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Kojiki (Chamberlain, 1882)/Section 11

From Wikisource
Kojiki (1882)
by Ō no Yasumaro, translated by Basil Hall Chamberlain
Ō no Yasumaro4691763Kojiki1882Basil Hall Chamberlain

[Sect. XI.—Investiture of the Three Deities the Illustrious August Children.]

At this time His Augustness the Male-Who-Invites greatly rejoiced, saying: “I, begetting child after child, have at my final begetting gotten three illustrious children,” [with which words,] at once jinglingly taking off and shaking the jewel-string[1] forming his august necklace, he bestowed it on the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity, saying: “Do Thine Augustness rule the Plain-of-High-Heaven.” With this charge he bestowed it on her. Now the name of this august necklace was the August-Store-house-Shelf-Deity.[2] Next he said to His Augustness Moon-Night-Possessor: “Do Thine Augustness rule the Dominion of the Night.”[3] Thus he charged him. Next he said to His-Brave-Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness: “Do Thine Augustness rule the Sea-Plain.”[4]


  1. I.e., “the string of jewels.” For these so-called “jewels” see Introduction, p. xxxi.
  2. Mi-kura-tana-no-kami. Motowori comments on this name by saying that the necklace was doubtless so precious, that it was carefully kept by the goddess on a shelf in her store-house.
  3. Yoru-no-wosu-kuni.
  4. Una-bara.