Kojiki (Chamberlain, 1882)/Section 139

by Ō no Yasumaro

[Sect. CXXXIX.—Emperor In-giyō (Part III.—He Rectifies the People’s Names).]

Thereupon the Heavenly Sovereign, lamenting the transgressions in the surnames and gentile names of the people of all the surnames and names in the Empire^[1] placed jars [for trial by] hot water^[2] at the Wondrous Cape of Eighty Evils in Words at Amakashi,^[3] and deigned to establish the surnames and gentile names of the eighty heads of companies.^[4] Again the Karu Tribe^[5] was established as the august proxy of King Karu of Ki-nashi; the Osaka Tribe^[6] was established as the Empress’s august proxy; and the Kaha Tribe^[7] was established as the august proxy of the Empress’s younger sister Ta-wi no Naka-tsu-hime.^[8]

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1. The original is: 天下氏氏名名人等之氏姓 which Motowori reads ame no shita no uji-uji na-na no hito-domo no uji kabane.
2. We learn from the “Chronicles” that he whose hand was injured in the process of dipping it into the jar of boiling water was pronounced a deceiver, while those who stood the trial unhurt were considered to be telling the truth.
3. Amakashi no koto-ya-so-maga-tsu-hi no saki. Motowori truly observes that this does not sound like an actual geographical name, but was rather, it may be supposed, a new designation given to Cape Amakashi (see Sect. LXXII, Note 19) on account of the incident here mentioned. The name reminds us of that one of the deities born from the purification of the person of the creator Izanagi after his return from Hades (see {{nsl2|Sect X, Note 14|../Section 10#cite_note-14).
4. Ya-so tomo-no-wo. See Sect. XXXIII, Note 19.
5. Karu-be.
6. Osaka-be, so called after the Empress’s native place (see Sect. CXXXVII, Note 3, and Sect. CXVII, Note 6). The reading of Osaka-be is given in all the editions to the characters in the text, 刑部, where we should expect 忍坂部. Motowori’s explanation of the reason why the name was thus written will be found in Vol. XXXIX, p. 19, of his Commentary.
7. Kaha-be. Motowori supposes that there is here some corruption of the text, as no connection can be discovered between the name of this Tribe and that of the Princess whose proxy the tribe became.
8. See Sect. CXVII, Note 7.