Japanese Mythology- The Creation Myth

Japanese Mythology

 

Japan

• Japan is an island country in East Asia.

• Japanese archipelago consists of many islands but the four largest islands are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku.

• Shintoism (way of the gods”) is Japan’s oldest religion.

Creation Myth

• This story is described in Kojiki, which is the first book written in Japan.

• This story describes the birth of heavenly and earthly world, the birth of the first gods and the birth of the Japanese archipelago.

 

Izanagi and Izanami

•       When heaven and earth began, deities came into being, The Spirit Master of the Center of Heaven, The August Wondrously Producing spirit from and the Divine Wondrously Producing Ancestor( invisible)

•       From land, reeds sprouted and from these reeds came two more deities.

•       From them came six more pairs of deities and the last of them were Izanagi (he who invites) and Izanami(she who invites)

•       Standing on the Floating Bridge of Heaven, they dipped the spear in the ocean brine and stirred. They pulled out the spear, and the brine that dripped of it formed an island to which they descended

•       Izanami and Izanagi decided to complete each other and met behind the pillar to do this.

•       Izanami said: “What a fine young man.”

•       They had a leech-child which they let to float away and a floating island they did not recognize as their own.

•       Disappointed, they returned to heaven and consulted the deities. Turns out, Izanagi should be the first one to say: “What a fine young woman.”

•       They procreated and gave birth to 8 major islands and 6 minor islands in Japan. Deities were born as well.

•       Izanami gave birth to a fire deity and unfortunately burned herself out.

•       Izanagi grieved, forming a deity from his tears.

•       He beheaded his son Kagutuchi and deities were born from the blood and 8 more from the body.

•       Izanagi went to Yomi (underworld) to ask Izanami to come back, she promised to beg the gods to allow her and asked Izanagi not to look at her.

•       Izanagi broke off the comb in his hair to use it as torch and there he found her body being consumed by maggots—8 deities of thunder.

•       Izanagi ran. Izanami stopped him but he put a boulder to serve as a barrier in the underworld.

•       Enraged, Izanami shouted at him that she would kill 1000 people everyday but Izanagi said that he would cause 1500 people to be born everyday.

•       Izanagi returned home and bathed himself, removed his adornments (formed deities) When he washed his face, three of the ancestors of the Japanese families were born.

Amateratsu, Tsukuyomi,Susanoo

•       Amateratsu was from Izanagi’s left eye, she was the sun and inherited the heavens

•       Tsukuyomi was from the right eye, she was the moon and inherited the night

•       Susanoo was the sea and storms, he was from the nose and owned the seas, snow and hail

•       Amateratsu and Susanoo constantly feuded with each other, and Susanoo, with his wicked behaviour was banished to Yomi by his father.

•       Susanoo went to heaven to bid farewell to Amateratsu, but she did not trust his brother and requested for a contest to prove his good faith.

•       Who could bring forth more noble and divine children? Amateratsu made three women from Susanoo’s sword and Susanoo made five men from His sister’s ornament chain.

•       Both gods claimed victory. Susanoo hurled a half-flayed pony and killed one of Amateratsu’s attendants.

•       Enraged, Amateratsu hid in the cave Iwayado and darkness covered the world.

•       Uzume danced naked outside the cave and the male gods laughed. Curious, Amateratsu peeked and there was “dawn”. There, she saw her beautiful self in the mirror.

•       Susanoo was exiled to earth

Orochi

•       Susanoo helped an old couple save their daughter from the Orochi—a eight-headed serpent that stole each of their daughter every year.

•       He asked for marriagein exchange, he turned Kushinada-hime into comb and hid her in his hair.

•       He set a trap using sake and defeated the orochi

•       The sword found at its tail was named Kusanagi and was given to the sun goddess to settle their dispute.

Ninigi

•       Ninigi was sent by the Sun to rule over Japan. He built his palace and soon met a beautiful woman whom he wants to marry, Princess Brilliant Blossoms.

•       Her father also gave his older daughter, Princess Long as the Rocks but the emperor did not want her because of her ugliness.

•       The father heard about this and said that Princess Long bears immortal children.

•       Princess Brilliant Blossoms was soon with child, so soon that the emperor could hardly believe that she bore his children. To prove herself, she built a palace and shut herself in it and set fire to it.

•        Amidst the flames she gave birth to three deities, and ultimately their descendants were the imperial family of Japan.

•       The first legendary emperor of Japan, Jimmu, established his throne in 660 BC. He was the great great great grandson of Amateratsu.