Persecution of Yaso-gami

Persecution of Yaso-gami

The Yaso-gami, failed to marry Yagamihime, were unduly resented and decided to kill Ōnamuchi-no-kami. The Yaso-gami took Ōnamuchi-no-kami to the foot of a mountain on the way to Hōki-no-kuni, ordered him that they would chase down the red hog living in this mountain, so he should await it and capture it. And also, they said that if he didn't do so, they will kill him.

As Ōnamuchi-no-kami awaited, the Yaso-gami burned a hog like boulder and made it roll down the mountain. Ōnamuchi-no-kami, trying to catch it, was burned and crushed to death.

The grief-stricken Ōnamuchi-no-kami's mother, Sashikuniwakahime, climbed to Takamagahara and asked Kamimusubi-no-kami for help. Kamimusubi-no-kami sent Kisagai-hime and Umugai-hime. Kisagai-hime peeled Ōnamuchi-no-kami's body off the boulder, Umugai-hime put the breast milk of her mother god on Ōnamuchi-no-kami, and Ōnamuchi-no-kami came back to life again.

The Yaso-gami, who found out that Ōnamuchi-no-kami came back to life, seeked to kill him again. The Yaso-gami devided a tree and made a crack with a wedge. Then put Ōnamuchi-no-kami in the crack and removed the wedge, making him crushed inside the tree. Sashikuniwakahime, who came after Ōnamuchi-no-kami, immediately cut up the tree and took Ōnamuchi-no-kami out, and brought him to life again.

Sashikuniwakahime told Ōnamuchi-no-kami that if he stayed here he would be killed by the Yaso-gami again, so he should go see Ōyabiko-no-kami in Ki-no-kuni. Ōnamuchi-no-kami went to where Ōyabiko-no-kami is, but the Yaso-gami chased him there. Ōyabiko-no-kami made Ōnamuchi-no-kami escape through a fork of a tree, told him to go to Nenokatasu-no-kuni, where Susanō-no-mikoto is, and the god should help you.

Gods

Ōnamuchi-no-kami (大穴牟遅神)

Who will become Ōkuninushi-no-kami. Married Yagamihime.

Yagamihime (八上比売)

A goddess in Inaba.

Sashikuniwakahime (刺国若比売)

Ōkuninushi-no-kami's mother. The god of land.

Kamumusubi-no-kami (神産巣日神)

One of the Zōka-sanshin those emerged at the beginning of Tenchi-kaibyaku. The god of creation.

Umugaihime (蛤貝比売)

The god of Orient clam.

Kisagaihime (𧏛貝比売)

The god of Bloody clam.

Ōyabiko-no-kami (大屋毗古神)

The god of tree. Also the god of the roof, born in kami-umi.

Susanō-no-mikoto (須佐之男命)

Defeated the Yamata-no-ōrochi.

Places

Hōki-no-kuni (伯岐国)

Hōki province. A part of modern Tottori prefecture.

Ki-no-kuni (木国)

Kī province. Modern Wakayama prefecture.

Ne-no-katasukuni (根之堅洲国)

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

Other terms

Yaso-gami (八十神)

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