¶ SECT. XXXI.—THE HEAVENLY-YOUNG-PRINCE.
Therefore the High-August-Producing-Wondrous-Deity and the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity again asked all the Deities, saying. “The Deity Ame-no-ho-hi, whom we sent down to the Central Land of Reed-Plains, is long of bringing back a report. [^640] Which Deity were it best to send on a fresh mission?” [^641] Then the Deity Thought-Includer replied, saying: “The Heavenly-Young-Prince, [^642] son of the Deity Heaven’s-Earth-Spirit [^643] should be sent.” So they bestowed on him the Heavenly feathered arrows, [1] and sent him. Thereupon the Heavenly-Young-Prince, descending to that land, at once wedded Princess Under-Shining, [2] daughter of the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land, [3] and moreover, planning how he might gain [possession of] the land, for eight years brought back no [95] report. So then the High-August-Producing-Wondrous-Deity and the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity again asked all the Deities, [saying]: “The Heavenly-Young-Prince is long of bringing back a report. [4] Which Deity shall we send on a fresh mission to enquire the cause of the Heavenly-Young-Prince’s long tarrying?” Thereupon all the Deities and likewise the Deity Thought-Includer replied, saying: “The pheasant the Name-Crying-Female [5] should be sent,” upon which [the High-August-Producing-Wondrous-Deity and the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity] charged [the pheasant], saying: “What thou shalt go and ask the Heavenly-Young-Prince is this: ‘The reason for which thou wast sent to the Central Land of Reed-Plains was to subdue and pacify the savage Deities of that land. Why for eight years bringest thou back no report?’” So then the Crying-Female, [ p. 115 ] descending from Heaven, and perching on the multitudinous [-ly-branching] cassia-tree [6] at the Heavenly-Young-Prince’s gate, told him everything according to the mandate of the Heavenly Deities. Then the Heavenly-Spying-Woman, [7] having heard the bird’s words, spoke to the Heavenly-Young-Prince, saying: “The sound of this bird’s cry is very bad. So thou shouldest shoot it to earth.” On her [thus] urging him, the Heavenly-Young-Prince at once took the heavenly vegetable wax-tree [96] bow and the heavenly deer-arrows bestowed on him by the Heavenly Deities, and shot the pheasant to death. Then the arrow, being shot up upside down [8] through the pheasant’s breast, reached the august place where the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity and the High-Integrating-Deity [9] were sitting in the bed of the Tranquil River of Heaven. This “High-integrating-Deity” is another name for the High-August-Producing-Wondrous-Deity. So, on the High-Integrating-Deity taking up the arrow and looking at it [he saw that] there was blood adhering to the feathers of the arrow. Thereupon the High-Integrating-Deity, saying: “This arrow is the arrow that was bestowed on the Heavenly-Young-Prince,” showed it to all the Deities, and said: “If this be an arrow shot at the evil Deities by the Heavenly-Young-Prince in obedience to our command, let it not hit him. If he has a foul heart, let the Heavenly-Young-Prince perish [10] by this arrow.” With these words, the took the arrow and thrust it back down through the arrow’s hole, [11] so that it hit the Heavenly-Young-Prince on the top of his breast [12] as he was sleeping on his couch, so that he died. (This is the origin of [the saying] Beware of a returning arrow. [13]) Moreover the pheasant returned not. So this is the [ p. 116 ] origin of the modern proverb which speaks of ‘the pheasant as sole messenger.’ [14] So the sound of the wailings of the Heavenly-Young-Prince’s wife Princess Under-Shining, re-echoing in the wind, reached Heaven. So the Heavenly-Young-Prince’s father, the Deity Heaven’s-Earth-Spirit, and his wife and children [15] who were in heaven, hearing it, came down with cries and lamentations, and at once built a mourning-house there, [16] and made the wild goose of the river [17] the head-hanging bearer [18] the heron the broom-bearer, the kingfisher the person of the august food, the sparrow the pounding-woman, [19] [98] the pheasant the weeping woman; and, having thus arranged matters, they disported themselves [20] for eight days and eight nights, At this time the Deity Ajishiki-taka-hiko-ne [21] came and condoled on the mourning for the Heavenly-Young-Prince, whereupon the Heavenly-Young-Prince’s father and wife who had come down from Heaven bewailed themselves, [22] saying: “My child is not dead, no! My lord is not dead, no!” and with these words clung to his hands and feet, and bewailed themselves and lamented. The cause of their mistake was that the two Deities closely resembled each other in countenance: so therefore they made the mistake. Thereupon the Deity Ajishi-ki-taka-hiko-ne was very angry, and said: “It was only because he was my dear friend that I came to condole. Why should I be likened to an unclean dead person?”—and with these words he drew the ten-grasp sabre [23] that was augustly girded on him, and cut down the mourning-house, and kicked away [the pieces] with his feet. This was on what is called Mount Mourning [24] at the source of the River Awimi [25] in the land of Minu. [26] The great sword with which he cut [ p. 117 ] [the mourning-house to pieces] was called by the name of Great-Blade-Mower, [27] another name by which it was called being the Divine-Keen-Sabre. [28] So when the [99] Deity Aji-shiki-toba-hiko-ne flew away in his anger, his younger sister Her Augustness the High-Princess in order to reveal his august name, sang, saying:
“Oh! ’tis the Deity Aji-shiki-Taka-Hiko-Ne traversing two august valleys with the refulgence of august assembled hole-jewels, of the august assembled jewels worn round her neck by the Weaving Maiden in Heaven!” [29]
This Song is of a Rustic Style. [30]
[ p. 118 ]
[ p. 119 ]
[ p. 120 ]
[ p. 121 ] [100]
¶ SECT. XXXII.—ABDICATION OF THE DEITY MASTER-OF-THE-GREAT-LAND.
Hereupon the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity said: “Which Deity were it best to send on a fresh mission?” [31] Then the Deity Thought-Includer and likewise all the Deities said: “He who is named the Deity Majestic-Point-Blade-Extended [32] and dwells in the Heavenly Rock-Dwelling by the source of the Tranquil River of Heaven, is the one that should be sent: or if not this Deity, then this Deity’s child, the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity, [33] might be sent. Moreover, [34] owing to this Deity Heavenly-Point-Blade-Extended having blocked up and turned back the waters of the Tranquil River of Heaven, and to his dwelling with the road blocked up, other Deities cannot go [thither]. So the Heavenly-Deer-Deity [35] should be sent specially to ask him.” So then the Heavenly-Deer-Deity was sent to ask the Deity Heaven-Point-Blade-Extended, who replied, saying: “I will obey, and will respectfully serve you. Nevertheless on this errand [36] ye should send my [37] child, the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity,” [38]—[and with these words] immediately offered [his son to Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity]. So the Deity Heavenly-Bird-Boat [39] was attached to the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity, and they were sent off. Therefore these two Deities, descending to the little shore [40] of Inasa [41] in the land of Idzumo, [101] drew their swords ten hand-breadths long, [42] stuck them upside down [43] on the crest of a wave, seated themselves cross-legged [44] on the points of the swords, and asked the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land, saying “The Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity and the High-Integrating-Deity [ p. 122 ] have charged us and sent us to ask, [saying]: ‘We have deigned to charge our august child with thy dominion, the Central Land of Reed-Plains, as the land which he should govern. So how is thy heart?’” [45] He replied, saying: “I [46] am unable to say. My child the Deity Eight-Fold-Thing-Sign-Master [47] will be the one to tell you; but he is gone to Cape Miho [48] to pursue birds and catch fish, and has not yet returned.” So then the Deity Bird-Boat was sent to summon the Deity Eight-Fold-Thing-Sign-Master, who, on being graciously asked, spoke to the Great Deity his father, saying: “I will obey. [Do thou] [49] respectfully present this land to the august child of the Heavenly Deity;”—and thereupon he trod on [the edge of] his boat so as to capsize it, clapped his heavenly departing hands in the fence of green branches, and disappeared. [50] So then they asked [102] the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land, saying: “Thy son the Deity Thing-Sign-Master has now spoken thus. Hast thou other sons who should speak?” Hereupon he spoke again, saying: “There is my other son, the Deity Brave-August-Name-Firm. [51] There is none beside him.” While he was thus speaking, the Deity Brave-August-Name-Firm came up, bearing on the tips of his fingers a thousand-draught rock, [52] and said: “Who is it that has come to our land, and thus secretly talks? If that be so, [53] I should like to have a trial of strength. So I should like to begin by taking thine august hand.” So on his letting him take his august hand, his touch at once turned it into an icicle, and again his touch turned it into a sword-blade. [54] So then he was frightened and drew back. Then on the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity wishing to take the hand of the Deity [ p. 123 ] Brave-August-Name-Firm, and asking permission to take it in return, he grasped and crushed it as if it were taking a young reed, and cast it aside, upon which [the Deity Brave-August-Name-Firm] fled away. So when [the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity] pursuing after him, came up with him at the Sea of Suha [55] in the land of Shinanu, [56] and was about to slay him, the Deity Brave-August-Name-Firm said: “I will obey. Slay me not. I will go to no other place but this, neither will I go against the command of my father the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land. I will not go against the words of the Deity Eight-Fold-Thing-Sign-Master. I Will yield up this Central Land of Reed-Plains according to the command of the august child of the Heavenly Deities.” So they returned again, and asked the Deity Master-of-the Great-Land [saying]: “Thy children the two Deities the Deity Thing-Sign-Master and the Deity Brave-August-Name-Firm have said that they will follow and not go against the commands of the august child of the Heavenly Deities. So how is thy heart?” Then he replied, saying: According as the two Deities my children have said, I too will not go against them. In accordance with the [heavenly] command, I will at once yield up this Central Land of Reed-Plains. But as to my place of residence, if ye will make stout the temple pillars on the nethermost rock-bottom, and make high the cross-beams to the Plain of High Heaven like the rich and perfect august nest where the august child of the Heavenly Deities rules the succession of Heaven’s sun, and will deign to establish me, I will hide in the eighty (less than a hundred) road-windings, and wait on him. Again, as for my children the hundred and eighty Deities, if the [ p. 124 ] Deity Eight-Fold-Thing-Sign-Master will be the Deities, august rear and van and will respectfully serve them, [104] there will be no disobedient Deities.“ [57] Having thus spoken [^701] So in accordance with his word, [58]] they built a heavenly august abode on the shore [59] of Tagishi [60] in the land of Idzumo; and the Deity Wondrous-Eight-Spirits, [61] grandson of the Deity Of Water-Gates, [62] was made butler to offer up the heavenly august banquet, when, [63] having said prayers, the Deity Wondrous-Eight-Spirits turned into a cormorant, went down to the bottom of the sea, took in his mouth red earth from the bottom, made eighty heavenly platters, and, cutting sea-weed [64] stalks, made a fire-drill mortar, and made a fire-drill pestle out of stalks of komo, [65] and drilled out fire, saying: ”This fire which I have drilled [105] will I burn until, in the Plain of High Heaven, the soot on the heavenly new lattice of the gable of His Augustness the Wondrous-Divine-Producer-the-August-Ancestor [66] hang down eight hand-breadths; and as for what is below the earth, I will bake down to the nethermost rock-bottom, and,—the fishing sailors, who spread their thousand-fathom ropes of paper-mulberry and angle, having with many shouts drawn in and landed the large-mouthed small-finned perch,—I will offer up the heavenly true fish-food so that the split bamboos bend." [67] So the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity re-ascended [to Heaven], and reported how he had subdued and pacified the Central Land of Reed-Plains.
[ p. 125 ]
[ p. 126 ]
[ p. 127 ]
[ p. 128 ]
¶ SECT. XXXIII.—THE AUGUST DESCENT FROM HEAVEN OF HIS AUGUSTNESS THE AUGUST GRANDCHILD.
Then the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity and the High-Integrity-Deity [68] commanded and charged the Heir Apparent [69] His Augustness Truly-Conqueror-I-Conquer-Swift-Heavenly-Great-Great-Ears [70] [ p. 129 ] [saying: The Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity] says that he has now finished-pacifying the Central Land of Reed-Plains. So do thou, in accordance with our gracious charge, descend to and dwell in and rule over it.“ Then the Heir Apparent His Augustness Truly-Conqueror-I-Conquer-Conquering-Swift-Heavenly-Great-Ears replied, saying: ”While I [71] have been getting ready to descend, there has been born [to me] a child whose name is His August ness Heaven-Plenty-Earth-Plenty-Heaven’s-Sun-Height-Prince-Rice-ear-Ruddy-Plenty. [72] This child should be sent down.“ [^717]As for this august child, [73] he was augustly [107] joined to Her Augustness Myriad-Looms-Luxuriant-Dragon-fly-Island-Princess, [74] daughter of the High-Integrating-Deity, and begot children: His Augustness-Heavenly-Rice-ear-Ruddy [75] and next His Augustness Prince-Rice-ear-Ruddy-Plenty. [76]] Therefore, in accordance with these words, they laid their command on His Augustness Prince Rice-ear-Ruddy-Plenty, deigning to charge him with these words: ”This Luxuriant Reed-Plain-Land-of-Fresh-Rice-ears [77] is the land over which thou shalt rule.“ So [he replied]: ”I will descend from Heaven according to your commands.“ So when His Augustness-Prince-Rice-ear-Ruddy-Plenty was about to descend from Heaven, there was at the eight-forking road of Heaven a Deity whose refulgence reached upwards to the Plain of High Heaven and downwards to the Central Land of [108] Reed-Plains. So then the Heaven-Shining-Great-August Deity and the High-Integrating Deity commanded and charged the Heavenly-Alarming-Female-Deity [78] [saying]: Though thou art but a delicate female, thou art a Deity who conquers in facing Deities. [79] So be thou the [ p. 130 ] one to go and ask thus: ‘This being the road by which our august child is about to descend from Heaven, who is it that is thus there?’” [80] So to this gracious question he replied, saying “I [81] am an Earthly Deity named the Deity Prince of Saruta. [82] The reason for my coming here is that, having heard of the [intended] descent of the august child of the Heavenly Deities, I have come humbly to meet him and respectfully offer myself as His Augustness’s vanguard.” [83] Then joining to him His Augustness Heavenly-Beckoning-Ancestor-Lord, His Augustness Grand-Jewel, Her Augustness Heavenly-Alarming-Female, Her Augustness I-shi-ko-ri-do-me, and His Augustness Jewel-Ancestor, [84] in all five chiefs of companies, [85] they sent him down from Heaven. Thereupon they joined to him the eight-foot [long] curved jewels and mirror that had allured [^731]] and, also the Herb-Quelling-Great-Sword, [86] and likewise the Deity Thought-Includer, the Hand-Strength-Male-Deity, and the Deity Heavenly-Rock-Door-Opener [87] of Eternal Night, [88] and charged him thus: “Regard this mirror exactly as if it were our august spirit, and reverence it as if reverencing us.” [89] Next did they say: “Let the Deity Thought-Includer take in hand our affairs, and carry on the government.” These two Deities are worshipped at the temple of Isuzu. [90] The next, the Deity of Luxuriant-Food. [91] is the Deity dwelling in the outer temple of Watarahi. [92] The next, the Deity Heavenly-Rock-Door-Opener, another name for whom is the Wondrous-Rock-True-Gate-Deity, and another name for whom is the Luxuriant-Rock-True-Gate-Deity, [93]—this Deity of the August Gate. [94] The next, the Deity Hand-Strength-Male, [ p. 131 ] dwells in Sanagata. [95] Now His Augustness the Heavenly-Beckoning-Ancestor-Lord (is the ancestor of the Nakatomi Chieftains); [96] His Augustness Grand Jewel (is the ancestor of the Imibe Headmen); [97] Her Augustness the Heavenly-Alarming-Female (is the ancestress of the Duchesses of Saru [98]); Her Augustness I-shi-ko-ri-do-me (is the ancestress of the Mirror-Making Chieftains); [99] His Augustness-jewel-Ancestor (is the ancestor of the Jewel-Ancestor Chieftains). [100]
[ p. 132 ]
[ p. 133 ]
[ p. 134 ]
[ p. 135 ] [111]
¶ SECT. XXXIV.—THE AUGUST REIGN IN HIMUKA OF HIS AUGUSTNESS PRINCE RICE-EAR-RUDDY-PLENTY. [101]
So then [the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity and the High-Integrating-Deity] commanded [102] His Augustness Heaven’s-Prince-Rice-ear-Ruddy-Plenty; and he, leaving the Heavenly Rock-Seat, [103] pushing asunder the eight-fold heavenly spreading clouds, and dividing a road with a mighty road-dividing, set off floating shut up in the Floating Bridge of Heaven, [104] and descended from Heaven onto the peak of Kuzhifuru which is Takachiho in Tsu-kushi. [105] [112] So His Heavenly Great Wondrous Augustness [106] and His Augustness Heaven’s-Round-Eyes, [107] both [108] taking on their backs the Heavenly rock-quivers, [109] taking at their side the large mallet-headed swords, [110] taking in their hands the Heavenly vegetable-wax-tree bow, [111] and clasping under their arms the Heavenly true deer-arrows, stood in his august van in respectful attendance. So His Heavenly-Great-Wondrous-Augustness [112] (is the ancestor of the Kume Lords) [113] Thereupon he said: “This place is opposite to the ”land of Kara.“ [114] One comes straight across to the august Cape of Kasasa; [115] and it is a land whereon [113] the morning sun shines straight, a land which the evening sun’s sunlight illumines. So this place is an exceedingly good place.” [116] Having thus spoken, he made stout the [ p. 136 ] temple-pillars on the nethermost rock-bottom, and made high the cross-beams to the Plain of High Heaven, [117] and dwelt there.
[ p. 137 ]
[ p. 138 ]
¶ SECT. XXXV.—THE DUCHESS OF SARU.
So then he charged Her Augustness the Heavenly-Alarming-Female [saying]: “Do thou, who wast the one to make known this Great Deity Prince of Saruta who respectfully served as my august vanguard, [118] respectfully escort him [back]; and do thou likewise bear the august name of that Deity, and respectfully serve me.” Wherefore the Duchesses of Saru bear the name of the Male Deity the Prince of Saruta, and the women are Duchesses of Saru. [119]
¶ Footnotes
114:1 p. 117 Literally, “long brings back no report.” ↩︎
114:2 Literally, “to send again.” The same expression occurs below. ↩︎
114:3 Ame-waka-hiko. All the commentators agree that it is in order to express disapprobation of this god’s wickedness that the title of Deity or Augustness is never coupled with his name. ↩︎
114:4 Ame-tsu-kuni-tama-no-kami. ↩︎
114:5 Ame-no-koko-yumi and ame-no-haha-ya. In Sect. XXXIV these weapons are mentioned under the slightly altered names of ama-no-hazhi-yumi (“heavenly vegetable wax-tree bow”) and ama-no-kaku-ya (“heavenly deer-arrows.”) A large bow made of vegetable wax-tree (Rhus succedanea) wood, and arrows with broad feathers, are supposed to be intended. ↩︎
114:6 Shita-teru-hime. See Sect. XXVI, Note 4. ↩︎
114:7 Oho-kuni-nushi-no-kami. See Sect. XX, Note 17. ↩︎
114:8 Literally, “long brings back no report.” ↩︎
114:9 Na-naki-me. If the view here taken of the meaning of the Japanese expression be correct (it is that preferred by Motowori and Hirata), the pheasant would seem to have been supposed to cry out its own name,—in Archaic Japanese kigishi. The syllables na naki me, however, lend, themselves equally well to the interpretation of “nameless female,” and are in the “Chronicles” found written with characters having that signification. Another reasonable opinion is that the name should be connected with the tradition mentioned further on of the p. 118 pheasant having been the mourner (lit. “crying female,” naki-me) at the funeral of the Heavenly-Young-Prince. In this case the word na, “name,” would have to be considered redundant, and it will be observed that the next time the name is mentioned, we find simply naki-me, “crying female,” without the syllable in question. ↩︎
115:10 Katsura no-ki, variously written
, 
, 
, 
, and phonetically 
. Though it is not absolutely certain what tree is intended, the weight of authority and of probability is in favour of its being the cassia, which plays a part in Chinese mythology. In modern parlance the katsura is a tree whose Latin name is Cercidiphyllum japonicum. ↩︎115:11 Ama-no-sagu-me. ↩︎
115:12 This expression, as Motowori explains, signifies only that, as the arrow was shot from below straight up at a pheasant perching on a branch overhead, the feathers, which are properly considered to form the top part of the arrow, were naturally underneath. ↩︎
115:13 Taka-gi-no-kami. The name is written with the characters
, which, taken ideographically, would give us in English “High-Tree-Deity.” But the translator has little doubt but that Motowori is correct in considering 
to be here used phonetically, and the syllable gi, which it represents, to be a contraction of guhi (for kuhi), itself derived from kumu, and best rendered by the Verb “to integrate.” ↩︎115:14 In Japanese magare, lit. “turn aside,” “become crooked,” i.e., “come to a bad end.” ↩︎
115:15 I.e., through the hole in the bottom of the sky through which the arrow had entered, or which the arrow had made for itself. ↩︎
115:16 Literally “high breast-hill.” ↩︎
115:17 The sentence placed between brackets is supposed by Motowori to be an addition to the text made by some copyist who had in his mind the parallel passage of the “Chronicles.” In the “Records of Ancient Matters Revised” the two characters answering to our word “beware” are omitted, and the resulting meaning is: “This was the origin of the practice of sending back arrows,” i.e., of shooting an enemy with the arrow he had himself just used. ↩︎
116:18 The import of the proverb seems to be that an embassy should always consist of more than one person. This is Motowori’s view, based on his interpretation of the character
as hita, which he identifies with hito, “one”; and it agrees well with the story in the text. Hirata, who, in his “Exposition of the Ancient Histories,” following the version p. 119 of the legend given in the “Chronicles,” narrates two pheasant embassies,—the male bird being sent first and (as it did not return) the female afterwards,—takes the character in the proper sense belonging to it in Chinese, and interprets the words of the proverb to mean “the pheasant’s hurried embassy.” ↩︎116:19 I.e., the wife and children of the Heavenly-Young-Prince, who had been left behind by him in Heaven when he went on his embassy to Idzumo. ↩︎
116:20 I.e., in the place where he died. The “mourning house” was used to keep the corpse in till it was finally buried. ↩︎
116:21 Some of the commentators believe this bird to be a separate species, and Moribe, who says that he saw one at the estuary near Kuhana in Ise, describes it as “rather slenderer than an ordinary wild goose, with longer legs and a higher back.” If we accepted this, the better English translation would be “river wild goose.” ↩︎
116:22 The original of this expression (kisari-mochi) is very obscure even in the “Chronicles,” by whose ideographic reading the translator has been guided, and being here written phonetically becomes more conjectural still. The most likely opinion is that it signifies one bearing on his head the food to be offered to the corpse, though if this view be adopted, the office of the mourner in question may seem to resemble too closely that of the kingfisher. The latter has however been supposed to have brought fish, while the goose may have brought rice. Another proposal is that the goose brought the food and the kingfisher cooked it, while the sparrow, as mentioned below, performed the intermediate operation of pounding the rice. (See Motowori’s elaborate note on this word in Vol. XIII, pp. 47-48 of his Commentary). ↩︎
116:23 Or simply, “the pounder.” ↩︎
116:24 The parallel passage of the “Chronicles” tells us that “they wept and wailed and sang for eight days and eight nights.” ↩︎
116:25 See Sect. XXVI, Note 2. He was brother to the Heavenly-Young-Prince’s wife. ↩︎
116:26 The author of the “Perpetual Commentary on the Chronicles of Japan” tells us that these tears were tears of joy, Doubtless such is the meaning of the text; yet the repetition of the words “bewailing” and “lamenting” is curious. ↩︎
116:27 See Sect. VIII. Note 4. ↩︎
116:28 Mo-yama. No such mountain is now known. ↩︎
116:29 p. 120 Awimi-gaha. No such river is now known. According to the characters with which it is written the name signifies “Knot-grass-Seeing River.” ↩︎
116:30 Afterwards called Mino. This province probably received its name, as the author of the “Explanation of Japanese Names” suggests, from mi nu, i.e., “three moors,” from the large moors of Kagami, Awo, and Seki-ga-hara which it contains. The modern commentators prefer to derive it from ma nu, “true moor.” ↩︎
117:31 Oho-ha-hari. The name might also be rendered “Great Leaf-Mower.” The translator has followed Hirata in omitting the nigori from the syllable ka. ↩︎
117:32 Kamudo-tsurugi. ↩︎
117:33 The meaning of the Song is: “Oh! this is Aji-shihi-taka-hiko-ne, whose refulgence, similar to that of the jewels worn by the Weaving Maiden in Heaven, shines afar across hills and valleys.”—The translator does not follow those commentators who emend ana-dama, “hole-jewels” to aka-dama, “red,” i.e. “resplendent jewels,” as the frequent reference in this and the other ancient books to the string on which beads were strung, and the presence in ancient tombs, etc. of numbers of such beads with holes drilled through them (they are now known by the name of kuda-dama, i.e. “tube-jewels”)renders such an emendation unnecessary The “Weaving Maiden in Heaven” is evidently, notwithstanding Motowori’s endeavour to disprove the fact, the Chinese Chih Nü, a personification of α Lyrae, to whom there are countless allusions in Chinese literature, and who also became a frequent theme of the later Japanese poets. ↩︎
117:34 Or, “barbarous style” Motowori endeavours to explain away the various names of styles of Songs found in the early literature by asserting that they are simply derived from the initial words of the Song in question, and that, for instance, in the present case, the title of Rustic Song was bestowed on the poem only because in the “Chronicles” it is coupled with another which lends itself to such an interpretation. Moribe gives his sanction to this view; but, though it is difficult to explain many of the titles on any other theory, the translator thinks that it cannot be accepted as generally satisfactory in the face of the numerous cases which contradict it, and of which its supporters can give no satisfactory explanation. The whole subject of the titles, of the manner of singing, etc., of the ancient poems is indeed involved in obscurity. ↩︎
121:1 p. 124 Literally, “to send again.” ↩︎
121:2 Itsu-no-wo-ha-bari no kami. We have already seen (Sect. VIII, Note 15) this name (minus the title of Deity) as the appellation of the sword with which Izanagi (“the Male-Who-Invites”) decapitated his son p. 125 Kagu-tsu-chi (“Shining Elder”) for having by his birth caused the death of Izanami (“the Female-Who-Invites.”) This sword’s alternative name appears immediately below as the alternative name of this deity,—Ame-no-wo-ha-bari-no-kami, i.e., “the Deity Heavenly-Point-Blade-Extended.” Motowori’s gloss to the effect that the deity was the spirit of the sword has no warrant from the text. ↩︎
121:3 Take-mika-dzu-chi-no-wo-no-kami. See Sect. VIII, Note 7. ↩︎
121:4 Here, as in Sect. IX, (Note 6) the character
, “moreover,” occurs where some other Conjunction would seem more appropriate both in Japanese and in English. We may here understand it to be used for but.” ↩︎121:5 Ame-no-kaku-no-kami. The interpretation of kaku as “deer” is Hirata’s. See his “Exposition of the Ancient Histories,” Vol. XXII, p. 6. and conf. the remarks on Mount Kagu in Sect. VII, Note 12 of this translation. ↩︎
121:6 Literally, “in this road.” ↩︎
121:7 The First Personal Pronoun is here represented by the humble character
, “servant” ↩︎121:8 See Sect. VIII, Note 7. ↩︎
121:9 Tori-bune-no-kami. See Sect. VI, Note 24. ↩︎
121:10 The word “little” is merely a sort of Honorific Expletive. ↩︎
121:11 The true etymology of this word is doubtful; for Motowori’s proposal to derive it from ina se, supposed to mean “no, or yes” (
), in allusion to the question here put to the Deity Master-of-the-Great-land is a mere fancy, and does not provide for the alternative forms Itasa and Isasa, which occur in other documents. ↩︎121:12 See Sect. VIII, Note 1. ↩︎
121:13 I.e., as Motowori explains, hilt downwards. ↩︎
121:14 The “Chronicles” say that they “squatted.” ↩︎
122:15 I.e., "What sayest thou to this our decree? ↩︎
122:16 Here and below the humble character
, “servant,” is used for the First Personal Pronoun. ↩︎122:17 Ya-he-koto-shiro-nu-shi-no-kami. For this difficult name see Sect. XXVI, Note 7. ↩︎
122:18 See Sect. XXVII, Note 1. ↩︎
122:19 Or, “We will.” ↩︎
122:20 I.e., He capsized his boat and himself into the sea,—the place being one where (as is still done in Japan) a large space of shallow water had been fenced in with posts, and stuck over with branches of p. 126 trees, a single opening being left for fish to enter by,—then clapped his hands in token of departure, and sank to the bottom.—This is Hirata’s interpretation of the passage, which is a difficult one, and is differently understood by Motowori, whom Mr. Satow has followed in one of his notes to the Rituals (see Vol. VII, Pt. II, p. 122 of these “Transactions”), rendering it thus: “He then trod upon the edge of his boat so as to overturn it and with his hands crossed back to back (in token of consent), transformed his boat into a green fence of branches, and disappeared.” A careful comparison of the remarks in Motowori’s Commentary (Vol. XIV, pp. 16-19) with those in Hirata’s “Exposition of the Ancient Histories” (Vol. XXII, pp. 50-55) and with the text itself, as also with the text of the parallel passage in the “Chronicles,” has however left no doubt in the mind of the translator that Hirata’s view is the correct one. ↩︎
122:21 Take-mi-gata-no-kami. The interpretation of the name is that proposed by Motowori. ↩︎
122:22 I.e., a rock which it would take a thousand men to lift. ↩︎
122:23 This expression seems here, as Motowori says, to be used in the sense of “Come on!” It has survived in the modern word saraba, which sometimes has that meaning. ↩︎
123:25 I.e., the Lake of Suha. No satisfactory etymology of the name is forthcoming. ↩︎
123:26 In later times called Shinano. The usual derivation of the word is that which connects it with shina-zaka; “mountainous ascents,”—an appropriate enough name for the province in question. It is, however. more probably derived from shina, the name of a tree resembling the lime (Tilia cordata) and nu or no, “moor.” ↩︎
124:27 I.e. “If ye will build me a temple founded on the nethermost rocks and reaching up to Heaven like unto the august residence of the Heavenly Deity who is coming to replace me as sovereign upon earth, I will vanish to Hades, and serve him there; and as for the Gods my children, none of them will rebel against their new Lord, if the Deity Thing-Sign-Master be accepted as the protector of his escort.”—Some of the expressions in the original stand in need of explanation. Su, here rendered “nest” in accordance with the character
employed in writing it, may mean “lattice” ( 
), and refer to the lattice-work over the hole p. 127 in the chimney of the roof. The “succession of Heaven’s sun” (in Japanese ama-tsu-hi-tsugi) means the inheritance of the sovereignty of Japan, or of Idzumo. Momotaradzu (“less than a hundred”) is the Pillow-Word for ya se, “eighty,” and for some other words; it must he disregarded in making sense of any sentence in which it occurs. The “eighty road-windings” signify, says Motowori, “an immensely long way,” and are here meant for the long road leading to Hades or for Hades itself (Conf. Sect. XCVI, Note 7). In rendering the last sentence of the passage (that commencing “Again, as for my children,” etc.). which is particularly vague, the translator has been guided by Motowori’s opinion, which seems the most satisfactory one. It must be understood that the deities whose rear and van the Deity Thing-Sign-Master is to become, are those who are about to escort the new sovereign down from heaven. ↩︎124:28 I.e., disappeared. ↩︎
124:29 The passage placed within brackets is supplied by Motowori to fill up an evident omission in the text. ↩︎
124:30 Literally “little shore.” See Note 10 to this Section. ↩︎
124:31 The derivation of Tagishi is doubtful; but conf. Sect. LXXIX, Note 2. Motowori remarks that we seem to have here the old name of the place now known only, on account of the temple which it contains, as Kidzuki no Oho-yashiro, i.e. “the pestle-hardened great shrine.” ↩︎
124:32 Kushi-ya-tama-no-kami. Motowori proposes to consider tama as a contraction of tamuke, “offering,” and to take the name to signify “the Deity of Wondrous Increasing Offerings.” Hirata’s interpretation, which is followed in the translation, seems better, as the term “eight spirits” or “eight [fold] spirit” accords with the religious role attributed to this Deity without necessitating any hazardous philological conjectures. The actual character used to write the disputed word is
, “jewel.” ↩︎124:33 See Sect. VI, Note 9. ↩︎
124:34 The word “when” must be understood presumptively, as signifying that the way in which he carried out his task was by turning into a cormorant, making platters, etc. ↩︎
124:35 It is uncertain whether the word me (
), here rendered seaweed, is a general designation or the name of the particular species. ↩︎124:36 Supposed to be the same as, or similar to the modern hondahara (Halochola macrantha). ↩︎
124:37 Kamu-musu-bi-mi-oya-no-kami. ↩︎
124:38 The translator has followed Moribe in the interpretation of the first part and Hirata in the interpretation of the latter part of this extremely difficult passage, which is a crux to all the commentators, but p. 128 whose general sense at least is this: “I will continue drilling fire for the God’s kitchen, until the soot hangs down from the roof of the temple of the Ancestral Deity in Heaven above, and until the earth below is baked down to its nethermost rocks; and with the fire thus drilled will I cook for him the fish brought in by the fishermen, and present them to him in baskets woven of split bamboos which will bend beneath their weight.”—Another plausible interpretation of the original expression rendered by these last two words is that they are simply the Pillow-Word for towowo-towowo ni, “bending.” The rope with which the fishermen are supposed to have angled is described in detail by Hirata (“Exposition of the Ancient Histories,” Vol. XXIV, p. 21) as a long rope from which other strings, each with a hook attached, depended, and is said by him to be still in use in the provinces of Shimofusa (Shimōsa) and Hitachi. The “lattice of the gable” must be understood to mean bamboo lattice covering a hole beneath the gable, which served as a chimney. Motowori’s remarks on this passage will be found in Vol. XIV, pp. 39-42 of his Commentary, and Moribe’s on the words to-daru ama no nihi-su (rendered “on the heavenly new lattice of the gable”) in his “Examination of Difficult Words,” Vol. II. pp. 26-29; the latter especially are well worth perusal by the student. Mr. Satow, in one of the notes to his translation of the Rituals, (See Vol. IX, Pt. II, p. 209 of these “Transactions”), gives a somewhat divergent rendering of this passage, following, as he does, the interpretation given by Motowori. It is as follows: “The fire which I have drilled will I burn until the soot of the rich and sufficing heavenly new nest of the PARENT Kami-musubi in heaven hangs down many hand-breadths long, and the earth below will I bake down to its bottom-most rocks, and stretching a thousand fathoms of paper-mulberry rope, will draw together and bring ashore the fisherman’s large-mouthed small-finned suzuki, [and] will offer up the heavenly fish-food on bending split bamboos.” ↩︎
128:1 p. 131 Taka-no-kami. See Sect. XXXI, Note 13. ↩︎
128:3 For this tremendous name see Sect. XIII, Note 18. ↩︎
129:4 The humble character
, “servant” is used for the First Personal Pronoun. ↩︎129:5 Ame-nigishi-kuni-nigishi-ama-tsu-hi-daka-hiko-ho-no-ni-nigi-no-mi-koto. Excepting as regards the final gi of ni-nigi, which it is surely better with Hirata to consider as helping to form the word nigi, “plenty,” than to take it as a separate word signifying “lord,” as Motowori does, the translation follows Motowori’s interpretation of the various component parts of this tremendous name, which is mostly abbreviated to its latter portion. It is precisely to this latter portion (the syllables hiko ho-no nigi) that considerable doubt attaches. Ho might mean “fire” rather than “rice-ears,” and Motowori himself suggests that ni-nigi should perhaps be regarded as a corruption of nigi-kahi, “plentiful spikes of grain,” rather than as “ruddy plenty.” About the meaning of the rest of the name there cannot be much doubt. “Heaven’s Sun Height” must be under stood as an honorific designation signifying “high as the sun in heaven.” ↩︎
129:6 The translator puts this sentence between brackets because it is an evident interruption of the main story. Indeed the edition of 1688 prints it as a note to the text. The grammar of it is curious, as, on a first p. 132 reading, one would be tempted to suppose that this child,“ i.e., His August Ame-nigishi-kuni-nigishi-amatsu-hi-doka-hiko-ho-no-ni-nigi, was the father of Hiko-ho-no-ni-nigi. But the latter name is but an abbreviated form of the former, and the god could not be his own father. The meaning rather is (and such a construction is not so forced in Japanese as it sounds in English): ”As for the parentage of this child, he was born of the marriage [of His Augustness Truly-Conqueror-etc.] with Her Augustness Myriad-Looms-etc. Princess. There is, however, real confusion in the traditional genealogy, as the “Chronicles” make the deity in question father to His Augustness Heavenly-Rice-ear-Ruddy, instead of younger brother. ↩︎
129:7 Viz. His Augustness Truly-Conqueror-etc. ↩︎
129:8 Yorodzu-hata-toyo-aki-dzu-shi-hime-no-mikoto. Mabuchi, as quoted by Motowori, suggests that yorodzu, “myriad,” should be connected with the word yoroshi “good,” as signifying an extreme degree, the ne plus ultra. But, though perhaps a good guess at the origin in the word, it need not affect our estimate of its actual signification. The translator has, however, followed Mabuchi in considering the syllable shi as an apocopated form of shima, “island,” and Aki-dzu-shi[ma] as having its usual signification of “Dragon-fly Island” (more literally “Island of the Autumn Insect”) rather than accept Motowori’s explanation of shi as representing the Verb chijimu, “to be puckered,” and of the whole compound aki-dzu-shi as signifying “crape like dragon-flies’ wings.” Not only is there no mention of crape in other passages of these “Records,” but the derivation does not, to say the least, recommend itself on philological grounds. ↩︎
129:9 Ame-no-ho-akari-no-Mikoto. The word rendered “ripe” will bear equally well the interpretation “red.” ↩︎
129:10 Hiko-ho-no-ni-nigi, the abbreviated form of the name in Note 6. ↩︎
129:11 Toyo-ashi-hara-no-midzu-hono-kuni. This periphrastic synonym of Japan has appeared under a slightly shorter form in Sect. IX (Note 18). ↩︎
129:12 Ame-no-udzu-me-no-kami, the goddess whose loud, bold merriment was the chief cause of the Sun-Goddess emerging from her retreat in the Cavern (see Sect XVI, Note 28). ↩︎
129:13 I.e., “The brazen-facedness allows thee to stare others out of countenance, and make them uneasy.” ↩︎
130:14 Between this sentence and the next, the Alarming-Female-Deity must be supposed to have gone on her embassy and to have delivered the message with which she had been entrusted. ↩︎
130:15 Written
, literally “servant.” ↩︎130:17 Or “guide.” ↩︎
130:18 For these five names and for the Deity Thought-Includer and the [Heavenly] Hand-Strength-Male-Deity mentioned a few lines further on, see Sect. XVI, Notes 15, 16, 28. 12, 13, 7, and 27 respectively. ↩︎
130:19 Tomo-no-wo. This expression is here taken to refer to the various offices assumed by the five deities in question at the time of the withdrawal of the Sun-Goddess into the cave. It signifies properly the head of a company. ↩︎
130:20 The allusion is to the story in Sect. XVI. Moribe, in his Critique on Motowori’s Commentary, points out that it was only the mirror which allured the goddess from the cave. In the Japanese original of this passage, however, even more than in the English translation, the expression “that had allured” is made to both objects. ↩︎
130:21 Obtained from the tail of the Serpent of Koshi. See the story in Sect. XVIII. ↩︎
130:22 Ame-no-iha-to-wake-no-kami. Hirata observes that this must not be considered as the name of an independent Deity, but be taken simply as an alternative name of Ame-no-jikara-wo-no-kami (the “Heavenly-Hand-Strength-Male-Deity”). The part taken by this Deity in the legend narrated in Sect. XVI. seems a sufficient warrant for such an opinion, though a little lower down in this Section the two are again mentioned separately. ↩︎
130:23 Toko-yo. These words, which, according to the rules of Japanese construction, are placed at the commencement of the clause, must be understood to apply either to the three gods collectively or to the first-mentioned (the Deity Thought-Includer) alone. ↩︎
130:24 Or “worshipping before us,” or “in our presence.” The strictly logical concordance of an English sentence makes it appear as if the mirror were to be taken to represent the spirit of both Deities whose names are subjects of the first clause. In Japanese, however, all such concordances are much more loosely observed, and it is only the spirit of the Sun-Goddess that we must understand to be here intended. ↩︎
130:25 p. 134 Isuzu (literally “fifty bells,” or else perhaps the name of a kind of grass with which the neighbourhood may originally have been overgrown) is the name of the site of the “Inner Temple” of Ise. It is in the Japanese text preceded by the Pillow-Word saku-kushiro, literally “rent bracelet.” See Mabuchi’s “Dictionary of Pillow-Words” s. v. ↩︎
130:26 Toyo-uke-no-kami, the same as Toyo-uke-bime (see Sect. VII, Note 6). The mention of: this goddess in this place is curious, as she would not seem to be connected with the legend. Motowori, however, supposes that it is through some accidental omission that she does not figure in the list of deities said to have accompanied the heaven-descended Sovereign. ↩︎
130:27 This name signifies “meeting when crossing” or “crossing to meet”, and is connected by the commentators with an unimportant tradition, for which see Motowori’s Commentary, Vol. XV, p. 48. ↩︎
130:28 These two names are in the original Kushi-iha-ma-do-no-kami and Toyo-iha-mado-no-kami. The tradition in the “Gleanings of Ancient Story” makes them two separate deities. ↩︎
130:29 Viz. of the gate or gates of the Imperial Palace. ↩︎
131:30 Etymology obscure. ↩︎
131:31 Nakatomi no murazhi. Nakatomi is taken by Motowori to be a contraction of naka-tori-omi, and by Mabuchi to be a contraction of naka-tori-omi, either of which may be freely rendered “middlemen,” “intercessors,” referring to the religious functions which were hereditary in this family. See “Commentary on the Ritual of the General Purification,” Vol. II, pp. 2-3.) ↩︎
131:32 Imibe no obito. Imibe is derived from imu, “to avoid,” i.e. “to abstain from,” and mure, “a flock” or “collection of persons,” “a clan,” and refers to the religious duties of this hereditary class of priests, which naturally required their avoidance of all ceremonial uncleanness. The word “priest” would fairly, though freely, represent the meaning of the compound. ↩︎
131:33 Saru me no kimi. For the traditional origin of this name see Sect. XXXV. These “duchesses” were priestesses: but it is a matter of dispute between the commentators whether the title was simply an official one, or hereditary in the female line. ↩︎
131:34 Kagami-tsukuri no murazhi. Of this family nothing would seem to be known. ↩︎
131:35 p. 135 Tama-no-ya (or Tama n’Oya) no murazhi. But the name should probably be Tama-tsukuri no murazhi, i.e. “Jewel-Making Chieftains,” a “gentile name” which is found in the later literature. Perhaps, however, we should understand both this means and the previous one to be simple inventions by names, of which divine ancestry was claimed for the hereditary guilds of jewellers and mirror-makers. ↩︎
135:1 p. 136 Motowori makes Sect. XXXIV commence here, and it seems on the whole best to follow him in so doing, as the entire period of the reign on earth of the first of the heaven-descended gods is thus included in one Section. On the other hand, the “Descent from Heaven,” which gives its name to the preceding Sect., cannot properly be said to be accomplished until the end of this first sentence of Sect. XXXIV. It will be remembered that the Japanese name of this first deity-king is (in its abbreviated and most commonly used form) Hiko-ho-no-ni-nigi. ↩︎
135:2 Motowori proposes to suppress the character
, “commanded,” in this clause, and the character 
, “and,” at the beginning of the next, and to take the Prince as the subject of the whole sentence. This would be convenient; but the characters 
and 
are in all the texts. ↩︎135:3 I.e., his place in Heaven. The original Japanese of the term is ama-no-ikakura. ↩︎
135:4 The translator has adopted the interpretation proposed by Hirata, the only commentator who gives an acceptable view of this extremely difficult clause, which Motowori admitted that he did not understand. It must be remembered that Hirata identifies the “Floating Bridge of Heaven” with the “Heavenly Rock-Boat.” (For details see his “Exposition of the Ancient Histories,” Vol. XXVII, pp. 31-32). ↩︎
135:5 Tsukushi, anciently the name of the whole of the large island forming the South-Western corner of Japan, and Himuka (in modern pronunciation Hiuga), one of the provinces into which that island is divided, have already been mentioned in Sect. V, Note 14 and Sect. X, Note 4 respectively. It is uncertain whether the mountain here named is the modern Takachiho-yama or Kirishima-yama, but the latter view is generally preferred. Kuzhifuru is explained (perhaps somewhat hazardously) as meaning “wondrous,” while Taka-chi-ho signifies “high-thousand-rice-ears.” ↩︎
135:6 Ame-no-oshi-hi no mikoto. The interpretation is only conjectural. ↩︎
135:7 Ama-tsu-kume no mikoto. The traditional origin of this curious name will be found below in the third and fourth Songs of Sect. LI (see Notes 21 and 22 to that Section), where the “sharp slit eyes” of this worthy are specially referred to. But Moribe seems to prove that kume is in reality not a personal name at all, but simply the old term for p. 137 “army,” through a misconception of the original import of which has arisen the idea that Oho-kume and Oho-tomo were two distinct personages. The elaborate and interesting note on this subject in his “Examination of Difficult Words,” Vol. II., pp. 46-55 is well worth consulting. The only point in which the present writer differs from him is with regard to the etymology of the word kume, which Moribe connects with kumi, “a company,” and kuma, “a bravo,” whereas in the opinion of the former it is probably nothing more nor less than an ancient mispronunciation of the Chinese word chun (
) modern Japanese gun, “army,” “troops.” ↩︎135:8 The Auxiliary Numeral here used is that properly denoting human beings, not deities, futari (
), instead of futa-hashira ( 
). ↩︎135:9 In Japanese ama no iha-yugi. ↩︎
135:10 This is the generally received interpretation of the obscure original term kabu-tsuchi (or kabu-tsutsui) no tachi, the parallel term ishi-tsutsui being understood to mean “a mallet-headed sword made of stone.” (Both names appear below in the Song at the end of Sect. XLVIII, Note 4). Moribe, however, in his “Idzu no Chi-waki,” rejecting the opinion that any part of the swords were made of stone, explains kabu-tsutsui in the sense of “broad-tempered” and ishi-tsutsui in that of “hard-tempered.” ↩︎
135:11 For the bows and arrows here mentioned see XXXI. Note 5. ↩︎
135:12 Ohotomo no murazhi, a common “gentile name” down to historical times. Oho-tomo means “numerous companies ”or “large tribe,” in allusion, as Moribe supposes, to the force of which the personage here mentioned was the general. ↩︎
135:13 Kume no atahe. Conf. Note 7. ↩︎
135:14 Or Kan according to the Sinico-Japanese reading. We might render it in English by Korea. The Chinese character is
. ↩︎135:15 Etymology uncertain. An alternative form of this name, which is preserved in the “Chronicle,” is Nagasa, which Hirata thinks may stand for Nagasaki. ↩︎