Kojiki (Chamberlain, 1882)/Section 82

by Ō no Yasumaro

[Sect. LXXXII.—Emperor Kei-kō (Part VII.—Yamato-take is Sent to Subdue the East, and Visits His Aunt at Ise).]

Then the Heavenly Sovereign again urged a command on His Augustness Yamato-take, saying: “Subdue and pacify the savage Deities and likewise the unsubmissive people of the twelve roads of the East;”^[1] and when he sent him off, joining to him Prince Mi-suki-tomo-mimi-take,^[2] ancestor of the Grandees of Kibi,^[3] he bestowed on him a holly-wood^[4] spear eight fathoms [long]. So when he had received the [Imperial] commands and started off, he went into the temple of the Great August Deity of Ise, and worshipped the Deity’s court,^[5] forthwith speaking to his aunt, Her Augustness Yamato-hime, saying: “It must surely be that the Heavenly Sovereign thinks^[6] I may die quickly; for after sending me to smite the wicked people of the West, I am no sooner come up again [to the capital] than, without bestowing on me an army, he now sends me off afresh to pacify the wicked people of the twelve circuits of the East. Consequently I think that he certainly thinks I shall die quickly.” When he departed with lamentations and tears, Her Augustness Yamato-hime bestowed on him the “Herb-Quelling-Sabre,”^[7] and likewise bestowed on him an august bag,^[8] and said: “If there should be an emergency, open the mouth of the bag.”

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1. See Sect. LXVI, Note 2.
2. Mi-suki-tomo-mimi-take-hiko. Mi is an Honorific, mimi probably signifies “ears,” and take means “brave.” The words suki and tomo are obscure.
3. Kibi no omi.
4. Properly the Olea aquifolium, which resembles holly. Motowori supposes that an entirely wooden spear or stick is here meant to be spoken of, and not the weapon with a metal point which is commonly understood by the word “spear” (hoko).
5. Perhaps we should write “august court,” for the characters 朝廷 in the text are evidently intended for the homonymous 御門. The court in front of the Deity’s temple is what is here alluded to, and it would perhaps be a not unpardonable departure from the text to insert the Preposition “at” or “in,” and translate thus: “worshipped in the Deity’s court.”
6. Here and below, the word “thinks” may be understood to mean “wishes.”
7. Kusa-nagi no tsurugi. The discovery of this sword by the deity Susa-no-wo (“Impetuous Male”) inside one of the tails of the eight-headed serpent which he had slain, is narrated at the end of Sect. XVIII.
8. The use of the contents of this bag will be seen in the next Section.