The Kojiki: An Account of Ancient Matters

BOOK ONE

THE FIRST GENERATIONS OF SPIRITS

When heaven and earth first appeared, the names of the spirits who came about in the high plains of heaven are these:

First was the spirit Master Mighty Center of Heaven.

Next was the spirit Lofty Growth.

Next was the spirit Sacred Growth.

All three spirits were single and concealed themselves.

Next are the names of the spirits who appeared when the young land was floating like tallow on water, drifting like a jellyfish, and something like a reed shoot sprouted forth.

First was the spirit Fine Budding Reed Lad.

Next was the spirit Ever-Standing Heaven.

Again, these two spirits were single and concealed themselves.

All five of the above spirits are single and separate from the other spirits of heaven.

Next was the spirit Ever-Standing Land.

Next was the spirit Abundant Clouds Moor.

Again, these two spirits were single and concealed themselves.

Next was the spirit Little Floating Mud, then his sister spirit, Little Silted Mud.

Next was the spirit Swelling Tip, then his sister spirit, Thriving Tip.

Next was the spirit Great Entry Elder, then his sister spirit, Great Entry Mistress.

Next was the spirit Entirely Engorged, then his sister spirit, Awesome Indeed.

Next was the spirit He Who Beckoned, then his sister spirit, She Who Beckoned.

The spirits beginning with Ever-Standing Land and ending with She Who Beckoned form the first seven generations of spirits.

(The last two single spirits are each referred to as a single generation. The next ten spirits are paired to form one generation each.)

IZANAGI AND IZANAMI

Now the spirits of heaven all commanded the mighty one He Who Beckoned and the mighty one She Who Beckoned with mighty words, proclaiming:

Make firm this drifting land and fashion it in its final form!

And so proclaiming, they gave them a jeweled halberd of heaven to aid them in this undertaking.

So the two spirits stood on the floating bridge of heaven, and when they lowered the jeweled spear to stir the sea below, its brine sloshed and swished about as they churned it. When they pulled it up, clumps of salt dripped down from its tip to pile up into an island.

This is Self-Shaped Isle.

Descending to this island from heaven, they found a mighty pillar of heaven and a spacious hall.

Now the mighty one He Who Beckoned turned to the mighty one She Who Beckoned and questioned his sister, saying:

How is your body formed?

She replied, saying:

My body is empty in one place.

And so the mighty one He Who Beckoned proclaimed:

My body sticks out in one place. I would like to thrust the part of my body that sticks out into the part of your body that is empty and fill it up to birth lands. How does birthing them in this way sound to you?

The mighty one She Who Beckoned replied, saying:

That sounds good.

And so the mighty one He Who Beckoned proclaimed:

Well then, let us walk around this mighty pillar of heaven and then join in bed.

So they pledged thus, then straightaway he proclaimed:

You circle from the right to meet me, I will circle from the left to meet you.

So they pledged thus and then circled around it.

The mighty one She Who Beckoned spoke first, saying:

What a fine boy!

The mighty one He Who Beckoned spoke after her, saying:

What a fine girl!

After they had each finished pledging themselves to each other, the mighty one He Who Beckoned chided his sister, saying:

No good will come of the woman speaking first.

Nonetheless, they consummated their marriage and made a limbless Leech Child, placed it in a reed boat, and set it out to sea.

Next they made Froth Isle. This too they did not count among their children.

Now the two mighty ones consulted each other, saying:

The children we made were no good.

We should go and speak of this to heaven’s spirits.

Straightaway, they went up to seek guidance from heaven’s spirits.

And so heaven’s spirits ordered that a grand divination of burnt bones be held. They then proclaimed:

Things did not go well because the woman spoke first. Descend and speak the words again.

And so they descended again and circled around the mighty pillar of heaven just as before.

Then the mighty one He Who Beckoned spoke first, saying:

What a fine girl!

The mighty one She Who Beckoned spoke after him, saying:

What a fine boy!

And with these words they joined to make the isle Lord First Plumes of Foamway.

Next they made the twinned isle of Groves.

This island has one body with four faces, each with its own name.

Its land of Groves is called Lady Lovely.

Its land of Sandy Hollows is called Food Summon Lad.

Its land of Foxtail Millet is called Lady Great Sustenance.

Its land of Gateway is called Lord Summoned Brave.

Next they made the triple Isles in the Offing, also called the Grand-Shaped Lords of Heaven.

Next they made the isle of Lands End.

This island also has one body with four faces, each with its own name.

Its land of Lands End is called Lord Bright Sun.

Its land of Abundance is called Lord Abundant Sun.

Its land of Firelight is called Little Lord Wondrous Wealthy Sunward Brave.

Its land of the Bear Folk is called Lord Sun Brave.

Next they made Onward Isle, also called Single Pillar of Heaven.

Next they made Port Isle, also called Lady Dip Net of Heaven.

Next they made Marsh Paddy Isle.

Next they made Yamato, great isle of plentiful autumns, also called Little Lord Plentiful Autumns Filling Heaven’s Mighty Firmament.

Because these eight islands were born first, they are called the Great Land of Eightfold Isles.

Then they went back and made Little Isle of Broomcorn Millet, also called Lord Sunward Brave.

Next they made Red Bean Isle, also called Lady Great Moor.

Next they made Great Isle, also called Lord Great Harbor.

Next they made Lady Isle, also called Single Root of Heaven.

Next they made Near Isles, also called Grand Men of Heaven.

Next they made Twin Isles, also called Twin Huts of Heaven.

(From Little Isle of Broomcorn Millet to Twin Huts of Heaven are six islands all told.)

Having finished making the land, they went on to make its spirits.

First they made the spirit named Grand Man of Great Matters.

Next they made the spirit named Boulder Ground Lad.

Next they made the spirit named Lady Boulder Home.

Next they made the spirit named Lord Great Entry.

Next they made the spirit named Heaven’s Thatching Man.

Next they made the spirit named Great Roof Lad.

Next they made the spirit named Grand Man Lord Wind Bearer.

Next they made the spirit of the seas, named Great Ocean Majesty.

Next they made the spirit of the estuaries, named Rushing River Mouth Lad.

Next they made his sister spirit, named Lady Rushing River Mouth.

(From Grand Man of Great Matters to Lady Rushing River Mouth are ten spirits all told.)

The two spirits Rushing River Mouth Lad and Lady Rushing River Mouth were assigned rule over the rivers and seas respectively.

First they made the spirit named Calm Foam Man, then the spirit named Wave Foam Woman.

Next was the spirit named Calm Surface Man, then the spirit named Wave Surface Woman.

Next was the spirit named Heaven’s Watershed, then the spirit named Land’s Watershed.

Next was the spirit named Heaven’s Dipper Holder, then the spirit named Land’s Dipper-Holder.

(From Calm Foam Man to Land’s Dipper Holder are eight spirits all told.)

Next He and She Who Beckoned made the spirit of the winds, named Long Blowing Lad.

Next they made the spirit of the trees, named Tree Trunk Elder.

Next they made the spirit of the mountains, named Great Mountain Majesty.

Next they made the spirit of the moors, named Lady Thatch; also called Moorland Elder.

(From Long Blowing Lad to Moorland Elder are four spirits all told.)

The two spirits Great Mountain Majesty and Moorland Elder were charged with the mountains and moors respectively.

First they made the spirit named Heaven’s First Soil, then the spirit named Land’s First Soil.

Next was the spirit named Heaven’s First Mist, then the spirit named Land’s First Mist.

Next was the spirit named Heaven’s Steep Gorge, then the spirit named Land’s Steep Gorge.

Next was the spirit named Great Valley Lad, then the spirit named Lady Great Valley.

(From Heaven’s First Soil to Lady Great Valley are eight spirits all told.)

Next He and She Who Beckoned made the spirit named Swooping Stone-Hard Ship of Camphor Wood, also called Bird Boat of Heaven.

Next was the spirit named Lady Great Sustenance.

Next was the spirit named Swift Burning Flame Man, first called Blazing Flame Lad before becoming Flickering Flame Elder.

Because the mighty one She Who Beckoned bore this child, her mighty privates were burned and she fell gravely ill.

From her vomit came the spirit named Metal Mountain Lad, then the spirit named Lady Metal Mountain.

From her excrement came the spirit named Kneading Clay Lad, then the spirit named Lady Kneading Clay.

From her urine came the spirit named Water Gushing Woman, then the spirit named Fresh Growth.

The child of this last spirit is named the spirit Lady Bountiful Fare.

Because she had given birth to the fire spirit, the spirit She Who Beckoned eventually died the death of a spirit.

(From Bird Boat of Heaven to Lady Bountiful Fare are eight spirits all told.)

Fourteen in number were the islands made by the mighty one He Who Beckoned and the mighty one She Who Beckoned, and thirty-five in number were the spirits they made.

(These were born before the spirit She Who Beckoned died the death of a spirit. However, Self-Shaped Isle was not born in this manner. Moreover, Leech Child and Froth Isle were not included among their children.)

And so the mighty one He Who Beckoned declared:

Sweet sister, my mighty one, have I exchanged you for a single child?!

And so declaring, he crawled around her mighty head and he crawled around her mighty feet, weeping and wailing all the while.

With his mighty tears came the spirit Much Wailing Woman, who dwells at the foot of Mount Gleaming, by the base of its tree trunks.

So after she had died the death of a spirit, the remains of the spirit She Who Beckoned were laid to rest within Mount Spirit Court on the border between the land of Billowing Clouds and the land of Mother Oaks.

Now the mighty one He Who Beckoned unsheathed the sword ten hand spans long that was girded by his mighty side and beheaded his child, the spirit Flickering Elder.

And so the blood caught by the tip of his mighty blade splattered onto a clump of hallowed boulders. From this came the spirit named Boulder Splitter, then the spirit named Root Splitter, and then the spirit named Stone Mallet Man. (Three spirits all told.)

Next the blood caught by the guard of his mighty blade also splattered onto the clump of hallowed boulders. From this came the spirit named Stern Stormer; then the spirit named Blazing Stormer; and then the spirit named Brave Mighty Thunderbolt Man, also called Brave Slasher and Plentiful Slasher. (Three spirits all told.)

Next the blood that had collected on the hilt of his mighty blade dripped down through his fingers. From this came the spirit named Ravine Rain Serpent, then the spirit named Ravine Water Gushing.

These eight spirits from Boulder Splitter to Ravine Water Gushing were all born from the sword of He Who Beckoned.

From the head of the slain spirit came the spirit True Mountain Majesty.

From his chest came the spirit Younger Mountain Majesty.

From his stomach came the spirit Inner Mountain Majesty.

From his privates came the spirit Mountain Gorge Majesty.

From his left hand came the spirit Mountain Forest Majesty.

From his right hand came the spirit Mountain Foot Majesty.

From his left foot came the spirit Mountain Field Majesty.

From his right foot came the spirit Outer Mountain Majesty. (Eight spirits all told.)

The mighty blade that slew him is named Sweeping Blade of Heaven, also Stern Sweeping Blade.

Seeking at this time to rejoin his spouse, the mighty one He Who Beckoned followed her to the land of the Underworld.

And so when she came out the door of the hall to greet him, the mighty one He Who Beckoned entreated her with endearments, proclaiming:

Sweet sister, my mighty one, we are not yet finished making all the lands. You should come back with me.

And so the mighty one She Who Beckoned replied, saying:

If only you had come sooner! I have already eaten at the hearth of the land of the Underworld. And yet, beloved brother, my mighty one, the sight of you entering here fills me with awe and makes me yearn to return with you. I will speak for a while with the spirits of this land. In the meantime, do not look at me!

And so saying, she went back into the hall.

But she was gone a long time, and the wait became hard to bear.

So he broke off one large end tooth from the comb he was wearing in his left looped lock of mighty hair, turned it into a torch, and peered inside to see squirming maggots slithering in and out of her body.

In her head was Grown Thunder.

In her breasts was Blazing Thunder.

In her stomach was Darkening Thunder.

In her privates was Splitting Thunder.

In her left hand was Young Thunder.

In her right hand was Earthen Thunder.

In her left foot was Booming Thunder.

In her right foot was Bowing Thunder.

Eight thunder spirits all told.

Now the mighty one He Who Beckoned grew frightened and fled.

And so his sister, the mighty one She Who Beckoned, spoke, saying:

How dare you shame me like this!

Straightaway she dispatched foul-featured hags from the land of the Underworld in pursuit of him.

And so the mighty one He Who Beckoned untied the dark vine binding his mighty hair and cast it down. Straightaway it became mountain grapes. While they were plucking them to eat, he fled onward.

Still they pursued him.

Again he plucked out the comb he was wearing in his right looped lock of mighty hair and cast it down. Straightaway it sprouted bamboo shoots. While they were pulling them up to eat, he fled onward.

Later on, the eight thunder spirits were also sent from the land of the Underworld in pursuit of him, accompanied by a force of fifteen hundred warriors.

And so he unsheathed the sword ten hand spans long that was girded by his mighty side and waved it behind him as he fled.

Still they pursued him.

When he reached the foot of the Gentle Decline passing into the land of the Underworld, he plucked three peaches that were growing there and struck a threatening pose.

So they all turned and fled back the way they had come.

And so the mighty one He Who Beckoned proclaimed to the peaches:

As you have aided me, so may you also aid any green-grass mortal from the central realm of reed plains who encounters pain and suffering.

And so proclaiming, he bestowed on them the title of mighty one Great Sacred Majesty.

In the end, his sister, the mighty one She Who Beckoned, pursued him herself.

And so he took a giant boulder that it would take a thousand men to pull and heaved it across the Gentle Decline passing into the land of the Underworld, barring her way.

As they stood there with the boulder between them, they declared themselves divorced. The mighty one She Who Beckoned spoke first, saying:

Beloved brother, my mighty one, if you do this, I will strangle to death one thousand of your land’s green-grass mortals each and every day.

And so the mighty one He Who Beckoned replied, proclaiming:

Sweet sister, my mighty one, if you do this, I will build one thousand five hundred birthing huts each and every day.

This is why each and every day one thousand people die, while one thousand five hundred people are born.

So the spirit She Who Beckoned is also called Great Spirit of the Underworld. Because she joined in the pursuit, she is also called Great Spirit Path of Pursuit.

The boulder that closed shut the Gentle Decline passing into the land of the Underworld is named Great Spirit Road Retreat, also Great Spirit Athwart the Underworld.

Also, the Gentle Decline passing into the land of the Underworld that is mentioned above lies in the land of Billowing Clouds. Nowadays its name is Ifuya Pass.

And with this, the great spirit He Who Beckoned proclaimed:

How foul it is, this foul and filthy land I have been to! I should bathe to cleanse my mighty body.

And so proclaiming, he reached the mouth of the Orange Tree on the plain of Evergreens that faces the sun in Lands End, and bathed in its waters to cleanse his mighty body.

First he flung away his mighty staff, and it became the spirit Post at the Road Bend.

Next he flung away his mighty sash, and it became the spirit Long-Winding Way Stones.

Next he flung away his mighty satchel, and it became the spirit Time-Keeper Loosed.

Next he flung away his mighty mantle, and it became the spirit Master Miasma.

Next he flung away his mighty breeches, and they became the spirit Road Fork.

Next he flung away his mighty cap, and it became the spirit Master Filled Full.

Next he flung away the armband on his mighty left arm, and there appeared the spirit Beyond Offshore, then the spirit Offshore Surf Lad, and then the spirit Offshore Tide