also, in the Yogacarabhumi-sastra, a writing on Yogacara, it was a demon that decided the time of peoples deaths, Yama, the king of the Underworld, as well as oni like the Ox-Head and Horse-Face are also considered a type of shinigami. In Shinto and Japanese mythology, Izanami gave humans death, so Izanami is sometimes seen as a shinigami, however, Izanami and Yama are also thought to be different from the death gods in western mythology. Some forms of Buddhism do not involve believing in any deities, even though the kijin and onryō of Japanese Buddhist faith have taken humans lives, there is the opinion that there is no death god that merely leads people into the world of the dead. Other than that, in Kyōhō5, in a performance of The Love Suicides at Amijima, there was the expression, in the classical literature of the Edo period, shinigami that would possess humans are mentioned. These are, rather than gods, more like yūki, or evil spirits, Shinigami are also spoken about in folk religion after the war. In the Hamamatsu area, Shizuoka Prefecture, a shinigami would possess people and lead them to mountains, seas, and railroads where people have died. Also, once one has visited the grave in sunset, it would be necessary to visit the grave also during sunrise, and doing only one would result in being possessed by a shinigami. After the war, the notion of a death god entered Japan, and shinigami started to become mentioned as an existence with a human nature. More recently, shinigami are a prominent feature of the manga serial, ankou Death Category, Shinigami in fiction 大藤時彦 他
34.
Takamagahara
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Takama-ga-hara is a place in Japanese mythology. In Shinto, Takama-ga-hara is the place of the kami. It is believed to be connected to the Earth by the bridge Ama-no uki-hashi, in Shinto, ame is a lofty, sacred world, the home of the amatsukami. Some scholars have attempted to explain the myth of descent of the gods from the Takama-ga-hara as an allegory of the migration of peoples, however, it is likely to have referred from the beginning to a higher world in a religious sense. A Shinto myth explains that at the time of creation, light, heavy, turbid elements branched off to become earth. Ame became the home of the amatsukami or gods of heaven, the amatsukami are said to have descended from heaven to pacify and perfect this world). Guide in Takamagahara historic site Ono, Sokyo, Shinto, The Kami Way, Charles E
35.
Amaterasu
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Amaterasu, Amaterasu-ōmikami or Ōhirume-no-muchi-no-kami is a part of the Japanese myth cycle and also a major deity of the Shinto religion. She is seen as the goddess of the sun, but also of the universe, the name Amaterasu derived from Amateru means shining in heaven. The meaning of her name, Amaterasu-ōmikami, is the great august kami who shines in the heaven. According to the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki in Japanese mythology, the Emperors of Japan are considered to be descendants of Amaterasu. Amaterasu appears to be the Japanese expression of a historical pan-Asiatic solar goddess, another possible expression is the Chinese Xihe. The oldest tales of Amaterasu come from the ca.712 A. D. Kojiki, Nihon Shoki, the oldest records of Japanese history. In Japanese mythology, Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, is the sister of Susanoo, the god of storms and the sea, and of Tsukuyomi and it was written that Amaterasu had painted the landscape with her siblings to create ancient Japan. All three were born from Izanagi when he was purifying himself after entering Yomi, the underworld, Amaterasu was born when Izanagi washed out his left eye, Tsukuyomi was born from the washing of the right eye, and Susanoo from the washing of the nose. She became the ruler of the sun and the heavens along with her brother, Tsukuyomi, the god of the moon and ruler of the night. Originally, Amaterasu shared the sky with Tsukuyomi, her husband and brother until, out of disgust, he killed the goddess of food, Uke Mochi, when she pulled food from her rectum, nose, and mouth. This killing upset Amaterasu causing her to label Tsukuyomi an evil god and split away from him, the texts also tell of a long-standing rivalry between Amaterasu and her other brother, Susanoo. When he was to leave Heaven by orders of Izanagi, he went to bid his sister goodbye, Amaterasu was suspicious, but when Susanoo proposed a challenge to prove his sincerity, she accepted. Each of them took an object of the others and from it birthed gods, Amaterasu birthed three women from Susanoos sword while he birthed five men from her necklace. Claiming the gods were hers because they were born of her necklace, Amaterasu, who was in fury and grief, hid inside the Ama-no-Iwato, thus effectively hiding the sun for a long period of time. Though she was persuaded to leave the cave, Susanoo was punished by being banished from Heaven, both later amended their conflict when Susanoo gave her the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi sword as a reconciliation gift. When they both reconciled the moon became visible, according to legend, Amaterasu bequeathed to her descendant Ninigi, the mirror, Yata no Kagami, the jewel, Yasakani no Magatama, and the sword, Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. This sacred mirror, jewel, and sword collectively became the three Imperial Regalia of Japan, the Ise Shrine located in Ise, Honshū, Japan houses the inner shrine, Naiku, dedicated to Amaterasu. Her sacred mirror, Yata no Kagami, is said to be kept at this shrine as one of the Imperial Regalia of Japan, at this shrine, a ceremony known as Shikinen Sengu is held every 20 years to honor Amaterasu
36.
Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto
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Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto or Tsukiyomi, is the moon god in Shinto and Japanese mythology. The -no-mikoto ending is an honorific suffix for the names of gods, of similar meaning to the grand, the great. The name Tsukuyomi is a compound of the Old Japanese words tsuku, the Nihon Shoki mentions this name spelled as Tsukuyumi, but this yumi is likely a variation in pronunciation of yomi. An alternate interpretation is that his name is a combination of tsukiyo, unlike the myths of ancient Greece or Rome, the Japanese moon deity is male. This is clear in the earliest mentions in sources such as the Kojiki and the Manyōshū, Tsukuyomi was born when he washed out of Izanagis right eye. However, in a story, Tsukuyomi was born from a mirror made of white copper in Izanagis right hand. After climbing a ladder, Tsukuyomi lived in the heavens, also known as Takamagahara, with his sister Amaterasu Ōmikami, the sun goddess. Tsukuyomi angered Amaterasu when he killed Uke Mochi, the goddess of food, Amaterasu once sent Tsukuyomi to represent her at a feast presented by Uke Mochi. The goddess created the food by turning to the ocean and spitting out a fish, then facing a forest and spitting out game, and finally turning to a rice paddy and coughing up a bowl of rice. Tsukuyomi was utterly disgusted by the fact that, although it looked exquisite, the meal was made in a disgusting manner, and so he killed her. Soon, Amaterasu learned what happened and she was so angry that she refused to look at Tsukuyomi again. This is the reason that day and night are never together, in later versions of this myth, Uke Mochi is killed by Susanoo instead. Media related to Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto at Wikimedia Commons
37.
Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto
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Ame-no-Uzume-no-mikoto is the goddess of dawn, mirth and revelry in the Shinto religion of Japan, and the wife of fellow-god Sarutahiko Ōkami. She famously relates to the tale of the sun deity. Her name can also be pronounced as Ama-no-Uzume and she is also known as Ōmiyanome-no-ōkami, an inari kami possibly due to her relationship with her husband. Amaterasus brother, the storm god Susanoo, had vandalized her rice fields, threw a flayed horse at her loom, in turn, Amaterasu became furious with him and retreated into the Heavenly Rock Cave, Amano-Iwato. The world, without the illumination of the sun, became dark, the clever Uzume overturned a tub near the cave entrance and began a dance on it, tearing off her clothing in front of the other deities. They considered this so comical that they laughed heartily at the sight and this dance is said to have founded the Japanese ritual dance, Kagura. Uzume had hung a mirror and a beautiful jewel of polished jade. Amaterasu heard them, and peered out to see all the fuss was about. When she opened the cave, she saw the jewel and her glorious reflection in a mirror which Uzume had placed on a tree, at that moment, the god Ame-no-Tajikarawo-no-mikoto dashed forth and closed the cave behind her, refusing to budge so that she could no longer retreat. Another god tied a magic shimenawa across the entrance, the deities Ame-no-Koyane-no-mikoto and Ame-no-Futodama-no-mikoto then asked Amaterasu to rejoin the divine. She agreed, and light was restored to the earth, Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto is still worshiped today as a Shinto kami, spirits indigenous to Japan. She is also known as Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto, The Great Persuader, and she is depicted in kyōgen farce as Okame, a woman who revels in her sensuality. Music, Ame-no-Uzume Op.4 composed by Hiroaki Zakōji Littleton, mythology, The Illustrated Anthology of World Myth and Storytelling. A substantial article on this subject Amaterasu and Uzume, Goddesses of Japan, at Goddess Gift A one-paragraph glossary entry in Italian
38.
Yamata no Orochi
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Yamata no Orochi or Orochi, translated as the Eight-Forked Serpent in English, is a legendary 8-headed and 8-tailed Japanese dragon. Yamata no Orochi legends are originally recorded in two ancient texts about Japanese mythology and history, the ca.680 AD Kojiki transcribes this dragon name as 八岐遠呂智 and ca.720 AD Nihongi writes it as 八岐大蛇. In both versions of the Orochi myth, the Shinto storm god Susanoo or Susa-no-Ō is expelled from Heaven for tricking his sister Amaterasu the sun-goddess. After expulsion from Heaven, Susanoo encounters two Earthly Deities near the head of the Hi River, now called the Hii River, in Izumo Province. They are weeping because they were forced to give the Orochi one of their daughters every year for seven years, the Kojiki tells the following version. So, having been expelled, descended to a place Tori-kami at the head-waters of the River Hi in the Land of Idzumo, at this time some chopsticks came floating down the stream. Then he deigned to ask, Who are ye, so the old man replied, saying, I am an Earthly Deity, child of the Deity Great-Mountain-Possessor. I am called by the name of Foot-Stroking-Elder, my wife is called by the name of Hand-Stroking Elder, again he asked, What is the cause of your crying. Saying, I had originally eight young girls as daughters, but the eight-forked serpent of Koshi has come every year and devoured, and it is now its time to come, wherefore we weep. Then he asked him, What is its form like, answered, saying, Its eyes are like akakagachi, it has one body with eight heads and eight tails. Moreover on its body grows moss, and also chamaecyparis and cryptomerias and its length extends over eight valleys and eight hills, and if one look at its belly, it is all constantly bloody and inflamed. Then His-Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness said to the old man, If this be thy daughter and he replied, saying, With reverence, but I know not thine august name. Then he replied, saying, I am elder brother to the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity, so I have now descended from Heaven. Then the Deities Foot-Stroker-Elder and Hand-Stroking-Elder said, If that be so, with reverence will we offer. Also make a round about, in that fence make eight gates, at each gate tie eight platforms, on each platform put a liquor-vat, and into each vat pour the eight-fold refined liquor. Thereupon it was intoxicated with drinking, and all lay down, then His-Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness drew the ten-grasp sabre, that was augustly girded on him, and cut the serpent in pieces, so that the River Hi flowed on changed into a river of blood. So when he cut the tail, the edge of his august sword broke. Then, thinking it strange, he thrust into and split with the point of his august sword and looked, so he took this great sword, and, thinking it a strange thing, he respectfully informed the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity
