Kamiumi
Encyclopedia
In Japanese mythology
, the story of the occurs after the creation of Japan (Kuniumi
) and refers to the birth of the kami
, descendants of Izanagi
and Izanami
.
, various gods were born from the relationship between Izanagi and Izanami until the fire deity, Kagutsuchi, at birth burned Izanami's genitals and wounded her fatally. Izanagi, witnessing the death of his beloved wife, in rage took the ten-graspA "grasp" is the breadth of four fingers when the hand is clenched. sabre and crushed his child, Kagusuchi. A number of gods were born from the blood and remains of Kagutsuchi. 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. Then Izanagi performed the misogi
ritual purification
through which more gods are born. The last of these are the three most important gods of Shinto
: Amaterasu
, goddess of the sun; Tsukuyomi, deity of the moon; and Susanoo
, god of the sea.
, Izanagi and Izanami decided to give birth to other gods, among them the , deities of the wind, trees and meadows, all born spontaneously:
. His sadness turned into anger and he decided to kill Kagutsuchi with a ten-grasp sword called .
From the blood of Kagutsuchi the following gods emerged:
Also, from the body of Kagutsuchi the following gods were born:
, the underworld. Crossing the gates to that world, he met Izanami and says to her:
Izanami replied:
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:
Izanagi, shocked, decided to return home, but Izanami was embarrassed by his appearance and commands the to chase Izanagi. In his flight, he took the head-dress from his head, throws it to the ground where it turns into a bunch of grapes. The Yomotsushikome start to eat them but keep 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 becomes bamboo shoots prompting the Yomotsushikome to eat them and enabling Izanagi to flee.
However, Izanami decided to release the eight gods of thunder and 1,500 warriors from Yomi to continue the pursuit. Izanagi draws and brandishes his ten-grasp sword to continue his flight. As they kept on pursuing him, Izanagi on reaching the , the slope that descends from the land of the living to Yomi, took three peaches from a tree that had grown in that place and throws them at his followers so that they flee.
Izanagi commented:
These peaches were called: .
Finally Izanami persecutes Izanagi, but he lifts a rock that a thousand men could not move and blocks with it the slope. At that moment their eyes meet for the last time.
Izanami says:
Izanagi replies:
These words justify the circle of life and death in humans. For the same reason, Izanami is also called or and the boulder that covers the entrance to the world of the dead is known as or and is today known as in Izumo
, Shimane Prefecture
.
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:
Subsequently Izanagi is stripped of impurities from the land of Yomi. In this moment two gods were born:
Then, shaking off the curse, three gods were born:
Then, when washing with water the lower parts of his body, two gods were born;
When washing the middle of his body, two more gods were born:
Finally, washing the upper part of his body, two more gods were born:
The trio of Sokotsuwatatsumi, Nakatsuwatatsumi and Uhatsuwatatsumi make up the group of deities called Sanjin Watatsumi, or the gods of water. The trio of Sokotsutsunoo, Nakatsutsunoo and Uhatsutsunoo make up the Sumiyoshi Sanjin
group of deities, gods of fishing and sea, to whom tribute is paid at Sumiyoshi Taisha
.
In the last step of the purification ceremony, Izanagi washed his left eye from which
was born; washed his right eye from which was born; and when washing his nose, was born.
With these three gods called , Izanagi ordered their investiture. Amaterasu received the mandate to govern Takamagahara
and a necklace of jewels called from Izanagi. Tsukuyomi is mandated to govern over the Dominion of the Night, and Takehayasusanoo is to rule the seas.
Japanese mythology
Japanese mythology is a system of beliefs that embraces Shinto and Buddhist traditions as well as agriculturally based folk religion. The Shinto pantheon comprises innumerable kami...
, the story of the occurs after the creation of Japan (Kuniumi
Kuniumi
In Japanese mythology, the is the traditional and legendary history of the emergence of the Japanese archipelago as narrated firsthand in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. According to this legend, after the creation of Heaven and Earth, the gods Izanagi and Izanami were given the task of forming a...
) and refers to the birth of the kami
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
, descendants of Izanagi
Izanagi
is a deity born of the seven divine generations in Japanese mythology and Shinto, and is also referred to in the roughly translated Kojiki as "male-who-invites" or Izanagi-no-mikoto. It is also pronounced Izanaki-no-Okami....
and Izanami
Izanami
In Japanese mythology, is a goddess of both creation and death, as well as the former wife of the god Izanagi-no-Mikoto. She is also referred to as Izanami-no-kami.-Goddess of Creation:...
.
Story
According to the KojikiKojiki
is the oldest extant chronicle in Japan, dating from the early 8th century and composed by Ō no Yasumaro at the request of Empress Gemmei. The Kojiki is a collection of myths concerning the origin of the four home islands of Japan, and the Kami...
, various gods were born from the relationship between Izanagi and Izanami until the fire deity, Kagutsuchi, at birth burned Izanami's genitals and wounded her fatally. Izanagi, witnessing the death of his beloved wife, in rage took the ten-graspA "grasp" is the breadth of four fingers when the hand is clenched. sabre and crushed his child, Kagusuchi. A number of gods were born from the blood and remains of Kagutsuchi. Subsequently, Izanagi went to the land of Yomi
Yomi
, the Japanese word for the underworld in which horrible creatures guard the exits; according to Shinto mythology as related in Kojiki, this is where the dead go to dwell and apparently rot indefinitely. Once one has eaten at the hearth of Yomi it is impossible to return to the land of the living...
(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. Then Izanagi performed the misogi
Misogi
is a Japanese mountain ascetic practice of ritual purification. This may be undertaken through exhaustive activities such as extended periods without sleep, breath training, standing under waterfalls, or other methods...
ritual purification
Ritual purification
Ritual purification is a feature of many religions. The aim of these rituals is to remove specifically defined uncleanliness prior to a particular type of activity, and especially prior to the worship of a deity...
through which more gods are born. The last of these are the three most important gods of Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
: Amaterasu
Amaterasu
, or is apart of the Japanese myth cycle and also a major deity of the Shinto religion. She is the goddess of the sun, but also of the universe. the name Amaterasu derived from Amateru meaning "shining in heaven." The meaning of her whole name, Amaterasu-ōmikami, is "the great August kami who...
, goddess of the sun; Tsukuyomi, deity of the moon; and Susanoo
Susanoo
, also known as is the Shinto god of the sea and storms. He is also considered to be ruler of Yomi.-Myths:In Japanese mythology, Susanoo, the powerful storm of Summer, is the brother of Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, and of Tsukuyomi, the god of the moon. All three were born from Izanagi, when...
, god of the sea.
Birth of the gods
After having created the Eight Large Islands (Ōyashima) and other islands during the creation of JapanKuniumi
In Japanese mythology, the is the traditional and legendary history of the emergence of the Japanese archipelago as narrated firsthand in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. According to this legend, after the creation of Heaven and Earth, the gods Izanagi and Izanami were given the task of forming a...
, Izanagi and Izanami decided to give birth to other gods, among them the , deities of the wind, trees and meadows, all born spontaneously:
-
- From the relationship between Hayaakitsuhiko and Hayaakitsuhime the following gods were born:
- , also known as
- From the relationship between Ohoyamatsumi and Kaya-no-hime the following gods were born:
- , also known as
- , also known as and
- During Kagustuchi'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.
- , born from the vomit and fecesFecesFeces, faeces, or fæces is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the anus or cloaca during defecation.-Etymology:...
of Izanami - , born from the vomit and feces of Izanami
- , born from the feces of Izanami
- , born from the feces of Izanami
- , born from the urineUrineUrine is a typically sterile liquid by-product of the body that is secreted by the kidneys through a process called urination and excreted through the urethra. Cellular metabolism generates numerous by-products, many rich in nitrogen, that require elimination from the bloodstream...
of Izanami - , born from the urine of Izanami
- Wakumusuhi had a daughter:
Death of Kagutsuchi
After the agony, Izanami dies. At the time Izanagi crept moaning about the body and mourned her death. From his tears was born. Subsequently Izanagi buried Izanami on Mount HibaMount Hiba
-Mount Hiba in Hiroshima Prefecture: is a mountain in Shōbara, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, with a height of 1,299 metres. It is within Hiba-Dogo-Taishaku Quasi-National Park.-Mount Hiba in Shimane Prefecture:...
. His sadness turned into anger and he decided to kill Kagutsuchi with a ten-grasp sword called .
From the blood of Kagutsuchi the following gods emerged:
-
- The gods above were born from the blood that fell from the tip of the sword in the rocks.
- , also known as or
- The gods above were born from the blood that fell from the blade of the sword.
-
- The gods above were born from the blood that fell from the handle of the sword.
Also, from the body of Kagutsuchi the following gods were born:
- , emerged from Kagutsuchi's head;
- , from the chest;
- , from the abdomen;
- , from the genitals;
- , from the left arm;
- , from the right arm;
- , from the left foot;
- , from the right foot.
Land of Yomi
Izanagi then decided to bring back Izanami and goes to YomiYomi
, the Japanese word for the underworld in which horrible creatures guard the exits; according to Shinto mythology as related in Kojiki, this is where the dead go to dwell and apparently rot indefinitely. Once one has eaten at the hearth of Yomi it is impossible to return to the land of the living...
, the underworld. Crossing the gates to that world, he met Izanami and says to her:
Izanami replied:
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:
- , from the head of Izanami;
- , from her chest;
- , from her abdomen;
- , from her genitals;
- , from her left arm;
- , from her right arm;
- , from her left foot;
- , from her right foot.
Izanagi, shocked, decided to return home, but Izanami was embarrassed by his appearance and commands the to chase Izanagi. In his flight, he took the head-dress from his head, throws it to the ground where it turns into a bunch of grapes. The Yomotsushikome start to eat them but keep 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 becomes bamboo shoots prompting the Yomotsushikome to eat them and enabling Izanagi to flee.
However, Izanami decided to release the eight gods of thunder and 1,500 warriors from Yomi to continue the pursuit. Izanagi draws and brandishes his ten-grasp sword to continue his flight. As they kept on pursuing him, Izanagi on reaching the , the slope that descends from the land of the living to Yomi, took three peaches from a tree that had grown in that place and throws them at his followers so that they flee.
Izanagi commented:
These peaches were called: .
Finally Izanami persecutes Izanagi, but he lifts a rock that a thousand men could not move and blocks with it the slope. At that moment their eyes meet for the last time.
Izanami says:
Izanagi replies:
These words justify the circle of life and death in humans. For the same reason, Izanami is also called or and the boulder that covers the entrance to the world of the dead is known as or and is today known as in Izumo
Izumo, Shimane
is a city located in Shimane, Japan. Izumo is known for Izumo soba noodles and the Izumo Taisha Shinto shrine.-Demographics:The modern city was founded on November 3, 1941....
, Shimane Prefecture
Shimane Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is Matsue. It is the second least populous prefecture in Japan, after its eastern neighbor Tottori. The prefecture has an area elongated from east to west facing the Chūgoku Mountain Range on the south side and to...
.
Purification of Izanagi
Leaving Yomi, Izanagi decided to remove all uncleannessKegare
is the Japanese term for a state of pollution and defilement, important particularly in Shinto as a religious term. Typical causes of kegare are the contact with any form of death, childbirth , disease and menstruation. In Shinto kegare is a form of tsumi , which needs to be somehow remedied by the...
in his body through a purification ceremony (misogi
Misogi
is a Japanese mountain ascetic practice of ritual purification. This may be undertaken through exhaustive activities such as extended periods without sleep, breath training, standing under waterfalls, or other methods...
) 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:
- , emerges from the staff;
- , from the obiObi (sash)is a sash for traditional Japanese dress, keikogi worn for Japanese martial arts, and a part of kimono outfits.The obi for men's kimono is rather narrow, wide at most, but a woman's formal obi can be wide and more than long. Nowadays, a woman's wide and decorative obi does not keep the kimono...
; - , from the handbag;
- , from cloths;
- , from the hakamaHakamaare a type of traditional Japanese clothing. They were originally worn only by men, but today they are worn by both sexes. Hakama are tied at the waist and fall approximately to the ankles. Hakama are worn over a kimono ....
; - , from the crown coronaCoronaA corona is a type of plasma "atmosphere" of the Sun or other celestial body, extending millions of kilometers into space, most easily seen during a total solar eclipse, but also observable in a coronagraph...
; - , from the armband of the left hand;
- , from the armband of the left hand;;
- , from the armband of the left hand;
- , from the armband of the right hand;
- , from the armband of the right hand;
- , from the armband of the right hand;
Subsequently Izanagi is stripped of impurities from the land of Yomi. In this moment two gods were born:
Then, shaking off the curse, three gods were born:
Then, when washing with water the lower parts of his body, two gods were born;
When washing the middle of his body, two more gods were born:
Finally, washing the upper part of his body, two more gods were born:
The trio of Sokotsuwatatsumi, Nakatsuwatatsumi and Uhatsuwatatsumi make up the group of deities called Sanjin Watatsumi, or the gods of water. The trio of Sokotsutsunoo, Nakatsutsunoo and Uhatsutsunoo make up the Sumiyoshi Sanjin
Sumiyoshi Sanjin
is the generic name for the three Shinto gods Sokotsutsu no O no Mikoto , Nakatsutsu no O no Mikoto , and Uwatsutsu no O no Mikoto . The Sumiyoshi sanjin are regarded as the gods of the sea and sailing...
group of deities, gods of fishing and sea, to whom tribute is paid at Sumiyoshi Taisha
Sumiyoshi Taisha
, also known as Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine, is a Shinto shrine in Sumiyoshi ward in the city of Osaka, Japan. It is the main shrine of all the Sumiyoshi shrines in Japan...
.
In the last step of the purification ceremony, Izanagi washed his left eye from which
was born; washed his right eye from which was born; and when washing his nose, was born.
With these three gods called , Izanagi ordered their investiture. Amaterasu received the mandate to govern Takamagahara
Takamagahara
Takama-ga-hara , literally "High Heaven's Plain" but often translated as the "High Plain of Heaven," is a place in Japanese mythology. In Shinto, Takama-ga-hara is the dwelling place of the Kami. It is believed to be connected to the Earth by the bridge Ama-no uki-hashi...
and a necklace of jewels called from Izanagi. Tsukuyomi is mandated to govern over the Dominion of the Night, and Takehayasusanoo is to rule the seas.