Susanoo, the storm god of summer, was the brother of Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, and of Tsukuyomi, the god of the moon, born when Izanagi cleansed himself from the pollutants of Yomi-no-kuni, 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. Susanoo and Amaterasu both created divine beings from an object belonging to the other. Three goddesses came from Susanoo's weapon and five gods from her necklace. Susanoo claimed victory but, in a subsequent fit of rage, he destroyed his sister's rice fields, hurled a flayed pony at her loom, and killed one of her attendants; for these acts, he was banished from Heaven.
What happened then was recounted in the 8th-century NIHON SHOKI, as translated by William George Aston:
Then SSusano'o no Mikoto descended from Heaven and proceeded to the head-waters of the River Hi, in the province of Idzumo. At this time he heard a sound of weeping at the head-waters of the river, and he went in search of the sound. He found there an old man and an old woman. Between them was set a young girl, whom they were caressing and lamenting over. Susano'o 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. My wife's name is Te-nadzuchi. This girl is our daughter, and her name is Kushi-nada-hime. The reason of our weeping is that formerly we had eight children, daughters. 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, wilt thou give me thy daughter?" 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 eight-fold sake, to make eight cupboards, in each of them to set a tub filled with sake, and so to await its coming. When the time came, the serpent actually appeared. 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. As it crawled it extended over a space of eight hills and eight valleys. Now when it came and found the sake, each head drank up one tub, and it became drunken and fell asleep. Then Susano'o no Mikoto drew the ten-span sword which he wore, and chopped the serpent into small pieces. When he came to the tail, the edge of his sword was slightly notched, and he therefore split open the tail and examined it. In the inside there was a sword. This is the sword which is called Kusa-nagi no tsurugi.
Susanoo presented this "Grasscutter Sword" to Amaterasu as a reconciliation; she, in turn, bequeathed it to her grandson Ninigi-no-Mikoto (along with the Yata no Kagami mirror and Yasakani no Magatama jewel or orb, to comprise the three imperial regalia of Japan) when she sent him to Earth to plant rice there. He was the great-grandfather of Jimmu, Japan's first emperor..
Susanoo, the storm god of summer, was the brother of Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, and of Tsukuyomi, the god of the moon, born when Izanagi cleansed himself from the pollutants of Yomi-no-kuni, 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. Susanoo and Amaterasu both created divine beings from an object belonging to the other. Three goddesses came from Susanoo's weapon and five gods from her necklace. Susanoo claimed victory but, in a subsequent fit of rage, he destroyed his sister's rice fields, hurled a flayed pony at her loom, and killed one of her attendants; for these acts, he was banished from Heaven.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened then was recounted in the 8th-century NIHON SHOKI, as translated by William George Aston:
Then SSusano'o no Mikoto descended from Heaven and proceeded to the head-waters of the River Hi, in the province of Idzumo. At this time he heard a sound of weeping at the head-waters of the river, and he went in search of the sound. He found there an old man and an old woman. Between them was set a young girl, whom they were caressing and lamenting over. Susano'o 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. My wife's name is Te-nadzuchi. This girl is our daughter, and her name is Kushi-nada-hime. The reason of our weeping is that formerly we had eight children, daughters. 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, wilt thou give me thy daughter?" 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 eight-fold sake, to make eight cupboards, in each of them to set a tub filled with sake, and so to await its coming. When the time came, the serpent actually appeared. 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. As it crawled it extended over a space of eight hills and eight valleys. Now when it came and found the sake, each head drank up one tub, and it became drunken and fell asleep. Then Susano'o no Mikoto drew the ten-span sword which he wore, and chopped the serpent into small pieces. When he came to the tail, the edge of his sword was slightly notched, and he therefore split open the tail and examined it. In the inside there was a sword. This is the sword which is called Kusa-nagi no tsurugi.
Susanoo presented this "Grasscutter Sword" to Amaterasu as a reconciliation; she, in turn, bequeathed it to her grandson Ninigi-no-Mikoto (along with the Yata no Kagami mirror and Yasakani no Magatama jewel or orb, to comprise the three imperial regalia of Japan) when she sent him to Earth to plant rice there. He was the great-grandfather of Jimmu, Japan's first emperor..