Shinto (the Way of the Gods)Aston, W. G. (William George)
Religion
Shinto (the Way of the Gods)
Aston, W. G. (William George)
Shinto
Hohodemi, however, had in the meantime lost it in the sea. He took
his sword and forged from it a number of new fish-hooks which he
piled up in a winnowing tray and offered to his brother by way of
compensation. But the latter would have none but his own, and demanded
it so vehemently of Hohodemi as to grieve him bitterly. Hohodemi went
down to the sea-shore and stood there lamenting, when there appeared to
him the Old Man of the Sea, by whose advice he descended into the sea
depths to the abode of the God of the Sea, a stately palace with lofty
towers and battlements. Before the gate there was a well, and over the
well grew a thick-branching cassia tree, into which Hohodemi climbed.
The Sea-God's daughter Toyo-tama-hime (rich jewel maiden) then came
out from the palace to draw water. She saw Hohodemi's face reflected
in the well, and returning within reported to her father that she had
seen a beautiful youth in the tree which grew by the well. Hohodemi was
courteously received by the Sea-God, Toyo-tama-hiko (rich jewel prince)
who when he heard his errand, summoned before him all the fishes of
the sea and made inquiry of them for the lost fish hook, which was
eventually discovered in the mouth of the Tai. Toyo-tama-hiko delivered
it to Hohodemi, telling him when he gave it back to his brother to say
"a hook of poverty, a hook of ruin, a hook of downfall," to spit twice
and to hand it over with averted face.
Hohodemi married the Sea-God's daughter Toyo-tama-hime and remained
with her for three years. He then became home-sick and returned to
the upper world. On the beach where he came to land, he built for his
wife, who was soon to follow, a parturition house which he thatched
with cormorant's feathers. The roofing was still unfinished when she
arrived, riding on a great tortoise. She went straight into the hut,
begging her husband not to look at her. But Hohodemi's curiosity was
too strong for him. He peeped in, and behold! his wife had become
changed into a _wani_ (sea-monster or dragon), eight fathoms long.
Deeply indignant at the disgrace put upon her, Toyo-tama-hime abandoned
her new-born child to the care of her sister, and barring behind her
the sea-path in such a way that from that day to this all communication
between the realms of land and sea has been cut off, returned hastily
to her father's palace.
The child thus born was the father of Jimmu Tenno, the first human
sovereign of Japan.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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