14. Nihon Shoki I — 14
1After this, wherever there was in the land a part which was imperfect, Oho-na-mochi no Kami visited it by himself, and succeeded in repairing it. Coming at last to the province of Idzumo, he spake, and said:—'This Central Land of Reed-plains had been always waste and wild. The very rocks, trees and herbs were all given to violence. But I have now reduced them to submission, and there is none that is not compliant.' Therefore he said finally:—'It is I, and I alone, who now govern this Land. Is there perchance any one who could join with me in governing the world?' Upon this a Divine radiance illuminated the sea, and of a sudden there was something which floated towards him and said:—'Were I not here, how couldst thou subdue this Land? It is because I am here that thou hast been enabled to accomplish this mighty undertaking.' Then Oho-na-mochi no Kami inquired, saying:—'Then who art thou?' It replied and (I. 61.) said:—'I am thy guardian spirit, the wondrous spirit.' Then said Oho-na-mochi no Kami:—'True, I know therefore that thou art my guardian spirit, the wondrous spirit. Where dost thou now wish to dwell?' The spirit answered and said:—'I wish to dwell on Mount Mimoro, in the province of Yamato.' Accordingly he built a shrine in that place and made the spirit to go and dwell there. This is the God of Oho-miwa.
2The children of this Deity were the Kimi of Kamo (I. 62.) and of Oho-miwa, and also Hime-tatara I-suzu-hime no Mikoto.
3Another version is that Koto-shiro-nushi no Kami, having become transformed into an eight-fathom bear-sea-monster, had intercourse with Mizo-kuhi hime of the island of Mishima (some call her Tama-kushi-hime), and had by her a child named Hime-tatara I-suzu-hime no Mikoto, who became the Empress of the Emperor Kami-Yamato Ihare-biko Hohodemi.
4Before this time, when Oho-na-mochi no Kami was pacifying the land, he went to Wobama in Isasa, in the province of Idzumo. He was just having some food and drink, when of a sudden there was heard a human voice from the surface of the sea. He was astonished, but on seeking for it there was nothing at all to be seen. After a while a dwarf appeared, who had made a boat of the rind of a kagami and clothing of the feathers of a (I. 63.) wren. He came floating towards him on the tide, and Oho-na-mochi no Mikoto taking him up, placed him on the palm of his hand. He was playing with him, when the dwarf leaped up, and bit him on the cheek. He wondered at his appearance, and sent a messenger to report the matter to the Gods of Heaven. Now when Taka-mi-musubi no Mikoto heard this, he said:—'The children whom I have produced number in all one thousand and five hundred. Amongst them one was very wicked, and would not yield compliance to my instructions. He slipped through between my fingers and fell. This must be that child, let him be loved and nurtured.' This was no other than Sukuna-bikona no Mikoto."
5In 670 it was formally notified to one of the Corean kingdoms that this would be the name of the country in future, and from about the same time the Chinese also began to use it officially.
6There are several cases of its being used retrospectively in places where it has no business, as in a supposed letter from the King of Koryö to the Emperor of Japan quoted in the "Nihongi" under 297 A.D.
7"Nihongi," or the Chronicles of Japan, is the proper and original name of this work. But later editors and writers have introduced the syllable sho, writing, styling it the Nihon-shoki, which is its most usual literary designation at the present time. It is also spoken of as the "Shoki."
8The corresponding passage of the "Kiujiki" (vide Index) is as follows:—"Of old, the original essence was a chaotic mass. Heaven and Earth had not yet been separated, but were like an egg, of ill-defined limits and containing germs. Thereafter, the pure essence, ascending by degrees, became thinly spread out, and formed Heaven. The floating grosser essence sank heavily, and, settling down, became Earth. What we call countries were produced by the opening, splitting up, and dividing of the earth as it floated along. It might be compared to the floating of a fish which sports on the surface of the water. Now Heaven was produced first, and Earth afterwards."
9The passage in italics is from what is called the "Original Commentary," for which see introduction.
10The word Kami, deity, has a very wide application in Japanese. It means primarily upper, and hence nobles, the sovereign, gods, and generally any wonderful or mysterious thing. The leopard and wolf are Kami, the peach with which Izanagi put to flight the thunders which pursued him in the land of Yomi, etc. See Hirata's interesting remarks translated by Satow in "Revival of Pure Shinto," "J.A.S.T.," p. 42 (reprint).
11The Aino ideas regarding Kamui are very similar. See Batchelor in "J.A.S.T.," XVI., Pt. I., p. 17.
12For the sake of comparison the Kiujiki scheme of the generations of early Deities is herewith added. It will still further exemplify the confusion of these traditions.
13Therefore a God was developed in the Plain of High Heaven whose name was
14Ame- yudzuru- hi- {ame no} sa- giri kuni- yudzuru- tsuki kuni no sa- giri {no Mikoto,}
15heaven transfer sun heaven right mist land transfer moon land of right mist {}
16who was produced alone. After him, were born two generations of companion Gods and five generations of mated Deities. These make up what is called the seven generations of the Gods.
17The Heavenly parent, Ame yudzuru hi ame no sa-giri kuni yudzuru tsuki kuni no sa-giri no Mikoto.