Ukei of Amaterasu-ōmikami and Susanō-no-mikoto

Ukei of Amaterasu-ōmikami and Susanō-no-mikoto

Susanō-no-mikoto, after he was perged by Izanagi-no-mikoto, thought he would visit Takamagahara to see his sister, Amaterasu-ōmikami, to say farewell before going to Ne-no-katasukuni. But this caused the mountains and rivers to rage, and the land to tremble, so Amaterasu-ōmikami thought that Susanō-no-mikoto came to invade Takamagahara. She dressed her hair into a mizura, winded ornaments, made of strings of many magatamas, to her mizura on both sides, on her kazura and both of her rists, and armed herself with 1500 arrows. Then made a courageous shout, scattering the hard dirt as if it was light snow, and awaited Susanō-no-mikoto.

Amaterasu-ōmikami questioned Susanō-no-mikoto why he had come. Susanō-no-mikoto answered that he did not have any evil thoughts, and explained why he had come. Amaterasu-ōmikami asked him how he would prove himself honest, so Susanō-no-mikoto said that they should have an ukei and make children. The two had an ukei with Ame-no-yasukawa in between them.

First, Amaterasu-ōmikami shattered Susanō-no-mikoto's Totsuka-no-tsurugi into three pieces and washed it with the water of Ame-no-manai, chewed it. When she breathed out, the three goddesses, Tagirihime-no-mikoto, Ichikishimahime-no-mikoto and Takitsuhime-no-mikoto were born from her breath.

Tagirihime-no-mikoto is also called Okitsushimahime-no-mikoto, Ichikishimahime-no-mikoto and is also called Sayoribime-no-mikoto. The three goddesses are enshrined in Munakata, Tagirihime-no-mikoto in the Okitsugū, Ichikishimahime-no-mikoto in the Nakatsugū, Takitsuhime-no-mikoto in the Hetsugū, and are worshipped by Munakata-no-kimi.

Then, Susanō-no-mikoto chewed the magatamas, Amaterasu-ōmikami was wearing, chewed it and breathed out. From his breath, five male gods were born. Masakatsuakatsuchihayahi-amenōshihomimi-no-mikoto from the magatama of the left mizura, Amenohohi-no-mikoto from the magatama of the right mizura, Amatsuhikone-no-mikoto from the magatama of the kazura, Ikutsuhikone-no-mikoto from the magatama of the left arm, and Kumano-no-kusubi-no-mikoto from the magatama of the right arm.

Amaterasu-ōmikami said that the 5 male gods are her children, and the 3 goddesses are Susanō-no-mikoto's children. Then Susanō-no-mikoto said, since gentle goddess were born from his sword, he won the trial and proved innocent.

Thus, he was able to enter Takamagahara.

Gods

Izanagi-no-mikoto (伊邪那岐命)

The god that gave birth to the soil of Japan, with Izanami-no-mikoto.

Amaterasu-ōmikami (天照大御神)

The god of the sun. The presiding god of the heavens.

Susanō-no-mikoto (須佐之男命)

A savage god.

The three Munakata goddesses

Tagirihime-no-mikoto (多紀理毘売命)

The god of the 'road', enshrined in Munakata. Also called Okitsushimahime-no-mikoto (奥津嶋比売命).

Ichikishimahime-no-mikoto (市寸嶋比売命)

The god of the 'road', enshrined in Munakata. Also called Sayoribime-no-mikoto (狭依毘売命).

Takitsuhime-no-mikoto (多岐都比売命)

The god of the 'road', enshrined in Munakata.

The five male gods

Masakatsuakatsuchihayahi-amenōshihomimi-no-mikoto (正勝吾勝勝速日天忍穂耳命)

Born from the magatama of Amaterasu-ōmikami's left mizura. Also called, Amenōshihomimi-no-mikoto (天忍穗耳命). The father of Ninigi-no-mikoto.

Amenohohi-no-mikoto (天之菩卑能命)

Born from the magatama of Amaterasu-ōmikami's right mizura.

Amatsuhikone-no-mikoto (天津日子根命)

Born from the magatama of Amaterasu-ōmikami's kazura.

Ikutsuhikone-no-mikoto (活津日子根命)

Born from the magatama of Amaterasu-ōmikami's left arm.

Kumanokusubi-no-mikoto (熊野久須毘命)

Born from the magatama of Amaterasu-ōmikami's right arm.

Places

Takamagahara (高天原)

The heavens, where the gods are.

Ne-no-katasukuni (根之堅洲国)

A world said to be underground, like Yomi. Connected to the earthly world by Yomotsu-hirasaka.

Ame-no-yasukawa (天の安河)

A river flowing through Takamagahara.

Ama-no-manai (天真名井)

A well of springing water at the riverside of Ame-no-yasukawa.

Munakata (胸形)

Modern Munakata city, Fukuoka prefecture.

Okitsugū (奥津宮)

The Okitsugū of Munakata Taisha. Located on the island of Okinoshima.

Nakatsugū (中津宮)

The Nakatsugū of Munakata Taisha. Located on the island of Ōshima.

Hetsugū (辺津宮)

The Hekatsugū of Munakata Taisha. Located on the mainland of Kyūshū.

Tools

Totsuka-no-tsurugi (十拳剣)

Means a sword 10 tsukas long. A tsuka is the length of one fist.

Magatama (勾玉)

Curved, comma-shaped beads often made of minerals such as Jade.

Kazura (鬘)

A hair ornament plants.

Other terms

Ukei (誓約)

A divination ritual to tell if something is right or wrong.

Mizura (角髪)

A hairstyle in ancient Japan, with buns on each side of the head.

Munakata-no-kimi (胸形君)

The Munakata clan, that had power over the Munakata region.

Amaterasu-ōmikami's shinchoku

In the Kojiki, it only describes where the Three Munakata goddesses were enshrined. But in Nihon shoki, it says the three goddesses descended under the oracle of Amaterasu-ōmikami.

Story

Amaterasu-ōmikami gave the three goddesses a shinchoku, you three descend to the michinaka, help the Amemima and be worshipped by the the Amemima, and made the three descend to Tsukushi.

Vocabulary

Shinchoku (神勅)

An oracle. Orders given by a god.

Michinaka (道中)

The Kaihokudōchū (海北道中), a route from Kinai, where the Imperial Court was, through the Seto Inland Sea, to the Korean Peninsula.

Amemima (天孫)

The descendants of gods. Especially, descendants of Amaterasu-ōmikami, that is, the Imperial family.

Tsukushi (筑紫)

Modern Kyūshū.

Amaterasu-ōmikami's shinchoku

汝(Imashi)三神(mihashira-no-kami)、 宜しく(yoroshiku)道中(michinaka)に(ni)、 降(kudari)居して(mashite)、 天孫(Amemima)を(wo)助け(tasuke)奉り(matsuri)、 天孫(Amemima)に(ni)祭かれよ(Itsukareyo)。

Where the Three Munakata goddesses are enshrined

Where each of the Three Munakata goddesses are enshrined differ with historical materials.

According to the Kojiki, three goddesses are enshrined in the following way.

However, according to the main biography of Nihon Shoki and the shrine biography of Munakata Taisha, the three goddesses are enshrined in the following way. Also, today in Munakata Taisha, the three goddesses are enshrined in this way.