__FORCETOC__
Susanoo (;
historical orthography: , ) is a in
Japanese mythology. The younger brother of
Amaterasu, goddess of the sun and mythical ancestress of the
Japanese imperial line, he is a multifaceted deity with contradictory characteristics (both good and bad), being portrayed in various stories either as a wild, impetuous god associated with the
sea
The sea, connected as the world ocean or simply the ocean, is the body of salty water that covers approximately 71% of the Earth's surface. The word sea is also used to denote second-order sections of the sea, such as the Mediterranean Sea, ...
and
storms
A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm), ...
, as a heroic figure who killed a monstrous serpent, or as a local deity linked with the harvest and agriculture.
Syncretic beliefs that arose after
the introduction of
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...
to Japan also saw Susanoo becoming conflated with deities of pestilence and disease.
Susanoo, alongside Amaterasu and the earthly
Ōkuninushi
Ōkuninushi ( historical orthography: ''Ohokuninushi''), also known as Ō(a)namuchi (''Oho(a)namuchi'') or Ō(a)namochi (''Oho(a)namochi'') among other variants, is a ''kami'' in Japanese mythology. He is one of the central deities in the cycle ...
(also Ōnamuchi) – depicted as either Susanoo's son or scion depending on the source – is one of the central deities of the imperial Japanese mythological cycle recorded in the ( CE) and the (720 CE). One of the gazetteer reports () commissioned by the imperial court during the same period these texts were written, that of
Izumo Province (modern
Shimane Prefecture) in western Japan, also contains a number of short legends concerning Susanoo or his children, suggesting a connection between the god and this region.
In addition, a few other myths also hint at a connection between Susanoo and the
Korean Peninsula
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
.
Name
Susanoo's name is variously given in the as , , or simply as . He is meanwhile named in the as , , , and . The of
Izumo Province renders his name both as and . In these texts the following honorific prefixes are attached to his name: , , and .
The in Susanoo's name has been variously explained as being derived from either of the following words:
*The verb or meaning 'to be impetuous,' 'to be violent,' or 'to go wild'
*The verb , 'to advance'
*The township of in
Iishi District,
Izumo Province (modern
Shimane Prefecture)
*A word related to the
Middle Korean
Middle Korean is the period in the history of the Korean language succeeding Old Korean and yielding in 1600 to the Modern period.
The boundary between the Old and Middle periods is traditionally identified with the establishment of Goryeo in 9 ...
, meaning 'master' or 'shaman'
Mythology
Parentage
The ( CE) and the (720 CE) both agree in their description of Susanoo as the son of the god
Izanagi and the younger brother of
Amaterasu, the goddess of the
sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radi ...
, and of
Tsukuyomi
, or simply or , is the moon god in Japanese mythology and the Shinto religion. The name "Tsukuyomi" is a compound of the Old Japanese words and . The '' Nihon Shoki'' mentions this name spelled as , but this ''yumi'' is likely a variation i ...
, the god of the
moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
. The circumstances surrounding the birth of these three deities, collectively known as the , however, vary between sources.
*In the , Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Susanoo came into existence when Izanagi
bathed in a river to purify himself after visiting
Yomi
is the Japanese word for the land of the dead (World of Darkness). According to Shinto mythology as related in '' Kojiki'', this is where the dead go in the afterlife. Once one has eaten at the hearth of Yomi it is (mostly) impossible to retur ...
, the underworld, in a failed attempt to rescue his deceased wife, Izanami. Amaterasu was born when Izanagi washed his left eye, Tsukuyomi was born when he washed his right eye, and Susanoo was born when he washed his nose. Izanagi then appoints Amaterasu to rule , Tsukuyomi the night, and Susanoo the seas. Susanoo, who missed his mother, kept crying and howling incessantly until his beard grew long, causing the mountains to wither and the rivers to dry up. An angry Izanagi then "expelled him with a divine expulsion."
*The main narrative of the has Izanagi and Izanami procreating after
creating the Japanese archipelago; to them were born (in the following order) Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, the 'leech-child'
Hiruko
, also transliterated or called or , is the Japanese god of fishermen and luck. He is one of the , and the only one of the seven to originate purely from Japan without any Buddhist or Taoist influence.
Origins as Hiruko
In medieval times, Ebi ...
, and Susanoo. Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi were sent up to heaven to govern it, while Hiruko – who even at the age of three could not stand upright – was placed on the and set adrift. Susanoo, whose wailing laid waste to the land, was expelled and sent to the netherworld (
Ne-no-Kuni or in the '' Nihon Shoki'', also called or in the '' Kojiki'', refers to a netherworld in Japanese mythology. It is sometimes considered to be identical to Yomi, another netherworld in the myths as well as . There is no clear consensus on the r ...
). (In the , Hiruko is the couple's very first offspring, born before the islands of Japan and the other deities were created; there he is set afloat on a
boat of reeds.)
*A variant legend recorded in the has Izanagi begetting Amaterasu by holding a
bronze mirror
Bronze mirrors preceded the glass mirrors of today. This type of mirror, sometimes termed a copper mirror, has been found by archaeologists among elite assemblages from various cultures, from Etruscan Italy to Japan. Typically they are round an ...
in his left hand, Tsukuyomi by holding another mirror in his right hand, and Susanoo by turning his head and looking sideways. Susanoo is here also said to be banished by Izanagi due to his destructive nature.
*A third variant in the has Izanagi and Izanami begetting Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, Hiruko, and Susanoo, as in the main narrative. This version specifies the Rock-Camphor Boat on which Hiruko was placed in to be the couple's fourth offspring. The fifth child, the fire god
Kagutsuchi
Kagutsuchi (カグツチ; Old Japanese: ''Kagututi''), also known as Hi-no-Kagutsuchi or Homusubi among other names, is the kami of fire in classical Japanese mythology.
Mythology
Kagutsuchi's birth burned his mother Izanami, causing her deat ...
, caused the death of Izanami (as in the ). As in other versions, Susanoo – who "was of a wicked nature, and was always fond of wailing and wrath" – is here expelled by his parents.
Susanoo and Amaterasu
Before Susanoo leaves, he ascends to Takamagahara, wishing to say farewell to his sister Amaterasu. As he did so, the mountains and rivers shook and the land quaked. Amaterasu, suspicious of his motives, went out to meet him dressed in male clothing and clad in armor, but when Susanoo proposed a trial by pledge () to prove his sincerity, she accepted. In the ritual, the two gods each chewed and spat out an object carried by the other (in some variants, an item they each possessed).
*Both the and the 's main account relate that Amaterasu broke Susanoo's into three, chewed them and then spat them out.
Three goddesses – Takiribime (Tagorihime), Ichikishimahime, and Tagitsuhime – were thus born. Susanoo then took the strings of beads Amaterasu entwined in her hair and round her wrists, likewise chewed the beads and spat them out. Five male deities – Ame-no-Oshihomimi, Ame-no-Hohi, Amatsuhikone, Ikutsuhikone, and Kumano-no-Kusubi – then came into existence.
*A variant account in the has Amaterasu chew three different swords she bore with her – a ten-span sword, a , and an – while Susanoo chewed the necklace that hung on his neck.
*Another variant account in the has Susanoo meet a named on his way to heaven. This deity presented him with the beads used in the ritual. In this version, Amaterasu begets the three goddesses after chewing the beads Susanoo obtained earlier, while Susanoo begets the five gods after biting off the edge of Amaterasu's sword.
*A third variant has Amaterasu chewing three different swords to beget the three goddesses as in the first variant. Susanoo, in turn, begat six male deities after chewing the ''magatama'' beads on his hair bunches and necklace and spitting them on his hands, forearms, and legs.
![Amaterasu cave](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Amaterasu_cave.JPG)
Amaterasu declares that the male deities were hers because they were born of her necklace, and that the three goddesses were Susanoo's. Susanoo, announcing that he had won the trial, thus signifying the purity of his intentions, "raged with victory" and proceeded to wreak havoc by destroying his sister's rice fields, defecating in her palace and flaying the 'heavenly piebald horse' (天斑駒, ''ame-no-fuchikoma''), which he then hurled at Amaterasu's loom, killing one of her weaving maidens. A furious Amaterasu in response hid inside the
Ama-no-Iwato
is a cave in Japanese mythology. According to the ''Kojiki'' (''Records of Ancient Matters'') and the '' Nihon Shoki'', the bad behavior of Susano'o, the Japanese god of storms, drove his sister Amaterasu into the Ama-no-Iwato cave. The land wa ...
("Heavenly Rock Cave"), plunging heaven and earth into total darkness. The gods, led by
Omoikane-no-Kami (思金神), eventually persuade her to come out of the cave, restoring light to the world. As punishment for his misdeeds, Susanoo is thrown out of Takamagahara:
[Chamberlain (1882)]
Section XVII.—The August Expulsion of His-Impetuous-Male-Augustness.
/ref>
*A fourth variant of the story in the ''Shoki'' reverses the order of the two events. This version relates that Susanoo and Amaterasu each owned three rice fields; Amaterasu's fields were fertile, while Susanoo's were dry and barren. Driven by jealousy, Susanoo ruins his sister's rice fields, causing her to hide in the Ama-no-Iwato and him to be expelled from heaven (as above). During his banishment, Susanoo, wearing a hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
and a raincoat
A raincoat is a waterproof or water-resistant garment worn on the upper body to shield the wearer from rain. The term rain jacket is sometimes used to refer to raincoats with long sleeves that are waist-length. A rain jacket may be combined with ...
made of straw, sought shelter from the heavy rains, but the other gods refused to give him lodging. He then ascends to heaven once more to say farewell to Amaterasu.
The two then perform the ''ukehi'' ritual; Susanoo produces six male deities from the ''magatama'' beads on his hair knots. Declaring that his intentions were indeed pure, Susanoo gives the six gods to Amaterasu's care and departs.
Susanoo and Ōgetsuhime
The ''Kojiki'' relates that during his banishment, Susanoo asked the goddess of food, Ōgetsuhime
, commonly known as , the daughter of the Shinto deities Izanagi and Izanami, is a goddess of food in the Shinto religion of Japan. In some differing interpretations, Ukemochi is referred to as both male and female. When shown in other forms, U ...
-no-Kami (大気都比売神), to give him something to eat. Upon finding out that the goddess produced foodstuffs from her mouth, nose, and rectum, a disgusted Susanoo killed her, at which various crops, plants and seeds spring from her dead body. This account is not found in the ''Nihon Shoki'', where a similar story is told of Tsukuyomi and the goddess Ukemochi
, commonly known as , the daughter of the Shinto deities Izanagi and Izanami, is a goddess of food in the Shinto religion of Japan. In some differing interpretations, Ukemochi is referred to as both male and female. When shown in other forms, U ...
.
Slaying the Yamata no Orochi
After his banishment, Susanoo came down from heaven to Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni (葦原中国, the 'Central Land of Reed Plains', i.e. the earthly land of Japan), to the land of Izumo Izumo (出雲) may refer to:
Locations
* Izumo Province, an old province of Japan
* Izumo, Shimane, a city located in Shimane Prefecture
** Izumo Airport
* Izumo-taisha, one of Japan's most ancient and important Shinto shrines
Ships
* ''Izumo ...
, where he met an elderly couple named Ashinazuchi (足名椎 / 脚摩乳) and Tenazuchi (手名椎 / 手摩乳), who told him that seven of their eight daughters had been devoured by a monstrous serpent known as the Yamata no Orochi
, or simply , is a legendary eight-headed and eight-tailed Japanese dragon/ serpent.
Mythology
Yamata no Orochi legends are originally recorded in two ancient texts about Japanese mythology and history. The 712 AD transcribes this dragon nam ...
(八俣遠呂智 / 八岐大蛇, "eight-forked serpent") and it was nearing time for their eighth, Kushinadahime
, also known as or Inadahime among other names, is a goddess (''kami'') in Japanese mythology. She is one of the wives of the god Susanoo, who rescued her from the monster Yamata no Orochi.
Name
The goddess is named 'Kushinadahime' (櫛名田 ...
(櫛名田比売; also called Kushiinadahime, Inadahime, or Makami-Furu-Kushiinadahime in the ''Shoki'').
Sympathizing with their plight, Susanoo hid Kushinadahime by transforming her into a comb
A comb is a tool consisting of a shaft that holds a row of teeth for pulling through the hair to clean, untangle, or style it. Combs have been used since prehistoric times, having been discovered in very refined forms from settlements dating ba ...
(''kushi''), which he placed in his hair. He then made the serpent drunk on strong sake
Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indee ...
and then killed it as it lay in a drunken stupor. From within the serpent's tail Susanoo discovered the sword Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi (天叢雲剣, "Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven"), also known as Kusanagi
is a legendary Japanese sword and one of three Imperial Regalia of Japan. It was originally called , but its name was later changed to the more popular ("Grass-Cutting Sword"). In folklore, the sword represents the virtue of valor.
Legend ...
-no-Tsurugi (草薙剣, "Grass-Cutting Sword"), which he then presented to Amaterasu as a reconciliatory gift.
Amaterasu later bequeathed the sword to Ninigi
is a deity in Japanese mythology. Grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu, Ninigi is regarded according to Japanese mythology as the great-grandfather of Japan’s first emperor, Emperor Jimmu. The three sacred treasures brought with Ninigi fro ...
, her grandson by Ame-no-Oshihomimi, along with the mirror Yata no Kagami
is a sacred bronze mirror that is part of the Imperial Regalia of Japan.
Name and significance
The represents "wisdom" or "honesty," depending on the source. Its name literally means "The Eight Mirror," a reference to its size. Mirrors in ...
and the jewel Yasakani no Magatama
are curved, comma-shaped beads that appeared in prehistoric Japan from the Final Jōmon period through the Kofun period, approximately 1000 BCE to the 6th century CE. The beads, also described as "jewels", were made of primitive stone and eart ...
. This sacred sword, mirror, and jewel collectively became the three Imperial Regalia of Japan.
While most accounts place Susanoo's descent in the headwaters of the river Hi in Izumo (肥河 / 簸之川, ''Hi-no-Kawa'', identified with the Hii River
The is a river on the island of Honshu in Shimane Prefecture and Tottori Prefecture, Japan. With a length of 153 km and catchment of 2540 km2, it is the largest river in the east of Shimane Prefecture. It flows through the cities of Izum ...
in modern Shimane Prefecture), with the ''Kojiki'' specifying the area to be a place called Torikami (鳥髮, identified with Mount Sentsū
, also known in English as Sentsūzan, is a mountain located on the border of Nichinan, Tottori Prefecture and Okuizumo, Shimane Prefecture, in Japan. Mount Sentsū has an elevation of and is one of the highest peaks in the Chūgoku Mountain ...
in eastern Shimane), one variant in the ''Shoki'' instead has Susanoo descend to the upper reaches of the river E (可愛之川, ''E-no-kawa'') in the province of Aki (identified with the Gōnokawa River in modern Hiroshima Prefecture). Kushinadahime's parents are here given the names Ashinazu-Tenazu (脚摩手摩) and Inada-no-Miyanushi-Susa-no-Yatsumimi (稲田宮主簀狭之八箇耳); here, Kushinadahime is not yet born when Susanoo slew the Yamata no Orochi.
The ten-span sword Susanoo used to slay the Yamata no Orochi, unnamed in the ''Kojiki'' and the ''Shoki'''s main text, is variously named in the ''Shoki'''s variants as Orochi-no-Aramasa (蛇之麁正, 'Rough ndTrue lade Lade may refer to:
People
* Brendon Lade (born 1976), an Australian rules footballer
* Sir John Lade (1759–1838), a baronet and Regency horse-breeder
* Heinrich Eduard von Lade (1817–1904), a German banker and amateur astronomer
* The Jarls ...
of the Serpent'), Orochi-no-Karasabi-no-Tsurugi (蛇韓鋤之剣, 'Korean (''Kara'') Sword of the Serpent' or 'Flashing Sword of the Serpent'), and Ame-no-Haekiri-no-Tsurugi (天蝿斫剣, 'Heavenly Fly Cutter', also Ame-no-Hahakiri 'Heavenly Serpent (''haha'') Cutter'). In the ''Kogo Shūi
is a historical record of the Inbe clan of Japan written in the early Heian period (794–1185). It was composed by Inbe no Hironari (斎部広成) in 807 using material transmitted orally over several generations of the Inbe clan.
Backgroun ...
'' it is dubbed Ame-no-Habakiri (天羽々斬, also Ame-no-Hahakiri). This sword is said to have been originally enshrined in Isonokami Futsumitama Shrine in Bizen Province (modern Okayama Prefecture) before it was transferred to Isonokami Shrine
is a Shinto shrine located in the hills of Furu in Tenri, Nara prefecture, Japan. It is one of the oldest extant Shinto shrines in Japan and has housed several significant artifacts.
Isonokami shrine was highly regarded in the ancient era, and ...
in Yamato Province
was a province of Japan, located in Kinai, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture in Honshū. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005). "Yamato" in . It was also called . Yamato consists of two characters, 大 "great", and 和 " Wa". At first, th ...
(modern Nara Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara Prefecture has a population of 1,321,805 and has a geographic area of . Nara Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Osaka Prefecture to the northwest, Wakayam ...
).
Susanoo in Soshimori
A variant account in the ''Shoki'' relates that after Susanoo was banished due to his bad behavior, he descended from heaven, accompanied by a son named Isotakeru-no-Mikoto (五十猛命), to a place called 'Soshimori' (曽尸茂梨) in the land of Shiragi (the Korean
Korean may refer to:
People and culture
* Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula
* Korean cuisine
* Korean culture
* Korean language
**Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl
**Korean dialects and the Jeju language
** ...
kingdom of Silla
Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms ...
) before going to Izumo. Disliking the place, they crossed the sea in a boat made of clay until they arrived at Torikami Peak (鳥上之峯, ''Torikami no mine'') by the upper waters of the river Hi in Izumo.
The palace of Suga
After slaying the Yamata no Orochi, Susanoo looked for a suitable place in Izumo to live in. Upon arriving at a place called Suga (須賀 / 清), he declared, "Coming to this place, my heart is refreshed (''sugasugashi'')." He then erected a palace there and made a song:
Donald L. Philippi (1968) translates the song into English thus:
The ''Kojiki'' adds that Susanoo appointed Kushinadahime's father Ashinazuchi to be the headman of his new dwelling, bestowing upon him the name Inada-no-Miyanushi-Suga-no-Yatsumimi-no-Kami (稲田宮主須賀之八耳神, 'Master of the Palace of Inada, the Eight-Eared Deity of Suga'). With his new wife Kushinadahime, Susanoo had a child named Yashimajinumi-no-Kami (八島士奴美神). He then took another wife named Kamu-Ōichihime (神大市比売), the daughter of Ōyamatsumi
Ōyama-tsumi or Ohoyama-tsumi (Kojiki: 大山津見神 or Nihon Shoki: 大山祇神, 大山積神, 大山罪神; Ōyama-tsumi-mi'oya-no-mikoto 大山祇御祖命) is a god of mountains, sea, and war in Japanese mythology. He is an elder brother o ...
, the god of mountains, and had two children by her: Ōtoshi-no-Kami (大年神), the god of the harvest, and Ukanomitama
Ukanomitama (宇迦之御魂神 – Mighty Soul of Sustenance - ''Kojiki'') (倉稲魂命 - '' Nihongi'') is a ''kami'' in classical Japanese mythology, associated with food and agriculture, often identified with Inari, the deity of rice.
Name ...
-no-Kami (宇迦之御魂神), the god of agriculture.
The ''Shoki'''s main narrative is roughly similar: Susanoo appoints Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi to be the keepers of his palace and gives them the title Inada-no-Miyanushi. The child born to Susanoo and Kushiinadahime in this version is identified as Ōnamuchi-no-Kami (大己貴神, the ''Kojiki'''s Ōkuninushi
Ōkuninushi ( historical orthography: ''Ohokuninushi''), also known as Ō(a)namuchi (''Oho(a)namuchi'') or Ō(a)namochi (''Oho(a)namochi'') among other variants, is a ''kami'' in Japanese mythology. He is one of the central deities in the cycle ...
).
After having thus lived for a time in Izumo, Susanoo at length finally found his way to Ne-no-Kuni.
Planting trees
One variant in the ''Shoki'' has Susanoo pulling out hairs from different parts of his body and turning them into different kinds of trees. Determining the use of each, he then gives them to his three children – Isotakeru-no-Mikoto, Ōyatsuhime-no-Mikoto (大屋津姫命), and Tsumatsuhime-no-Mikoto (枛津姫命) – to spread in Japan. Susanoo then settled down in a place called Kumanari-no-Take (熊成峯) before going to Ne-no-Kuni.
The myth of Susanoo's descent in Soshimori has Isotakeru bringing seeds with him from Takamagahara which he did not choose to plant in Korea but rather spread throughout Japan, beginning with Tsukushi Province
was an ancient province of Japan, in the area of Chikuzen and Chikugo provinces. This province was located within Fukuoka Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Chikuzen''" in , "''Chikugo''" at . It was sometimes called .
Notes
...
. The narrative adds that it is, for this reason, why Isotakeru is styled Isaoshi-no-Kami (有功之神, 'Meritorious Deity').
Susanoo and Ōnamuji
In the ''Kojiki'', a sixth-generation descendant of Susanoo, Ōnamuji-no-Kami (大穴牟遅神), ends up in Ne-no-Kuni to escape his wicked elder brothers who make repeated attempts on his life. There he meets and falls in love with Susanoo's daughter Suseribime (須勢理毘売). Upon learning of their affair, Susanoo imposes four trials on Ōnamuji:
*Susanoo, upon inviting Ōnamuji to his dwelling, had him sleep in a chamber filled with snakes. Suseribime aided Ōnamuji by giving him a scarf that repelled the snakes.
*The following night, Susanoo had Ōnamuji sleep in another room full of centipedes
Centipedes (from New Latin , "hundred", and Latin , "foot") are predatory arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda (Ancient Greek , ''kheilos'', lip, and New Latin suffix , "foot", describing the forcipules) of the subphylum Myriapoda, an a ...
and bees. Once again, Suseribime gave Ōnamuji a scarf that kept the insects at bay.
*Susanoo shot an arrow into a large plain and had Ōnamuji fetch it. As Ōnamuji was busy looking for the arrow, Susanoo set the field on fire. A field mouse showed Ōnamuji how to hide from the flames and gave him the arrow he was searching for.
*Susanoo, upon discovering that Ōnamuji had survived, summoned him back to his palace and had him pick the lice and centipedes from his hair. Using a mixture of red clay and nuts given to him by Suseribime, Ōnamuji pretended to chew and spit out the insects he was picking.
After Susanoo was lulled to sleep, Ōnamuji tied Susanoo's hair to the hall's rafters and blocked the door with an enormous boulder. Taking his new wife Suseribime as well as Susanoo's sword, ''koto
Koto may refer to:
* Koto (band), an Italian synth pop group
* Koto (instrument), a Japanese musical instrument
* Koto (kana), a ligature of two Japanese katakana
* Koto (traditional clothing), a traditional dress made by Afro-Surinamese women
* K ...
'', and bow and arrows with him, Ōnamuji thus fled the palace. The ''koto'' brushed against a tree as the two were fleeing; the sound awakens Susanoo, who, rising with a start, knocks his palace down around him. Susanoo then pursued them as far as the slopes of Yomotsu Hirasaka (黄泉比良坂, the 'Flat Slope of Yomi
is the Japanese word for the land of the dead (World of Darkness). According to Shinto mythology as related in '' Kojiki'', this is where the dead go in the afterlife. Once one has eaten at the hearth of Yomi it is (mostly) impossible to retur ...
'). As the two departed, Susanoo grudgingly gave his blessing to Ōnamuji, advising him to change his name to Ōkuninushi-no-Kami (大国主神, "Master of the Great Land"). Using the weapons he obtained from Susanoo, Ōkuninushi defeats his brothers and becomes the undisputed ruler of Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni.
Susanoo in the Izumo ''Fudoki''
The ''Fudoki
are ancient reports on provincial culture, geography, and oral tradition presented to the reigning monarchs of Japan, also known as local gazetteers. They contain agricultural, geographical, and historical records as well as mythology and ...
'' of Izumo Province (completed 733 CE) records the following etiological legends which feature Susanoo and his children:
*The township of Yasuki (安来郷) in Ou District ( 意宇郡) is named such after Susanoo visited the area and said, "My mind has been comforted (''yasuku nari tamau'')."
*The township of Ōkusa (大草郷) in Ou is said to have been named after a son of Susanoo named Aohata-Sakusahiko-no-Mikoto (青幡佐久佐比古命).
*The township of Yamaguchi (山口郷) in Shimane District ( 島根郡) is named as such after another son of Susanoo, Tsurugihiko-no-Mikoto (都留支日子命), declared these entrance to the hills (''yamaguchi'') to be his territory.
*The township of Katae (方結郷) in Shimane received its name after Kunioshiwake-no-Mikoto (国忍別命), a son of Susanoo, said, "The land I govern is in good condition geographically (''kunigatae'')."
*The township of Etomo (恵曇郡) in Akika District ( 秋鹿郡) is named such after Susanoo's son Iwasakahiko-no-Mikoto (磐坂日子命) noted the area's resemblance to a painted arm guard (画鞆, ''etomo'').
*The township of Tada (多太郷) in Akika District received its name after Susanoo's son Tsukihoko-Tooruhiko-no-Mikoto (衝杵等乎留比古命, also Tsukiki-Tooruhiko) came there and said, "My heart has become bright and truthful (''tadashi'')."
*The township of Yano (八野郷) in Kando District ( 神門郡) is named after Susanoo's daughter Yanowakahime-no-Mikoto (八野若日女命), who lived in the area. Ōnamochi (大穴持命, i.e. Ōkuninushi), also known as Ame-no-Shita-Tsukurashishi-Ōkami (所造天下大神, 'Great Deity, Maker of All Under Heaven
''Tianxia'' (), literally meaning "(all) under Heaven", is a Chinese term for a historical Chinese cultural concept that denoted either the entire geographical world or the metaphysical realm of mortals, and later became associated with polit ...
'), who wished to marry her, had a house built at this place.
*The township of Namesa (滑狭郷) in Kando District ( 神門郡) is named after a smooth stone (滑磐石, ''nameshi iwa'') Ame-no-Shita-Tsukurashishi-Ōkami (Ōnamochi) spotted while visiting Susanoo's daughter Wakasuserihime-no-Mikoto (和加須世理比売命, the ''Kojiki'''s Suseribime), who is said to have lived there.
*The township of Susa (須佐郷) in Iishi District ( 飯石郡) is said to be named after Susanoo, who enshrined his spirit in this place:
*The township of Sase (佐世郷) in Ōhara District ( 大原郡) is said to have gained its name when Susanoo danced there wearing leaves of a plant called ''sase'' on his head.
*Mount Mimuro (御室山, ''Mimuro-yama'') in the township of Hi (斐伊郷) in Ōhara District is said to have been the place where Susanoo built a temporary dwelling (御室, ''mimuro'', lit. 'noble chamber') in which he stayed the night.
Susanoo, Mutō Tenjin and Gozu Tennō
The syncretic
Syncretism () is the practice of combining different beliefs and various schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merging or assimilation of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, thu ...
deity Gozu Tennō
Gozu Tennō (牛頭天王, lit. "Ox-Headed Heavenly King") is a syncretic Japanese deity of disease and healing. Originally imported to Japan from mainland Asia, he was regarded since the Heian period both as a causer of and protector against ep ...
(牛頭天王, "Ox-Headed Heavenly King"), originally worshiped at Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto and at other shrines such as Tsushima Shrine in Aichi Prefecture, was historically conflated with Susanoo. Originally a deity of foreign import (India and Korea have all been suggested as possible origins), Gozu Tennō was widely revered since the Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese ...
as a god of pestilence, who both caused disease and cured them.
Gozu Tennō became associated with another deity called Mutō-no-Kami ( 武塔神) or Mutō Tenjin (武塔天神), who appears in the legend of Somin Shōrai ( 蘇民将来). This legend relates that Mutō, a god from the northern sea, embarked on a long journey to court the daughter of the god of the southern seas. On his way he sought lodging from a wealthy man, but was turned down. He then went to the home of a poor man (sometimes identified as the rich man's brother) named Somin Shōrai, who gave him food and shelter. Years later, Mutō returned and slew the rich man and his family but spared Somin Shōrai's house. Some versions of the story have Mutō repaying Somin Shōrai for his hospitality by giving the poor man's daughter a wreath of ''susuki'' (''Miscanthus sinensis
''Miscanthus sinensis'', the eulalia or Chinese silver grass, is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae, native to eastern Asia throughout most of China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea.
Description
It is an herbaceous perennial gras ...
'') reeds that she is to wear while declaring, " amthe descendant of Somin Shōrai" (蘇民将来之子孫也, ''Somin Shōrai no shison nari''). By doing so, she and her descendants would be spared from pestilence. The deity in this story, Mutō, is often conflated with Gozu Tennō (who, as his name implies, was born with the head of an ox) in later retellings, though one version identifies Gozu Tennō as Mutō Tenjin's son.
The earliest known version of this legend, found in the ''Fudoki'' of Bingo Province (modern eastern Hiroshima Prefecture) compiled during the Nara period
The of the history of Japan covers the years from CE 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the c ...
(preserved in an extract quoted by scholar and Shinto priest Urabe Kanekata in the ''Shaku Nihongi
is an annotated text of the '' Nihon Shoki'' compiled by Urabe Kanekata between 1274 and 1301 that is 28 volumes in length.Nihon Koten Bungaku Daijiten Henshū Iinkai (1986:894)
Contents
The 28 volumes are divided into seven sections:
*volume 1 ...
''), has Mutō explicitly identify himself as Susanoo. This suggests that Susanoo and Mutō Tenjin were already conflated in the Nara period, if not earlier. Sources that equate Gozu Tennō with Susanoo only first appear during the Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...
(1185–1333), although one theory supposes that these three gods and various other disease-related deities were already loosely coalesced around the 9th century, probably around the year 877 when a major epidemic swept through Japan.
Analysis
The image of Susanoo that can be gleaned from various texts is rather complex and contradictory. In the ''Kojiki'' and the ''Shoki'' he is portrayed first as a petulant young man, then as an unpredictable, violent boor who causes chaos and destruction before turning into a monster-slaying culture hero after descending into the world of men, while in the Izumo ''Fudoki'', he is simply a local god apparently connected with rice fields, with almost none of the traits associated with him in the imperial mythologies being mentioned. Due to his multifaceted nature, various authors have had differing opinions regarding Susanoo's origins and original character.
The Edo period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characte ...
''kokugaku
''Kokugaku'' ( ja, 國學, label= Kyūjitai, ja, 国学, label=Shinjitai; literally "national study") was an academic movement, a school of Japanese philology and philosophy originating during the Tokugawa period. Kokugaku scholars worked to r ...
'' scholar Motoori Norinaga
was a Japanese scholar of ''Kokugaku'' active during the Edo period. He is conventionally ranked as one of the Four Great Men of Kokugaku (nativist) studies.
Life
Norinaga was born in what is now Matsusaka in Ise Province (now part of Mie ...
, in his ''Kojiki-den
The ''Kojiki-den'' (古事記伝) is a 44-volume commentary on the ''Kojiki'' written by the ''kokugaku'' scholar Motoori Norinaga.
Overview
The ''Kojiki-den'' is a commentary on the ''Kojiki'', an eighth-century work of Shinto historiography an ...
'' (''Commentary on the Kojiki''), characterized Susanoo as an evil god in contrast to his elder siblings Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi, as the unclean air of the land of the dead still adhered to Izanagi's nose from which he was born and was not purified completely during Izanagi's ritual ablutions.[Philippi (2015). p. 402.][Gadeleva (2000). pp. 166-167.] The early 20th century historian Tsuda Sōkichi, who put forward the then-controversial theory that the ''Kojiki'''s accounts were not based on history (as Edo period ''kokugaku'' and State Shinto ideology believed them to be) but rather propagandistic myths concocted to explain and legitimize the rule of the imperial (Yamato) dynasty, also saw Susanoo as a negative figure, arguing that he was created to serve as the rebellious opposite of the imperial ancestress Amaterasu. Ethnologist Ōbayashi Taryō, speaking from the standpoint of comparative mythology
Comparative mythology is the comparison of myths from different cultures in an attempt to identify shared themes and characteristics.Littleton, p. 32 Comparative mythology has served a variety of academic purposes. For example, scholars have used ...
, opined that the stories concerning the three deities were ultimately derived from a continental (Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...
n) myth in which the Sun, the Moon and the Dark Star are siblings and the Dark Star plays an antagonistic role (cf. Rahu
Rāhu (Sanskrit: राहु, 16px, ☊) is one of the nine major celestial bodies (navagraha) in Hindu texts and the king of meteors. It represents the ascension of the moon in its precessional orbit around the earth, also referred as the ...
and Ketu from Hindu mythology); Ōbayashi thus also interprets Susanoo as a bad hero.
Other scholars, however, take the position that Susanoo was not originally conceived of as a negative deity. Mythologist Matsumura Takeo for instance believed the Izumo ''Fudoki'' to more accurately reflect Susanoo's original character: a peaceful, simple ''kami'' of the rice fields. In Matsumura's view, Susanoo's character was deliberately reversed when he was grafted into the imperial mythology by the compilers of the ''Kojiki''. Matsumoto Nobuhiro, in a similar vein, interpreted Susanoo as a harvest deity. While the Izumo ''Fudoki'' claims that the township of Susa in Izumo is named after its deity Susanoo, it has been proposed that the opposite might have actually been the case and Susanoo was named after the place, with his name being understood in this case as meaning "Man (''o'') of Susa."
While both Matsumura and Matsumoto preferred to connect Susanoo with rice fields and the harvest, Matsumae Takeshi put forward the theory that Susanoo was originally worshiped as a patron deity of sailors. Unlike other scholars who connect Susanoo with Izumo, Matsumae instead saw Kii Province
, or , was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is today Wakayama Prefecture, as well as the southern part of Mie Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Kii''" in . Kii bordered Ise, Izumi, Kawachi, Shima, and Yamato Prov ...
(the modern prefectures of Wakayama Wakayama may refer to:
*Wakayama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan
*Wakayama (city)
Wakayama City Hall
is the capital city of Wakayama Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 351,391 in 157066 househol ...
and Mie) as the birthplace of Susanoo worship, pointing out that there was also a settlement in Kii named Susa (須佐). (In the ''Kojiki'', Ōnamuji enters Susanoo's realm, Ne-no-Kuni, through the fork of a tree in Kii.) Matsumae proposed that the worship of Susanoo was brought to other places in Japan by seafaring peoples from Kii, a land rich in timber (the province's name is itself derived from the word ''ki'' meaning 'tree').
A few myths, such as that of Susanoo's descent in Soshimori in Silla, seem to suggest a connection between the god and the Korean Peninsula
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
. Indeed, some scholars have hypothesized that the deities who were eventually conflated with Susanoo, Mutō Tenjin, and Gozu Tennō, may have had Korean origins as well, with the name 'Mutō' (武塔, historical orthography: ''mutau'') being linked with the Korean word ''mudang
''Mu'' () is an ancient Korean word defining a shaman in the Korean traditional religion. Korean shamans hold rituals called '' gut'' (literally "good") for the welfare of the individuals and the society.
In modern Korea different terms are ...
'' "shamaness," and 'Gozu' being explained as a calque
In linguistics, a calque () or loan translation is a word or phrase borrowed from another language by literal word-for-word or root-for-root translation. When used as a verb, "to calque" means to borrow a word or phrase from another language w ...
of 'Soshimori', here interpreted as being derived from a Korean toponym meaning 'Bull's ('' so'') Head ('' mari'')'. The name 'Susanoo' itself has been interpreted as being related to the Middle Korean
Middle Korean is the period in the history of the Korean language succeeding Old Korean and yielding in 1600 to the Modern period.
The boundary between the Old and Middle periods is traditionally identified with the establishment of Goryeo in 9 ...
title '' susung'' (transliterated
Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one script to another that involves swapping letters (thus ''trans-'' + '' liter-'') in predictable ways, such as Greek → , Cyrillic → , Greek → the digraph , Armenian → or L ...
as 次次雄 or 慈充), meaning 'master' or 'shaman', notably applied to Namhae, the second king of Silla, in the ''Samguk Sagi
''Samguk Sagi'' (, ''History of the Three Kingdoms'') is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The ''Samguk Sagi'' is written in Classical Chinese, the written language of the literati of ancient Korea, ...
''. Susanoo is thus supposed in this view to have originally been a foreign god (蕃神, ''banshin''), perhaps a deified shaman, whose origins may be traced back to Korea.
Emilia Gadeleva (2000) sees Susanoo's original character as being that of a rain god
There are many different gods of rain in different religions:
African
African mythology
* Anẓar, god of rain in Berber mythology.
* Achek, wife of the rain god Deng in Dinka mythology
* Mangwe, a water spirit known as "the flooder" in the be ...
– more precisely, a god associated with rainmaking
Rainmaking, also known as artificial precipitation, artificial rainfall and pluviculture, is the act of attempting to artificially induce or increase precipitation, usually to stave off drought or the wider global warming. According to the cloud ...
– with his association with the harvest and a number of other elements from his myths ultimately springing from his connection with rainwater. He thus serves as a contrast and a parallel to Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun. Gadeleva also acknowledges the foreign elements in the god's character by supposing that rainmaking rituals and concepts were brought to Japan in ancient times from the continent, with the figure of the Korean shaman (''susung'') who magically controlled the abundance of rain eventually morphing into the Japanese Susanoo, but at the same time stresses that Susanoo is not completely a foreign import but must have had Japanese roots at his core. In Gadeleva's view, while the god certainly underwent drastic changes upon his introduction in the imperial myth cycle, Susanoo's character already bore positive and negative features since the beginning, with both elements stemming from his association with rain. As the right quantity of rainwater was vital for ensuring a rich harvest, calamities caused by too much or too little rainfall (i.e. floods, drought, or epidemics) would have been blamed on the rain god for not doing his job properly. This, according to Gadeleva, underlies the occasional portrayal of Susanoo in a negative light.
Susanoo and Ne-no-Kuni
In the ''Kojiki'' and the ''Nihon Shoki'', Susanoo is repeatedly associated with Ne-no-Kuni or in the '' Nihon Shoki'', also called or in the '' Kojiki'', refers to a netherworld in Japanese mythology. It is sometimes considered to be identical to Yomi, another netherworld in the myths as well as . There is no clear consensus on the r ...
(Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
: 根の国; the "Land of Roots"). While sometimes seemingly considered to be more or less identical to Yomi, the Land of the Dead (the ''Kojiki'' speaks of Ne-no-Kuni as the land of Susanoo's deceased mother Izanami, who is stated earlier in the narrative to have become the ruler of Yomi, and calls the slope serving at its exit the Yomotsu Hirasaka, the 'Flat Slope of Yomi'), it would seem that the two were originally considered to be different locations.
While Matsumura Takeo suggested that Ne-no-Kuni originally referred to the dimly remembered original homeland of the Japanese people, Emilia Gadeleva instead proposes that the two locales, while similar in that both were subterranean realms associated with darkness, differed from each other in that Yomi was associated with death, while Ne-no-Kuni, as implied by the myth about Ōnamuji, was seemingly associated with rebirth. Ne-no-Kuni being a land of revival, as per Gadeleva's theory, is why Susanoo was connected to it: Susanoo, as the god that brought rain and with it, the harvest, was needed in Ne-no-Kuni to secure the rebirth of crops. In time, however, the two locations were confused with each other, so that by the time the ''Kojiki'' and the ''Shoki'' were written Ne-no-Kuni came to be seen like Yomi as an unclean realm of the dead. Gadeleva argues that this new image of Ne-no-Kuni as a place of evil and impurity contributed to Susanoo becoming more and more associated with calamity and violence.
Susanoo's rampage
Susanoo's acts of violence after proving his sincerity in the ''ukehi'' ritual has been a source of puzzlement to many scholars. While Edo period authors such as Motoori Norinaga and Hirata Atsutane
was a Japanese scholar, conventionally ranked as one of the Four Great Men of Kokugaku (nativist) studies, and one of the most significant theologians of the Shintō religion. His literary name was , and his primary assumed name was . He also ...
believed that the order of the events had become confused and suggested altering the narrative sequence so that Susanoo's ravages would come before, and not after, his victory in the ''ukehi'', Donald Philippi criticized such solutions as "untenable from a textual standpoint." (Note that as mentioned above, one of the variants in the ''Shoki'' does place Susanoo's ravages and banishment before the performance of the ''ukehi'' ritual.)
Tsuda Sōkichi saw a political significance in this story: he interpreted Amaterasu as an emperor-symbol, while Susanoo in his view symbolized the various rebels who (unsuccessfully) rose up against the Yamato court.
Emilia Gadeleva observes that Susanoo, at this point in the narrative, is portrayed similarly to the hero Yamato Takeru
, originally , was a Japanese semi-legendary prince of the Yamato dynasty, son of Emperor Keikō, who is traditionally counted as the 12th Emperor of Japan. His name written in kanji can vary, in the '' Nihon Shoki'' it is spelled 日本武尊 ...
(Ousu-no-Mikoto), in that both were rough young men possessed with "valor and ferocity" (''takeku-araki kokoro''); their lack of control over their fierce temperament leads them to commit violent acts. It was therefore imperative to direct their energies elsewhere: Ousu-no-Mikoto was sent by his father, the Emperor Keikō
, also known as and , was the 12th legendary Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Both the ''Kojiki'', and the ''Nihon Shoki'' (collectively known as the ''Kiki'') record events that took place during Keikō's all ...
, to lead conquering expeditions, while Susanoo was expelled by the heavenly gods. This ultimately resulted in the two becoming famed as heroic figures.
A prayer or ''norito
are liturgical texts or ritual incantations in Shinto, usually addressed to a given ''kami''.
History
The first written documentation of ''norito'' dates to 712 CE in the ''Kojiki'' and 720 CE in the '' Nihongi''.
The Engishiki, a compilatio ...
'' originally recited by the priestly Nakatomi clan
was a Japanese aristocratic kin group (''uji''). Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Nakatomi," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 39 retrieved 2013-5-5. The clan claims desce ...
in the presence of the court during the Great Exorcism (大祓, ''Ōharae'') ritual of the last day of the sixth month, more commonly known today as the ''Ōharae no Kotoba'' ( 大祓詞, 'Words of the Great Exorcism'), lists eight "heavenly sins" (Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
: 天つ罪, '' amatsu-tsumi''), most of which are agricultural in nature:
# Breaking down the ridges
# Covering up the ditches
# Releasing the irrigation sluices
# Double planting
# Setting up stakes
# Skinning alive
# Skinning backward
# Defecation
1, 2, 6, 7 and 8 are committed by Susanoo in the ''Kojiki'', while 3, 4, 5 are attributed to him in the ''Shoki''. In ancient Japanese society, offenses related to agriculture were regarded as abhorrent as those that caused ritual impurity.
One of the offensive acts Susanoo committed during his rampage was 'skinning backward' (逆剥, ''sakahagi'') the ''Ame-no-Fuchikoma'' (Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
: 天の斑駒, "Heavenly-Piebald Horse"). Regarding this, William George Aston
William George Aston (9 April 1841 – 22 November 1911) was an Anglo-Irish diplomat, author and scholar-expert in the language and history of Japan and Korea.
Early life
Aston was born near Derry, Ireland.Ricorso Aston, bio notes/ref> He dis ...
observed, "Indian myth has a piebald or spotted deer or cow among celestial objects. The idea is probably suggested by the appearance of the stars." Nelly Naumann Nelly Naumann (Katakana ナウマン, ネリー; 20 December 1922 – 29 September 2000) was a German scholar of Japanese studies with a specialisation in Japanese mythology and folklore and Shinto.
Life and career
Naumann was born Thusnelda Jo ...
(1982) meanwhile interpreted the spotted horse as a lunar symbol, with Susanoo's action being equivalent to the devouring or killing of the moon. To Naumann, the act of flaying itself, because it is performed in reverse, is intended to be a magical act that caused death. Indeed, in the ''Kojiki'' when Susanoo throws the flayed horse (or its hide) to Amaterasu's weaving hall, one of the weaving maidens injures herself and dies. (In the ''Shoki'', it is Amaterasu herself who is alarmed and injured.) Emilia Gadeleva meanwhile connects Susanoo's act of skinning and flinging the horse with ancient Korean rainmaking rituals, which involved animal sacrifice.
The gods punish Susanoo for his rampages by cutting off his beard, fingernails, and toenails. One textual tradition in which the relevant passage is read as "cutting off his beard and causing the nails of his hands and feet ''to be extracted''" (亦切鬚及手足爪令拔而) suggests that this was something along the lines of corporal punishment. Another tradition which reads the passage as "cutting off his beard and the nails of his hands and feet, ''had him exorcised''" (亦切鬚及手足爪令祓而) meanwhile suggests that this was an act of purification, in which the sins and pollution that adhered to Susanoo are removed, thus turning him from a destroyer of life into a giver of life.
Family
Consorts
Susanoo's consorts are:
*Kushinadahime
, also known as or Inadahime among other names, is a goddess (''kami'') in Japanese mythology. She is one of the wives of the god Susanoo, who rescued her from the monster Yamata no Orochi.
Name
The goddess is named 'Kushinadahime' (櫛名田 ...
(櫛名田比売), daughter of Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi, children of Ōyamatsumi
Ōyama-tsumi or Ohoyama-tsumi (Kojiki: 大山津見神 or Nihon Shoki: 大山祇神, 大山積神, 大山罪神; Ōyama-tsumi-mi'oya-no-mikoto 大山祇御祖命) is a god of mountains, sea, and war in Japanese mythology. He is an elder brother o ...
, a son of Izanagi and elder brother of Susanoo (''Kojiki'', ''Nihon Shoki'')
:Also known under the following names:
:*Kushiinadahime (奇稲田姫, ''Nihon Shoki'')
:*Inadahime (稲田媛, ''Shoki'')
:*Makami-Furu-Kushiinadahime (真髪触奇稲田媛, ''Shoki'')
:*Kushiinada-Mitoyomanurahime-no-Mikoto (久志伊奈太美等与麻奴良比売命, Izumo ''Fudoki'')
*Kamu-Ōichihime (神大市比売), another daughter of Ōyamatsumi (''Kojiki'')
*Samirahime-no-Mikoto (佐美良比売命), a goddess worshiped in Yasaka Shrine reckoned as a consort of Susanoo
Offspring
Susanoo's child by Kushinadahime is variously identified as Yashimajinumi-no-Kami (八島士奴美神) in the ''Kojiki'' and as Ōnamuchi-no-Kami (大己貴神) in the ''Nihon Shoki'''s main narrative. (In the ''Kojiki'' and in variant accounts contained in the ''Shoki'', Ōnamuchi / Ōnamuji (Ōkuninushi
Ōkuninushi ( historical orthography: ''Ohokuninushi''), also known as Ō(a)namuchi (''Oho(a)namuchi'') or Ō(a)namochi (''Oho(a)namochi'') among other variants, is a ''kami'' in Japanese mythology. He is one of the central deities in the cycle ...
) is instead Susanoo's descendant.)
Susanoo's children by Kamu-Ōichihime meanwhile are:
* Ōtoshi-no-Kami (大年神)
* Ukanomitama
Ukanomitama (宇迦之御魂神 – Mighty Soul of Sustenance - ''Kojiki'') (倉稲魂命 - '' Nihongi'') is a ''kami'' in classical Japanese mythology, associated with food and agriculture, often identified with Inari, the deity of rice.
Name ...
-no-Kami (宇迦之御魂神)
Susanoo's children who are either born without a female partner or whose mother is unidentified are:
* The Munakata goddesses of Munakata Taisha in Munakata, Fukuoka Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Fukuoka Prefecture has a population of 5,109,323 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,986 Square kilometre, km2 (1,925 sq mi). Fukuoka Prefecture borders S ...
:* Takiribime-no-Mikoto (多紀理毘売命)
:Also known as Tagorihime (田心姫)
:* Ichikishimahime-no-Mikoto (市寸島比売命)
:Also known as Okitsushimahime (瀛津島姫)
:* Tagitsuhime-no-Mikoto (多岐都比売命)
* Suseribime-no-Mikoto (須勢理毘売命)
:Also known as Wakasuserihime-no-Mikoto (和加須世理比売命) in the Izumo ''Fudoki''
* Isotakeru / Itakeru-no-Mikoto (五十猛命)
* Ōyatsuhime-no-Mikoto (大屋津姫命)
* Tsumatsuhime-no-Mikoto (枛津姫命)
Deities identified as Susanoo's children found only in the Izumo ''Fudoki'' are:
* Kunioshiwake-no-Mikoto (国忍別命)
* Aohata-Sakusahiko-no-Mikoto (青幡佐草日古命)
* Iwasakahiko-no-Mikoto (磐坂日子命)
* Tsukihoko-Tooruhiko-no-Mikoto (衝桙等番留比古命)
* Tsurugihiko-no-Mikoto (都留支日子命)
* Yanowakahime-no-Mikoto (八野若日女命)
An Edo period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characte ...
text, the ''Wakan Sansai Zue
The is an illustrated Japanese ''leishu'' encyclopedia published in 1712 in the Edo period. It consists of 105 volumes in 81 books. Its compiler was Terashima or Terajima (), a doctor from Osaka. It describes and illustrates various activiti ...
'' (和漢三才図会, lit. "Illustrated Sino-Japanese Encyclopedia"), identifies a monstrous goddess known as Ama-no-Zako (天逆毎) as an offspring of Susanoo.
Worship
In addition to his connections with the sea and tempests, due to his mythical role as the slayer of the Yamata no Orochi and his historical association with pestilence deities such as Gozu Tennō, Susanoo is also venerated as a god who wards off misfortune and calamity, being invoked especially against illness and disease. As his heroic act helped him win the hand of Kushinadahime, he is also considered to be a patron of love and marriage, such as in Hikawa Shrine in Saitama Prefecture (see below).
Shrines
Susanoo is worshiped in a number of shrines throughout Japan, especially in Shimane Prefecture (the eastern part of which is the historical Izumo Province). A few notable examples are:
* Susa Shrine
is a Shinto shrine in Izumo, Shimane, Japan. It is the 18th Shinto shrine in the Enza-no-kai Organization list of shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan, temples considered important to the historical region of Izumo, which includes other major ...
(須佐神社) in Izumo Izumo (出雲) may refer to:
Locations
* Izumo Province, an old province of Japan
* Izumo, Shimane, a city located in Shimane Prefecture
** Izumo Airport
* Izumo-taisha, one of Japan's most ancient and important Shinto shrines
Ships
* ''Izumo ...
, Shimane Prefecture
:Listed in the Izumo ''Fudoki'' as one of five shrines in Iishi District that were registered with the Department of Divinities
The , also known as the Department of Shinto Affairs, Department of Rites, Department of Worship, as well as Council of Divinities, was a Japanese Imperial bureaucracy established in the 8th century, as part of the ''ritsuryō'' reforms. It was fi ...
, this shrine is identified as the place in what was formerly the township of Susa where Susanoo chose to enshrine his spirit. The shrine was also known as Jūsansho Daimyōjin (十三所大明神) and Susa no Ōmiya (須佐大宮 'Great Shrine of Susa') during the medieval and early modern periods. The shrine's priestly lineage, the Susa (or Inada) clan (須佐氏 / 稲田氏), were considered to be the descendants of Susanoo via his son Yashimashino-no-Mikoto (八島篠命, the ''Kojiki'''s Yashimajinumi-no-Kami) or Ōkuninushi. Besides Susanoo, his consort Kushinadahime and her parents Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi are also enshrined here as auxiliary deities.
* Suga Shrine (須我神社) in Unnan, Shimane Prefecture
:This shrine, claimed to stand on the site of the palace Susanoo built after defeating the Yamata no Orochi, enshrines Susanoo, Kushinadahime, and their son Suga-no-Yuyamanushi-Minasarohiko-Yashima-no-Mikoto (清之湯山主三名狭漏彦八島野命, i.e. Yashimajinumi-no-Kami). Listed in the Izumo ''Fudoki'' as one of sixteen shrines in Ōhara District not registered with the Department of Divinities.
* Yaegaki Shrine
, formerly known as , is a Shinto shrine in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, Japan.
History
The gods '' Susanoo'' and princess ''Kushinada-hime'' are enshrined here. This shrine is dedicated to marriage and matchmaking. The people who come to t ...
(八重垣神社), in Matsue
is the capital city of Shimane Prefecture, Japan, located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. The city has an estimated population of 202,008 (February 1, 2021) following the merger with Higashiizumo from Yatsuka District.
Matsue is located ...
, Shimane Prefecture
:Dedicated to Susanoo, Kushinadahime, Ōnamuchi (Ōkuninushi) and Aohata-Sakusahiko, the shrine takes its name from the 'eightfold fence' (''yaegaki'') mentioned in Susanoo's song. The shrine's legend claims that Susanoo hid Kushinadahime in the forest within the shrine's precincts, enclosing her in a fence, when he slew the Yamata no Orochi. Identified with the Sakusa Shrine (佐久佐社) mentioned in the Izumo ''Fudoki''.
* Kumano Taisha (熊野大社) in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture
:Reckoned as Izumo Province's ''ichinomiya
is a Japanese historical term referring to the Shinto shrines with the highest rank in a province. Shrines of lower rank were designated , , , and so forth. ''Encyclopedia of Shinto'' ''Ichi no miya'' retrieved 2013-5-14.
The term gave rise t ...
'' alongside Izumo Grand Shrine. Not to be confused with the Kumano Sanzan
A is a type of Shinto shrine which enshrines the three Kumano mountains: Hongū, Shingū, and Nachi [].Encyclopedia of ShintoKumano Shinkō accessed on October 6, 2008 There are more than 3,000 Kumano shrines in Japan, and each has received its k ...
shrine complex in Wakayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Wakayama Prefecture has a population of 944,320 () and has a geographic area of . Wakayama Prefecture borders Osaka Prefecture to the north, and Mie Prefecture and Nara Prefecture ...
. Its deity, known under the name 'Izanagi-no-Himanago Kaburogi Kumano-no-Ōkami Kushimikenu-no-Mikoto' (伊邪那伎日真名子加夫呂伎熊野大神櫛御気野命, "Beloved Child of Izanagi, Divine Ancestor ndGreat Deity of Kumano, Kushimikenu-no-Mikoto'), is identified with Susanoo. The shrine is also considered in myth to be where Control of fire by early humans, the use of fire originated; two ancient fire-making tools, a hand drill
A hand drill is the simplest primitive method to produce rapid rotary motion of a rod. It consists in holding the rod vertically between both hands and moving these back and forth, in opposite directions, as in rubbing them. The rod typically ...
(燧杵 ''hikiri-kine'') and a hearthboard (燧臼 ''hikiri-usu'') are kept in the shrine and used in the shrine's Fire Lighting Ceremony (鑚火祭 ''Kiribi-matsuri'' or ''Sanka-sai'') held every October.
* Susa Shrine
is a Shinto shrine in Izumo, Shimane, Japan. It is the 18th Shinto shrine in the Enza-no-kai Organization list of shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan, temples considered important to the historical region of Izumo, which includes other major ...
(須佐神社) in Arida, Wakayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Wakayama Prefecture has a population of 944,320 () and has a geographic area of . Wakayama Prefecture borders Osaka Prefecture to the north, and Mie Prefecture and Nara Prefecture ...
The following shrines were originally associated with Gozu Tennō:
* Yasaka Shrine
Kanpei-taisha
, once called , is a Shinto shrine in the Gion District of Kyoto, Japan. Situated at the east end of Shijō-dōri (Fourth Avenue), the shrine includes several buildings, including gates, a main hall and a stage. The Yasaka shrine is ...
(八坂神社) in Gion
is a district of Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan, originating as an entertainment district in the Sengoku period, in front of Yasaka Shrine (Gion Shrine). The district was built to accommodate the needs of travellers and visitors to the shrine. ...
, Higashiyama, Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin, Keihanshin metropolitan area along wi ...
, Kyoto Prefecture – Head shrine of the Yasaka shrine network
* Tsushima Shrine
is a Shinto shrine in Tsushima, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It is the head shrine of a nationwide shrine network of shrines dedicated to the , Centered primarily in the Tōkai region, this network has approximately 3,000 shrines and is the tenth- ...
(津島神社) in Tsushima, Aichi Prefecture – Head shrine of the Tsushima shrine network
* Hiromine Shrine (広峰神社) in Himeji
260px, Himeji City Hall
is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 525,682 in 227,099 households and a population density of 980 persons per km². The total area of the city is ...
, Hyōgo Prefecture
The Hikawa Shrine network concentrated in Saitama and Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
(historical Musashi Province) also has Susanoo as its focus of worship, often alongside Kushinadahime.
* Hikawa Shrine (氷川神社) in Ōmiya Ōmiya 大宮 is a Japanese word originally used for the imperial palace or shrines, now a common name, and may refer to:
People
*Ōmiya (surname), a Japanese surname
*Ōmiya, or is a female character in ''The Tale of Genji'', an 11th-century nove ...
, Saitama, Saitama Prefecture
* Hikawa Shrine in Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture
* Hikawa Shrine in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo
*Susanoo Shrine in Hamamatsu
is a city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. the city had an estimated population of 791,707 in 340,591 households, making it the prefecture's largest city, and a population density of . The total area of the site was .
Overview
Ha ...
, Shizuoka Prefecture
In Japanese performing arts
*The iwami kagura
is a type of Shinto ritual ceremonial dance. The term is a contraction of the phrase , indicating the presence of gods () in the practice.
One major function of is , involving a procession-trance process. Usually a female shaman will perfor ...
– Orochi
, or simply , is a legendary eight-headed and eight-tailed Japanese dragon/serpent.
Mythology
Yamata no Orochi legends are originally recorded in two ancient texts about Japanese mythology and history. The 712 AD transcribes this dragon name ...
*The jōruri – ''Nihon Furisode Hajime'' () by Chikamatsu Monzaemon
was a Japanese dramatist of jōruri, the form of puppet theater that later came to be known as bunraku, and the live-actor drama, kabuki. The ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' has written that he is "widely regarded as the greatest Japanese dramatis ...
Influence outside of Japan
In the 20th century, Susanoo was depicted as the common ancestor of the modern Koreans
Koreans ( South Korean: , , North Korean: , ; see names of Korea) are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Korean Peninsula.
Koreans mainly live in the two Korean nation states: North Korea and South Korea (collectively and simply re ...
while the Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
were considered to be descendants of Amaterasu during the Japanese occupation of Korea by historians such as Shiratori Kurakichi, founder of the discipline of Oriental History (Tōyōshi 東洋史) in Tokyo Imperial University
, abbreviated as or UTokyo, is a public research university located in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1877, the university was the first Imperial University and is currently a Top Type university of the Top Global University Project by ...
.
The theory linked the Koreans to Susanoo and in turn the Japanese which ultimately legitimized the colonization of the Korean peninsula
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
by the Japanese.
In popular culture
''Yamata Amasung Keibu Keioiba'' ( en, Yamata-no-Orochi and Keibu Keioiba) is a Meitei language
Meitei (), also known as Manipuri (, ), is a Tibeto-Burman language of north-eastern India. It is spoken by around 1.8 million people, predominantly in the state of Manipur, but also by smaller communities in the rest of the country and in p ...
play that interweaves the stories of the two legendary creatures, Yamata-no-Orochi
, or simply , is a legendary eight-headed and eight-tailed Japanese dragon/serpent.
Mythology
Yamata no Orochi legends are originally recorded in two ancient texts about Japanese mythology and history. The 712 AD transcribes this dragon name ...
slain by Susanoo of Japanese folklore
Japanese folklore encompasses the informally learned folk traditions of Japan and the Japanese people as expressed in its oral traditions, customs, and material culture.
In Japanese, the term is used to describe folklore. The academic study o ...
and Keibu Keioiba of Meitei folklore (Manipuri folklore
Meitei folklore is the folklore and mythology of the Meitei people of Manipur, India.
Such folklore is traditionally passed from generation to generation. Currently, the government of Manipur is planning to preserve the folklore of the Meitei p ...
). In the play, the role of Susanoo was played by ''Romario Thoudam Paona''.
Along with Yamato Takeru, he was portrayed by Toshiro Mifune
was a Japanese actor who appeared in over 150 feature films. He is best known for his 16-film collaboration (1948–1965) with Akira Kurosawa in such works as ''Rashomon'', ''Seven Samurai'', ''The Hidden Fortress'', ''Throne of Blood'', and ' ...
in ''The Birth of Japan
is a 1959 Japanese film directed by Hiroshi Inagaki. The film is based on the legends '' Kojiki'' and '' Nihon Shoki'' and the origins of ''Shinto''. The film was the highest-grossing film of 1959 for Toho and the second highest grossing domestic ...
''. The film suggests Susanoo's grief over Izanami and resentment towards Izanagi caused his violent rampage.
See also
* Izumo Province
* Izanagi
* Ama no Fuchigoma
* Amaterasu
*Kusanagi
is a legendary Japanese sword and one of three Imperial Regalia of Japan. It was originally called , but its name was later changed to the more popular ("Grass-Cutting Sword"). In folklore, the sword represents the virtue of valor.
Legend ...
* Gion Matsuri
Notes
References
Bibliography
*Aoki, Michiko Y., tr. (1997). ''Records of Wind and Earth: A Translation of Fudoki, with Introduction and Commentaries''. Association for Asian Studies, Inc. .
*Aston, William George, tr. (1896). ''Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697''. 2 vols. Kegan Paul. 1972 Tuttle reprint.
*Chamberlain, Basil H., tr. (1919)
''The Kojiki, Records of Ancient Matters''
1981 Tuttle reprint.
*
*
*Philippi, Donald L. (2015). ''Kojiki''. Princeton University Press. .
External links
Susanoo
Encyclopedia of Shinto
Kimberley Winkelmann, in the Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
as of 5 December 2008
Shaji Enza no Kai Organization
Official Website of Susa Shrine
(in Japanese)
Official Website of Yasaka Shrine
(in Japanese)
Official Website of Kumano Taisha
(in Japanese)
Official Website of Hikawa Shrine (Saitama)
(in Japanese)
Official Website of Akasaka Hikawa Shrine
(in Japanese)
Susanoo vs Yamata no Orochi
animated depiction
{{Authority control
Dragonslayers
Japanese gods
Mythological swordfighters
War gods
Sea and river gods
Shinto kami
Sky and weather gods
Love and lust gods
Nature gods
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Agricultural gods
Marriage deities
Trickster gods
Gion faith