The hare of Inaba

The hare of Inaba

Ōnamuchi-no-kami, who will become Ōkuninushi-no-kami, is a sixth-generation descendant of Susanō-no-mikoto and had many brothers, called the Yaso-gami. However, since Ōnamuchi-no-kami was the youngest of his brothers, he was persecuted by his brothers.

One day, the Yaso-gami went to Inaba, to make a marriage proposal to Yagamihime. The Yaso-gami took Ōnamuchi-no-kami along as an attendant, to make him carry their luggage.

As the party approached the cape of Keta, they found a skinned hare crying. The Yaso-gami told the hare, with evil intent, bathing in sea water and exposing himself to the wind on top of the mountain should make the wound better. The hare did as he was told, but as the sea water dried, his skin got cracked all over the place making it hurt even worse.

As the hare was suffuring more terribly, Ōnamuchi-no-kami, came along walking late from the party. He asked why the hare was crying and the hare answered, that he was living in the island of Oki and he wanted to come to this country. Since he had no way to cross the sea, he tricked the wanis and used them. The hare suggested that they should compare the number of hares and wanis to tell wich of their race are greater in number. The hare told the wani to line up between the island and the cape of Keta and crossed the sea, jumping on the wanis as if he was counting them. But just before he jumped on the last wani, he blurted out inadvertently that he had tricked the wani, and the angry wani skinned the hare for revenge.

Ōnamuchi-no-kami also heard what the Yaso-gami did to the hare and he told the hare, to bath in fresh water, then make a carpet of heads of gama and lie down on it, and this would make the wound better. As the hare did as he was told, the wound healed and the fur became as it were before. In joy, the hare went away leaving a prophecy, that the Yaso-gami would not be able to marry Yagamihime and Yagamihime will choose Ōnamuchi-no-kami. The hare would be called Usagi-gami.

The Yaso-gami competitively made marriage proposals but not one of them were successful, and Yagamihime said that she would marry Ōnamuchi-no-kami, as the hare predicted.

Gods

Ōnamuchi-no-kami (大穴牟遅神)

Who will become Ōkuninushi-no-kami.

Susanō-no-mikoto (須佐之男命)

Defeated the Yamata-no-ōrochi.

Yagamihime (八上比売)

A goddess in Inaba.

Usagi-gami (菟神)

The hare Ōnamuchi-no-kami helps.

Places

Inaba (稲羽)

Said to Inaba (因幡), in modern Tottori prefecture, although it is not written clearly.

Cape of Keta (気多の岬)

There are various theories, such as cape Keta or point Nagao in Tottori city, Tottori prefecture.

Oki (淤岐)

There are various theories, some say it is the island of Okinoshima in Shimane prefecture, or it just means an island offshore.

Other terms

Yaso-gami (八十神)

Ōnamuchi-no-kami's brothers. As "Yaso" means "many", means many gods.

Wani (和邇)

Said to be a term for sharks. But other theories say it is some other animal, such as crocodiles, as in modern Japanese.

Gama (蒲)

Common cattail, a kind of plant found by water. It's pollen was used as medicine from ancient times.