Amaterasu

Asian History Japan

POWER CONTEST BETWEEN SUN GODDESS AND SUSANO-0

The following selection, taken from the Kojiki, describes a power contest between Amaterasu, progenitor of the Yamato line, and Susano-o, progenitor of the Izumo line. The culturally advanced Izumo was the strongest rival force to the Yamato line, and thus the myth takes special note of its subjugation.

Sun worship was one of the key motifs in this myth. The central figure, Amaterasu, could be the Sun itself, or possibly a shaman who officiated in sun worship rituals.

Amaterasu's act of shutting herself inside a heavenly rock-cave and her eventual rescue have been variously interpreted as (1 j an observance of the eclipse of the sun, (2) a rite of winter solstice, or (3) a requiem for the departed. The elaborate ritual that the deities performed to have Amaterasu reappearwas intended to renew the waning power of the Sun. Since the Sun and the imperial line were inseparable, rejuvenation of the Sun would also have a propitious effect on the person of the reigning emperor. This rite of winter solstice combined with a requiem became one of the major court observances in the late seventh century.

Susano-a's offenses were the types of offense which were described in the Engishiki (Document 6b).

Amaterasu and Susano-o?[Susano-o-no-Mikoto came to the heavenly abode of Amaterasu Omikami, his sister, to take leave of her, which was interpreted as a move to usurp her land. To prove his sincerity Susano-o engaged Amaterasu in a contest of bearing offspring, and Susano-o won.]

...Susano-o-no-Mikoto, drunk with victory, broke down the ridges between the rice paddies of Amaterasu Omikami and covered up the ditches. Also he defecated and strewed the feces about in the hall where the first fruits were tasted. Even though,he did this, Amaterasu Omikami did not reprove him, but said: "That which appears to be feces must be what my brother has vomited and strewn about while drunk. Also his breaking down the ridges of the paddies and covering up their ditches ?my brother must have done this because he thought it was wasteful to use the land thus.

Even though she thus spoke with good intention, his misdeeds did not cease, but became even more flagrant. When Amaterasu Omikami was inside the sacred weaving hall seeing to the weaving of the divine garments, he opened a hole in the roof of the sacred weaving hall and dropped down into it the heavenly dappled pony which he had skinned with a backwards skinning. The heavenly weaving maiden, seeing this, was alarmed and struck her genitals against the shuttle and died.

At this time, Amaterasu Omikami seeing this, was afraid, and opening the heavenly rock-cave door, went in and shut herself inside. Then Takamano-hara (the abode of the heavenly deities) was completely dark, and the Central Land of the Reed Plains was entirely dark. Because of this, constant night reigned, and the cries of the myriad deities were everywhere abundant, like summer flies; and all manner of calamities arose.

Then the eight hundred myriad deities assembled in a divine assembly .... They gathered together the long-crying birds of the eternal world and caused them to cry. They took the heavenly hard rock from the upper stream of the river Amenoyasunokawa; they took iron from [the mountain] Ameno-kanayama. They sought the smith Amatsumara and commissioned Ishikori-dome-no-Mikoto to make a mirror. They commissioned Tamanoya-no-Mikoto to make long strings of myriad magatama beads.

They summoned Amenokoyane-no-Mikoto and Futotama-no-Mikoto to remove the whole shoulder-bone of a male deer of the mountain Ameno-kaguyama, and take hahaka wood from the mountain Amenokaguyama, and [with these] perform a divination. They uprooted by the very roots the flourishing masakaki trees of the mountain Amenokaguyama; to the upper

branches they affixed long strings of myriad magatama beads; in the middle branches they hung a large-dimensioned mirror; in the lower branches they suspended white nikite cloth and blue nikite cloth. These various objects were held in his hands by Futotama-no-Mikoto as solemn offerings, and Ameno-koyane-no-Mikoto intoned a solemn liturgy.

Amenotajikarao-no-Kami stood concealed beside the door, while Amenouzume-no-Mikoto bound up her sleeves with a cord of heavenly hikage vine, tied around her head a head-band of the heavenly masaki vine, bound together bundles of sasa leaves to hold in her hands, and overturning a bucket before the heavenly rock-cave door, stamped resoundingly upon it. Then she became divinely possessed, exposed her breasts, and pushed her skirt-band down to her genitals. Then Takamanohara shook as the eight-hundred myriad deities laughed at once.

Then Amaterasu Omikami, thinking this strange, opened a crack in the heavenly rock-cave door, and said from within: "Because I have shut myself in, I thought that Takamanohara would be dark, and that the Central Land of the Reed Plains would be completely dark. But why is it that Amenouzume sings and dances, and all the eight-hundred myriad deities laugh??Then Amenouzume said: "We rejoice and dance because there is here a deity superior to you.?While she was saying this, Amenokoyane-no-Mikoto and Futotama-no-Mikoto brought out the mirror and showed it to Amaterasu Omikami. Then Amaterasu Omikami, thinking this more and more strange, gradually came out of the door and approached [the mirror].

Then the hidden Amenotajikarao-no-Kami took her hand and pulled her out. Immediately Futotama-no-Mikoto extended a sirikume rope behind her, and said: "You may go back no further than this!?When Amaterasu Omikami came forth, Takamanohara and the Central Land of the Reed Plains of themselves became light.

At this time the eight-hundred myriad deities deliberated together, imposed upon Susano-o-no-Mikoto a fine of a thousand tables of restitutive gifts, and also, cutting off his beard and the nails of his hands and feet, had him exorcised and expelled with a divine expulsion.