12. Nihon Shoki I — 12
1Then Sosa no wo no Mikoto descended from Heaven and proceeded to the head-waters of the River Hi, in the province (I. 50.) of Idzumo. At this time he heard a sound of weeping at the head-waters of the river, and he therefore went in search of the sound. He found there an old man and an old woman. Between them was set a young girl, whom they were caressing and lamenting over. Sosa no wo no Mikoto asked them, saying:—"Who are ye, and why do ye lament thus?" The answer was:—"I am an Earthly Deity, and my name is Ashi-nadzuchi. My wife's name is Te-nadzuchi. This girl is our daughter, and her name is Kushi-nada-hime. The reason of our weeping is that formerly we had eight children, daughters. But they have been devoured year after year by an eight-forked serpent, and now the time approaches for this girl to be devoured. There is no means of escape for her, and (I. 51.) therefore do we grieve." Sosa no wo no Mikoto said:—"If that is so, wilt thou give me thy daughter?" He replied, and said:—"I will comply with thy behest and give her to thee." Therefore Sosa no wo no Mikoto on the spot changed Kushi-nada-hime into a many-toothed close-comb, which he stuck in the august knot of his hair. Then he made Ashi-nadzuchi and Te-nadzuchi to brew eight-fold sake, to make eight cupboards, in each of them to set a tub filled with sake, and so to await its coming. When the time came, the serpent actually appeared. It had an eight-forked head and an eight-forked tail; its eyes were red, like the winter-cherry; and on its back firs and cypresses were growing. As it crawled it extended over a space of eight hills and eight valleys. Now when it came and found the sake, each head drank up one tub, and it became drunken and fell asleep. Then Sosa no wo no Mikoto drew the ten-span sword which he wore, and chopped the serpent into small pieces. When he came to the tail, the edge of his sword was slightly notched, and he therefore split open (I. 52.) the tail and examined it. In the inside there was a sword. This is the sword which is called Kusa-nagi no tsurugi.
2In one writing it is said:—"Its original name was Ama no Mura-kumo no tsurugi."
3[It perhaps received this name from the clouds constantly gathering over the place where the serpent was. In the time of the Imperial Prince Yamato-dake its name was changed to Kusa-nagi no tsurugi.]
4Sosa no wo no Mikoto said:—"This is a divine sword. How can I presume to appropriate it to myself?" So he gave it up to the Gods of Heaven.
5After this he went in search of a place where he might celebrate his marriage, and at length came to Suga, in the province of Idzumo. Then he spoke, and said:—"My heart is refreshed." Therefore that place is now called Suga. There he built a palace.
6One version says:—"Now Take Sosa no wo no Mikoto composed a verse of poetry, saying:—
7Thereupon they had intercourse together, and a child was born named Oho-na-muchi no Kami.
8He (Sosa no wo) accordingly spake, and said:—"The masters of my son's Palace are Ashi-nadzuchi and Te-nadzuchi. I therefore grant to these two Deities the designation of Inada no Miya-nushi no Kami."
9Having done so, Sosa no wo no Mikoto at length proceeded to the Nether Land.
10In one writing it is said:—"Sosa no wo no Mikoto, having descended from Heaven, came to the head-waters of the river Hi, in Idzumo. There he saw Inada-hime, the daughter of Susa no yatsu-mimi, Master of the Shrine of Inada. He had connubial relations with her, and a child was born, styled Suga no yu-yama-nushi Mitsu-na-saro-hiko-yama-shino."
11One version has Suga no Kake-na Saka-karu-hiko-ya-shima no Mikoto.
12Another has:—"Suga no yu-yama-nushi Mitsu-na-saro-hiko ya-shima-no. The descendant of this God in the fifth generation was Oho-kuni-nushi no Kami."
13(I. 54.) In one writing it is said:—"At this time Sosa no wo no Mikoto went down and came to the head-waters of the River Ye, in the province of Aki. There was there a God whose name was Ashi-nadzu-te-nadzu. His wife's name was Inada no Miya-nushi Susa no yatsu-mimi. This Deity was just then pregnant, and the husband and wife sorrowed together. So they informed Sosa no wo no Mikoto, saying:—'Though we have had born to us many children, whenever one is born, an eight-forked serpent comes and devours it, and we have not been able to save one. We are now about to have another, and we fear that it also will be devoured. Therefore do we grieve.' Sosa no wo no Mikoto forthwith instructed them, saying:—'You must take fruit of all kinds, and brew from it eight jars of sake, and I will kill the serpent for you.' The two Gods, in accordance with his instructions, prepared sake. When the time came for the child to be born, the serpent came indeed to the door, and was about to devour the child. But Sosa no wo no Mikoto addressed the serpent, and said:—'Thou art an Awful Deity. Can I dare to neglect to feast thee?' So he took the eight jars of sake, and poured one into each of its mouths. The serpent drank it up and fell asleep. Sosa no wo no Mikoto drew his sword and slew it. When he came to sever its tail, the edge of his sword was slightly notched. He split the tail open and examined it, when he found that inside it there was a sword. This sword is called Kusa-nagi no tsurugi. It is now in the village of Ayuchi, in the province (I. 55.) of Ohari. It is this Deity which is in the charge of the Hafuri of Atsuta. The sword which slew the serpent is called Worochi no Ara-masa. It is now at Isonokami.
14Afterwards the child who was born of Inada no Miya-nushi Susa no yatsu-mimi, namely Ina-gami Furu-kushi-nada-hime, was removed to the upper waters of the river Hi, in the province of Idzumo, and brought up there. After this Sosa no wo no Mikoto made her his consort, and had by her a child, whose descendant in the sixth generation was Oho-na-muchi no Mikoto."