Iwato-gakure
Susanō-no-mikoto, was allowed to enter Takamagahara, got himself carried away and ran riot, such as wasting the fields, filling up ditches, scattering feces in the palace. The gods made complaints to Amaterasu-ōmikami but she didn't punish her brother, saying that he must have did so under some ideas. But at the last, when Amaterasu-ōmikami had Kamumiso weaved in a weaving shop, Susanō-no-mikoto threw in a skinned horse through the roof. In the chaos, a weaver accidentally got struck by a shuttle and died.
Amaterasu-ōmikami was terribly grieved for this event, and she shut herself inside a cave called Ama-no-iwaya. Without Amaterasu-ōmikami, the god of the sun, the Takamagahara and Ashiharanakatsu-no-kuni plunged into darkness, and suffered various calamities. The troubled Yaoyorozu-no-kami gathered at the dry riverbed of Ame-no-yasukawa and talked about what they should do. And various rituals were held, led by Omoikane-no-kami.
First, they gathered some tokoyo-no-naganakidoris and made them crow at once. Then they found a blacksmith, Amatsumara, and had Ishikoridome-no-mikoto make a mirror with the Ame-no-katashiwa of the upperstream of Ame-no-yasukawa and the iron ore of Ame-no-kanayama. Also, Tamanōya-no-mikoto made a neck ornament stringed Yasakani-no-magatamas. Amanokoyane-no-mikoto and Futodama-no-mikoto practiced a fortune-telling using a shoulder bone of a buck and a hahaka tree of Amanokaguyama, then uprooted a iotsumasakaki tree from Amanokaguyama and put the neck ornament made of Yasakani-no-Magatama on the branch of the upper part, Yata-no-Kagami on the branch in the middle, shira-nikite and ao-nikite on the branch of the lower part. Then Futodama-no-mikoto dedicated this as a gohei and Amenokoyane-no-mikoto read a norito. At the last, Amenotajikarao-no-kami hid by the Ama-no-iwaya.
Amenouzume-no-mikoto, wore a sash made with Ame-no-hikage of Amanokaguyama, a kazura made of Ame-no-masaki and held some bamboo grass of Amanokaguyama in her hand. Then in a kamu-gakari, she danced and sung on top of an overturned tub, in front of the Ama-no-iwaya, tearing off her clothing. This caused the gods to laugh, making the to make Takamagahara to tremble.
Hearing this laughter, Amaterasu-ōmikami grew curious why Amenouzume-no-mikoto is dancing so happily and everyone is laughing, and asked why, even though she is still shutting herself inside the Ama-no-iwaya and the world is in darkness. Amenouzume-no-mikoto answered that an honorable god has came, so everyone is singing and dancing with joy. Amanokoyane-no-mikoto and Futodama-no-mikoto showed Amaterasu-ōmikami the Yata-no-Kagami. Amaterasu-ōmikami thought the reflection in the Yata-no-Kagami was the honorable god, and leaned out more to see closely.
As Amaterasu-ōmikami leaned out, Amenotajikarao-no-kami caught her hand and pulled her out of the Ama-no-iwaya. At the same time, Futodama-no-mikoto placed a shime-nawa across the entrance so she cannot go back in. Since Amaterasu-ōmikami came out of the Ama-no-iwaya, light was restored to Takamagahara and Ashiharanakatsu-no-kuni.
Susanō-no-mikoto, who caused this incident, was expelled from Takamagahara, after his belongings were taken away and his nales and beard were cut.
Oct.23rd, 2020
