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family records which describe ancient things as they actually were, yet your Imperial Majesty’s humble servant finds that there still survive some others not mentioned in those written documents.[errata 1] which would probably by degrees sink into oblivion, unless your Imperial Majesty’s humble servant make so bold as to endeavour to bring them to light. The gracious message which your Imperial Majesty was pleased to grant your humble servant has induced him gratefully to avail himself of this opportunity to submit to the Throne all the historical details that have been handed down and preserved in his family,—but which, nevertheless, to his great regret have not yet been published. Therefore now, animated by the spirit of righteous indignation, burning so long within him, he ventures to record his own beloved family tradition:—
According to one tradition, when Heaven and Earth began, the two Gods, Izanagi (The Divine Male) and Izanami (The Divine Female), having entered into conjugal relations begat the Great Eight Island Country, (1) its mountains and rivers, the Sun-Goddess, (2) and the Moon-God, (3) and finally the God Susano-o the Impetuous Male God (4).
This Susano-o, however, wept and wailed so much that he caused people to die untimely deaths and the mountain greens to wither. Therefore his Divine Parents angrily decreed: “Now that thou art become so exceedingly wicked, thou shalt no longer remain with us, but must descend to the Nether Land or Hades.”
Another legend says that when Heaven and Earth divided