Japanese mythology

Mythology is a complex belief system. The Shinto pantheon alone consists of a large collection of kami ("gods" or "spirits" in Japanese). Despite the influence of ancient Chinese civilization, there are very important parts of Japanese religion and mythology that are unique.

Contains Shinto and Buddhist traditions as well as agricultural folk beliefs. On the other hand, unlike Greek, Norse and Egyptian mythology, it is relatively difficult to distinguish which is truly a 'myth'; for the Japanese.

Conventional Japanese myths are based on the Kojiki, Nihonshoki and some supplementary books. The Kojiki which literally means "record of ancient things" is the oldest recognized book on myths, legends, and the history of Japan and the Nihonshoki is the second oldest. The Shintoshu explains the origins of Japanese deities from a Buddhist perspective while the Hotsuma Tsutae records a different version of the mythology.

A notable result of Japanese mythology is that it explains the origin of the imperial family, and depicts them as divine offspring. The Japanese word for Emperor in Japan, tennō (天皇), means the "Heavenly Ruler" (the character 天 means "sky").

Writing proper nouns

Many deities appear in the settings of Japanese mythology, many of them have multiple aliases and also some of their names are very long. The most prominent ones are shown here, and in their abbreviated form.

For example, Ninigior Ame-Nigishikuni-Nigishiamatsuhiko-Hikono-no-Ninigi- No-Mikoto., can also be abbreviated as: Hikoho-no-Ninigi u Hono-Ninigi.

In some parts of this article, proper names are written in a historical way. Underlined h, y, and w denote silent letters; they are omitted from the modern spelling. This convention is peculiar to this article. Other syllables are modernized as follows (see also Japanese romanization systems).

• Hu. is modernized as fu.
• zi and di are modernized as ji(the distinction disappears)
• Zu and du are modernized as tsu(the distinction disappears)
• oo oo is modernized as or u Oh..

For example, several pronouncements by Ohonamudi include Ohonamuji, Oonamuji, Ohnamuji, among others.

Due to historical reasons, k, s, t, and h are sometimes confused with g, z, d, and b respectively.

For example, several pronouncements Ohonamudi also include Ohonamuti and Ohonamuchi.

Creation myth

After the creation of the heavens and the earth, the Kotoamatsukami and the seven gods of Kamiyonanayo (the gods of the five pillars that appeared at the time of the creation of the heavens and the earth) would be born in Takamagahara.

These first gods summoned two divine creatures into existence, the male Izanagi and the female Izanami, and charged them with the creation of the first earth. To help them accomplish this, Izanagi and Izanami were given a jeweled spear, called the Amenonuhoko (spear of the heavens). Then, the two deities went to the bridge between Heaven and Earth, Amenoukihashi (floating bridge of the heavens) and stirred up the ocean with their spears. When the drops of salt water fell from the tip of the spear, they formed the island Inojoro (self-formed).

They descended from the bridge of heaven and made their home on the island. Since they wanted to unite, they built a pillar called Amenomihashira and around it they built a palace called Yahirodono (the room whose area is 8 arms). Izanagi and Izanami circled the pillar in opposite directions and when they met, Izanami, the female deity, spoke first with a greeting. Izanagi thought that this was not the proper way, however they joined anyway. They had two children, Hiruko (water infant) and Awashima (bubble island) but they were poorly made and were not considered gods.

They put the children in a boat and put them out to sea. So they asked the other gods for an answer about what they did wrong. They replied that the male god must have started the conversation during the 'Joining Ceremony'. So Izanagi and Izanami headed around the pillar once more, and this time when they met, Izanagi spoke first and their marriage was successful.

From this union were born Ōyashima (大八洲), or the eight great islands of the Japanese chain:

• Awaji
• Iyo (after Shikoku)
• Oki
• Tsukushi (later Kyushu)
• Iki
• Tsushima
• Sado
• Yamato (after Honshu)

Note that Hokkaidō, Chishima, and Okinawa were not part of Japan in ancient times.

They created six more islands and many deities. However, Izanami died giving birth to the infant Kagutsuchi (incarnation of fire) or Ho-Masubi (causer of fire). She was buried on “Mount Hiba”, on the border of the old provinces of Izumo and Hōki, near Yasugi in Shimane Prefecture. In a rage, Izanagi killed Kagutsuchi. Her death also created dozens of deities.

The gods born from Izanagi and Izanami are symbolic of important aspects of nature and culture, but they are too many to mention here.

Yomi, the dark land of the dead

Izanagi mourned Izanami's death and set out on a journey to Yomi or "the dark land of the dead". Izanagi found very little difference between Yomi and the Underworld, except for the eternal darkness. Yet this suffocating darkness was enough to bring him pain in the absence of light and life in the land above. He quickly searched for Izanami and found her. At first Izanagi couldn't fully see her because the shadows hid her appearance. However, he asked her to come back with him. Izanami spat at him, indicating to Izanagi that it was already too late. She had already tasted the food of the underworld and now she was already one with the land of the dead. She couldn't come back to life anymore.

Izanagi was shocked by this news, but still refused to give in to Izanami's wishes to remain in Yomi's darkness. Izanami agreed to return to the upper world, but first asked Izanagi to give her time to sleep and not to enter his bedroom. While Izanami slept, he took the comb that held her long hair and lit it like a torch. Under the sudden burst of light, he saw the hideous current form of the once beautiful and graceful Izanami. Now she was a form of decaying flesh with maggots and foul creatures slithering over her mangled body.

Screaming loudly, Izanagi had no control over his fear and began to run, trying to come back to life; leaving his wife dead from him. Izanami woke up crying in outrage and chased after him. Running away, wild Shikomes (filthy women) also chased after the frightened Izanagi, led by Izanami to catch him. Thinking quickly, Izanagi first threw the cap at him, which turned into a bunch of black grapes. The shikome stumbled across these but continued their search. Afterwards, Izanagi threw the comb at him, which turned into a clump of bamboo shoots. Now it was Yomi's creatures who started chasing him, but Izanagi urinated on a tree, creating a great river that increased his poise. Unfortunately, they still chased after Izanagi, forcing him to throw peaches on them. He knew this wouldn't slow them down for long, but he was almost free now, because Yomi's limits were closer now.

Izanagi quickly reached the entrance and pushed a boulder into the mouth of the cavern, which was the entrance to Yomi. Izanami yelled from behind this impenetrable barricade and told Izanagi that if he didn't let her out of it she would destroy 1000 living residents every day. He furiously replied that then she would give life to 1500.

And thus began the existence of death, caused by the hands of proud Izanami, Izanagi's forsaken wife.

Sun, Moon and Wind

Izanagi left to purify himself after recovering from his descent into Yomi. As he undressed and removed his body adornments, each item he dropped on the ground formed a deity. Even more gods arose when he plunged into the water to wash himself. The most important ones were created from his face once he washed it off:

• Amaterasu (incarnation of the sun) of his left eye,
• Tsukuyomi (incarnation of the moon) of his right eye, and
• Susanoo (incarnation of the wind or the storm) of your nose.

Izanagi set out to divide the world between them with Amaterasu inheriting the heavens, Tsukuyomi taking control of the night and the moon, and the storm god Susano'o possessing the seas.

Amaterasu

Amaterasu, the powerful sun goddess of Japan, is the best-known deity in Japanese mythology.

His uncontrollable brother Susano'o, however, is equally infamous and appears in several tales. A story tells of Susano'o's impossible behavior against Izanagi. Izanagi, tired of Susano'o's repeated complaints, banished him to the Yomi. Susano'o reluctantly consented but had unfinished business to attend to first. He went to Takamagahara (heaven) to say goodbye to his sister, Amaterasu. Amaterasu knew that her unpredictable brother had no good intentions in mind and was preparing for battle. "For what purpose have you come here?" asked Amaterasu. "To say goodbye," answered Susano'o.

But she didn't believe his words and requested a competition to prove his bona fides. The challenge was set as to who would produce the most noble Divine Child. Amaterasu made three women from Susano'o's sword, while Susano'o made five men from Amaterasu's ornamental chain. Amaterasu awarded the title to the five men made from his belongings. Therefore, they attributed the three women to Susano'o.

Suffice it to say, both gods declared themselves victors. Amaterasu's insistence on demanding him led Susano'o to violent campaigns that reached their climax when he hurled a half-skinned colt—an animal sacred to Amaterasu—into the room where Amaterasu weaved, causing the death of one of the assistants to him Amaterasu fled and hid in the cave called the Iwayado. While the incarnation of the sun disappeared into the cave, darkness covered the world.

All the gods and goddesses in turn tried to convince Amaterasu to come out of the cave, but she rejected them all. Finally, the kami of the festival, Ame-no-Uzume, hatched a plan. She placed a large bronze mirror on a tree, in front of Amaterasu's cave. Then Uzume wrapped herself in flowers and leaves and overturned a bath tub, and began to dance on it, tapping the tub with her feet. Finally, Uzume got rid of the leaves and flowers and danced naked. All the male gods had enough of laughing. When she peeked out after her long stay in the dark, a ray of light called "dawn" rose. escaped and Amaterasu was dazzled by her own reflection in the mirror. The god Ame-no-Tajikarawo took her out of the cave and it was sealed with a sacred rope [shirukume]. Surrounded by the festivity, Amaterasu's depression lifted and she agreed to return her light to the world. Since then Uzume was known as the kami of the dawn and also as the one of the festivity.

Susano'o and Orochi

Susano'o, who was exiled from heaven, came to Izumo Province (now part of Shimane Prefecture). Upon arrival he found an old man and his wife sobbing next to his daughter. The old couple explained that, originally, they had eight daughters who were devoured one by one, each year, by the dragon called Yamata-no-orochi ("eight-cornered serpent", which was said to have originated from Kosi which is now the Hokuriku region). The terrible dragon had eight heads and eight tails. Kusinada or Kushinada-Hime (white rice princess) was the last of eight daughters.

Susano'o, immediately aware of the old couple's relationship with the sun goddess Amaterasu, offered his help in exchange for her beautiful daughter's hand. Her parents accepted and Susano & # 39; o transformed Kushinada into a comb and hid it in her hair. She also ordered to build a fence around the house, with eight open gates in the fence, eight tables placed at each gate, eight barrels placed on each table, and each of the barrels filled with eight times brewed rice liquor.

The dragon Orochi, upon arriving at the place, was fascinated by the liquor, drank it and during the stupor it produced in him, Susano'o killed him and a nearby river turned red with the dragon's blood. When Susano'o cut the dragon into pieces, he found an excellent sword in its tail, so hard that his own sword had not been able to cut it. The sword was later presented to Amaterasu and named “Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi” (later called Kusanagi). This sword would be the protagonist in many other later stories.

Prince Ōnamuji

Ōnamuji (also known as Ōkuninushi) was a descendant of Susanowo. He, along with his many brothers, vied for the hand of Princess Yakami of Inaba. While he was traveling from Izumo to Inaba to woo her, the brothers came across a skinned rabbit lying on a beach. Seeing this they told the rabbit to bathe on the beach and dry in the wind on a high mountain, the rabbit believed them and suffered in agony. Ōnamuji, who was laughing behind his brother's back, came and saw the rabbit in pain and ordered the rabbit to bathe in cool water and cover himself with a powder of the gamma (cattail) flower. The healed rabbit, who was actually a deity, informed Onamuji that he would be the one to marry Princess Yakami.

Onamuji's trials were many and he was killed twice by his jealous brothers. On both occasions his mother Kusanda-hime would save him. Pursued by his enemies, he ventured to the kingdom of Susanowo where he met the daughter of the vengeful god, Suseri-hime. Susanowo would test Onamuji several times but in the end, Susanowo approved of the young boy and predicted victory for him against his brothers.

Although Yamato tradition attributes the creation of the Japanese islands to Izanagi and Izanami, Izumo tradition says that Onamuji, together with a dwarf god named Sukunabiko, would contribute to or at least finish the creation of the islands of Japan.

Prosperity and eternity

Ninigi, the grandson of Amaterasu, met Princess Konohana-sakuya (symbol of flowers), the daughter of Yamatumi (master of mountains). They fell in love and Ninigi asked Yamatumi for the hand of his daughter. His father was so pleased that he offered the hand of his two daughters, Iwanaga (stone symbol) and Sakuya (flower symbol). But Ninigi only married Sakuya and refused Iwanaga.

"Iwanaga is blessed with eternity and Sakuya with prosperity", Yamatumi lamented, "by refusing Iwanaga, your life will be brief from now on". Because of this, Ninigi and her descendants became mortal.

Sakuya conceived at night and Ninigi doubted her. To prove the legitimacy of her children, Sakuya swore by her luck and took a chance; she burned her room while she was giving birth to her three children and because of this, Ninigi recognized her chastity. The names of the children were Hoderi, Hosuserikkkk

Installation Period

Amaterasu ordered her grandson Ninigi to rule over the land. She gave him three sacred treasures:

• The Maze Necklace Yasakani no magatama (now located in the imperial palace);
• The bronze mirror of Kata no kagami (now in the temple of Ise); and
• The Kusanagi sword (a possible replica that is now in the temple of Atsuta, Nagoya).

The first two were made to get Amaterasu out of Iwayado. The last one was found in the body of the dragon Yamata no Orochi. Of these three, the mirror is the symbol of Amaterasu. The three together make up the Imperial Treasures of Japan.

Ninigi and his company descended to earth and reached Himuka, there he founded his palace.

Ebb and flow

Hoderi lived by fishing in the sea while his brother Howori lived by hunting in the mountains. One day, "Howori" he asked his brother to switch roles for a day. "Howori" He tried to fish, but he couldn't get anything and he also lost the hook that his brother lent him. Hoderi relentlessly accused his brother and did not accept his apology.

While "Howori" he was sitting on a beach, puzzled in pain, Shihotuti told him to travel on a ship called the Manasikatuma and he would go wherever the current would take him. After this advice, Howori came to the house of Watatumi (master of the seas). There he met Toyotama, the daughter of Watatumi, and married her. After three years of the union, she remembered his brother and his hook, so she told Watatumi about him.

Watatumi soon found the hook down the throat of a bream and gave it to Howori. Watatumi also gave him two magic balls, Sihomitutama, which could cause a flood, and Sihohirutama, which could cause a reflux and sent him to earth, along with his girlfriend.

While Toyotama was giving birth, she asked Howori not to look at her during her delivery. However, Howori, full of curiosity, peeked, and saw her transformed into a shark the moment her son, Ugaya, was born. Learning of this, Toyotama disappeared into the sea and did not return but she confided in her sister Tamayori about her longing for Howori.

Ugaya married his aunt Tamayori and they had five children, including Ituse and Yamatobiko.

Legends

First Emperor: In Japanese mythology, Yamasachi-hiko married the daughter of the sea god, and a boy named Ugaya-fukiaezu was born. Ugaya-fukiaezu had 4 children. But his second and third children traveled to other places. Later the first and fourth sons fought to unify Japan and Iwarebiko would become the first emperor and was renamed Emperor Jinmu who conquered the land of Yamato. In this line is the imperial house of Japan.

The first legendary emperor of Japan was Iwarebiko. He established the throne in 660 B.C. c.

His caste is summarized below:

• Iwarebiko is the son of Ugaya and Tamayori.
• Ugaya is the son of Howori and Toyotama.
• Howori is the son of Ninigi and Sakuya.
• Ninigi is the son of Osihomimi and Akidusi.
• Osihomimi is born of an ornament of Amaterasu (Divinity of the Sun).
• Amaterasu is born from the left eye of Izanagi.
• Izanagi is born of his own accord.

Mythical Creatures

See also Yokai

Modern culture

Within Modern culture, the creation of iconic characters stands out, which make up a "mythology" modern; as:

• The Kaijū, the best known:
  • Godzilla.
  • King Ghidorah
  • Mothra
  • Rodan
  • Red King