In Japanese mythology, the story of the birth of the gods (神産み, Kamiumi) occurs after the creation of Japan (Kuniumi). It concerns the birth of the divine (kami) descendants of Izanagi and Izanami.
Story
According to the Kojiki, various gods were born from the relationship between Izanagi and Izanami until the fire deity, Kagu-tsuchi, at birth burned Izanami's genitals and wounded her fatally.[1][2] Izanagi, witnessing the death of his beloved wife, in rage took the ten-grasp[nb 1] sabre and crushed his child, Kagutsuchi.[3] A number of gods were born from the blood and remains of Kagutsuchi.[3] Subsequently, Izanagi went to the land of Yomi (the world of the dead) to find Izanami, however when he found her, she had become a rotting corpse and from her parts other gods had arisen, causing the flight of Izanagi to the world of the living.[4] Then Izanagi performed the misogiritual purification through which more gods are born.[5] The last of these are the three most important gods of Shinto: Amaterasu, goddess of the sun; Tsukuyomi, deity of the moon; and Susano'o, god of the sea.[6]
Birth of the gods
After having created the Eight Large Islands (Ōyashima) and other islands during the creation of Japan, Izanagi and Izanami decided to give birth to other gods, among them household deities,[nb 2] deities of the wind, trees and meadows, all born spontaneously:[1]
Hi-no-yagi-haya'o (火之夜藝速男神) = Kagu-tsuchi, also known as Hi-no-kaga-biko (火之炫毘古神) and Hi-no-kagu-tsuchi (火之迦具土神), male deity, Kami of fire and the hearth.
During Kagutsuchi's birth, Izanami's genitals were burned and she was mortally wounded. In her agony, from her vomit, urine and feces more gods were born.[2]
After the agony, Izanami dies. At the time Izanagi crept moaning about the body and mourned her death. From his tears, the female deity Nakisawame (泣沢女神) was born. Subsequently Izanagi buried Izanami on Mount Hiba. His sadness turned into anger and he decided to kill Kagutsuchi with a ten-grasp[nb 1] sword called Ame-no-ohabari/ (archaic name) Ame-no-wohabari(天之尾羽張, also known as Itsu-no-ohabari/ (archaic name) Itsu-no-wohabari) .[2][3]
From the blood of Kagutsuchi the following gods emerged:[3]
Izanagi then decided to bring back Izanami and goes to Yomi-no-kuni, the underworld. Crossing the gates to that world, he met Izanami and says to her:[4]
The countries that you and me have created have not been completed yet. Let us return![nb 10]
Izanami replied:
Too bad you did not come before, for I have eaten in the country of Yomi! [By eating food in the land of Yomi, one ends up stuck being a resident of Yomi. This concept is called, "Yomotsu Hegui (黄泉戸喫)."][7] ... however, I will consult with the gods of Yomi. Under no circumstances you may look at me![nb 11]
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 left bun of his hair, lit it in order to light the place and decided to enter the world of dead. He manages to find Izanami but is surprised to see that she lost her beauty and had become a rotting corpse, covered with maggots. Of her body were born the eight Gods of thunder, which were:[4]
Izanagi, shocked, decided to return home, but Izanami was embarrassed by his appearance and commanded the Yomotsu-shikome (黄泉 丑女, lit. "horrible women from the world of darkness") to chase Izanagi. In his flight, he took the head-dress from his head, and threw it to the ground where it turned into a bunch of grapes. 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, and as he threw it to the ground it became bamboo shoots, prompting the Yomotsushikome to eat them and enabling Izanagi to flee.[4]
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[nb 1] sword to continue his flight. As they pursued him, Izanagi reached the Yomotsu-hirasaka (黄泉比良坂), the slope that descends from the land of the living to Yomi. He took three peaches from a tree that had grown in that place and threw them at his pursuers so that they fled.[4]
Izanagi commented:
Assistance to all people when they are tired and face difficulties.[nb 12]
These peaches were called Ōkamuzumi (意富加牟豆美命, Ōkamuzumi-no-mikoto).[4]
Finally, Izanami persecuted Izanagi, but he lifted a rock that a thousand men could not move and blocked the slope with it. At that moment, their eyes met for the last time.[4]
Izanami said:
If you behave in this way, I will strangle and kill one thousand men of your land in one day![nb 13]
Izanagi replied:
If you do this, I will in one day set up 1,500 parturition houses. So in one day indeed 1,000 men will die and indeed 1,500 are going to be born.[nb 14]
These words justified the circle of life and death in humans. For the same reason, Izanami is also called Yomotsu-ōkami (黄泉津大神) or Chishiki-no-ōkami (道敷大神) and the boulder that covers the entrance to the world of the dead is known as Chika'eshi-no-ōkami (道返之大神) or Yomido-no-ōkami (黄泉戸大神) ō and is today known as slope of Ifuya (伊賦夜坂, Ifuya-saka) in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture.[4]
Purification of Izanagi
Leaving Yomi, Izanagi decided to remove all uncleanness in his body through a purification ceremony (misogi) consisting of a bath in the river at Ahakihara in Tachibana no Ono in Tsukushi. As he stripped his clothes and accessories on the floor the following twelve gods are born:[5]
Tsukitatsu funato (衝立船戸神 – Post at the Road Bend[8]) = Chimata no Kami, emerges from the staff.
The trio of Sokotsu-watatsumi, Nakatsu-watatsumi and Uwatsu-watatsumi make up the group of deities called Sanjin Watatsumi, or the gods of water. The trio of Sokotsutsuno'o, Nakatsutsuno'o and Uhatsutsuno'o make up the Sumiyoshi Sanjin group of deities, gods of fishing and sea, to whom tribute is paid at Sumiyoshi Taisha.[5]
In the last step of the purification ceremony, Izanagi washed his left eye from which the female deity
Amaterasu Ōmikami (天照大御神) was born; washed his right eye from which the genderless deity and spirit Tsukuyomi-no-mikoto (月読命) was born; and when washing his nose from which the male deity Takehaya-susano'o-no-mikoto (建速須佐之男命) = commonly known as Susano'o was born.[5]
With these three gods called Mihashira-no-uzu-no-miko (三貴子, ”Three precious children”), Izanagi ordered their investiture. Amaterasu received the mandate to govern Takamagahara and a necklace of jewels called Mikuratanano-no-kami (御倉板挙之神) from Izanagi. Tsukuyomi is mandated to govern over the Dominion of the Night, and Takehaya-susano'o (建速須佐之男命) = Susano'o is to rule the seas.[6]
Notes
^ abcA "grasp" is the breadth of four fingers when the hand is clenched.
^Despite the existence of the Japanese article, Katakurokushin (家宅六神) usually refers to Chinese deities and extending the term to Japanese gods has no long history or has any appreciably wide acceptance.