SUSA-NO-WO MAKING A COMPACT WITH DISEASE SPIRITS
From a Japanese painting (by Hoga) in the British Museum
In the Ko-ji-ki Izanami threatens to slay a thousand inhabitants in the land of the living, but Izanagi retorts [[361]]that he will arrange for the birth of one thousand and five hundred, so that the number born may exceed the number who must die.
Izanami became thereafter Yomo-tsu-oho-kami (Yomi’s Great Deity).[8] The rock which blocks the Pass of Yomi became the “Great-Deity-of-the-Road-Turning-back”.
In the Nihon-gi (Aston’s translation) it is related that Izanagi flung down various articles on leaving Hades, as the goddess Ishtar in Babylonian mythology flung down her clothing and ornaments on entering the dread abode of Erish-ki-gal (Persephone). Having pronounced the divorce formula:
“He also said, ‘Come no farther’, and threw down his staff, which was called Funando-no-kami (pass-not-place-deity), or Kunado-no-kami (come-not-place-deity). Moreover, he threw down his girdle, which was called Nagachiha-no-kami. Moreover, he threw down his upper garment, which was called Wadzurahi-no-kami (god of disease). Moreover, he threw down his trousers, which were called Aki-guhi-no-kami. Moreover, he threw down his shoes, which were called Chi-shiki-no-kami.”
On returning to the land of the living, Izanagi exclaimed: “I have come from a hideous and polluted place. I will therefore perform the purification of my august body.”
He went to bathe at a river mouth on a plain covered with bush-clover, beside a grove of orange trees confronting the sun. It is here, according to the Ko-ji-ki, that he flings down his staff and the various articles of clothing that are transformed into deities. Two evil deities were born from the filth of Hades that fell from his person when he entered the water. He dived, and three sea-gods came into being. He washed his left eye, and thus gave origin to the goddess of the sun, Ama-terâsu-oho-mi-kami [[362]](The Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity). He washed his right eye, and there came into being the god of the moon, Tsuki-yomi-no-kami (Moon-Night-Possessor). He washed his nose, and from it was born Take-haya-susa-no-wu-no-mikoto[9] (His-Brave-Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness).
Izanagi took off his necklace of jewels or beads (tama), and, shaking it so that the beads jingled, bestowed it on Ama-terâsu, the sun kami or goddess, and set her to rule the “Plain of High Heaven”. He commanded the moon-god to rule the night, and Susa-no-wo to rule the “Sea Plain”.
“At this point,” as Chamberlain says, “the story loses its unity. The moon-goddess is no more heard of, and the traditions concerning the sun-goddess diverge from those concerning the ‘Impetuous-Male-Deity’ in a manner which is productive of inconsistencies in the rest of the mythology.”[10]