Shinto (the Way of the Gods)Aston, W. G. (William George)
Religion
Shinto (the Way of the Gods)
Aston, W. G. (William George)
Shinto
_"A.D. 379. This year, at a fork of the River Kahashima, in the central
division of the Province of Kibi, there was a great water-dragon which
harassed the people. Now when travellers were passing that place on
their journey, they were sure to be affected by its poison, so that
many died. Hereupon Agatamori, the ancestor of the Omi of Kasa, a man
of fierce temper and of great bodily strength, stood over the pool of
the river-fork and flung into the water three whole calabashes, saying:
'Thou art continually belching up poison and therewithal plaguing
travellers. I will kill thee, thou water-dragon. If thou canst sink
these calabashes, then will I take myself away, but if thou canst not
sink them, then will I cut thy body to pieces.' Now the water-dragon
changed itself into a deer and tried to draw down the calabashes,
but the calabashes would not sink. So with upraised sword he entered
the water and slew the water-dragon. He further sought out the
water-dragon's fellows. Now the tribe of all the water-dragons filled a
cave in the bottom of the pool. He slew them every one, and the water
of the river became changed to blood. Therefore that water was called
the pool of Agatamori."_
_"A.D. 323. In order to prevent the overflowing of the Northern river
the Mamuta embankment was constructed. At this time there were two
parts of the construction which gave way and could not be stopped
up. Then the Emperor had a dream, in which he was admonished by a
God, saying: 'There are a man of Musashi named Koha-kubi and a man of
Kahachi named Koromo no ko, the Muraji of Mamuta. Let these two men be
sacrificed to the River-God, and thou wilt surely be enabled to close
the gaps.' So he sought for these two men, and having found them,
offered them to the River-God. Hereupon Koha-kubi wept and lamented,
and plunging into the water, died. So that embankment was completed.
Koroma no ko, however, took two whole calabashes, and standing over
the water which could not be dammed, plunged the two calabashes into
the mid-stream and prayed, saying: 'O thou River-God, who hast sent
the curse [to remove which] I have now come hither as a sacrifice!
If thou dost persist in thy desire to have me, sink these calabashes
and let them not rise to the surface. Then shall I know that thou art
a true God, and will enter the water of my own accord. But if thou
canst not sink the calabashes, I shall, of course, know that thou art
a false God, for whom why should I spend my life in vain?' Hereupon a
whirlwind arose suddenly which drew with it the calabashes and tried to
submerge them in the water. But the calabashes, dancing on the waves,
would not sink, and floated far away over the wide waters. In this
way that embankment was completed, although Koromo no ko did not die.
Accordingly Koromo no ko's cleverness saved his life. Therefore the men
of that time gave a name to these two places, calling them 'Koha-kubi's
Gap' and 'Koromo no ko's Gap.'"_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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