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Family, served as a guardian at the Imperial Gates, while Nigihayahi-no-Mikoto, with some of the Mononobe Family who were attached to the Court under him, prepared a number of spears and shields as protective weapons for the emperor. When they had assured themselves that all was right, Ame-no-Tomi-no-Mikoto, assisted by the members of the Imbe Family, held up the sacred Mirror and sacred Sword, (64) the Divine Imperial Regalia, and with deep reverence placed them in the Imperial Chief Hall, hanging the jewels, and laying out the offerings in due order, before reciting a liturgy, called “Otono-Hogai,” (65) i.e., the Ritual for Bringing Luck or Invoking Blessing to the Great Palace (mentioned in the book annexed hereto (66)), then the religious service for the Guardian Gods of the Imperial Gates was solemnized (The Ritual being that named in the above book (67)).
At the close of these functions, the members of the Mononobe Family displayed the spears and shields to the general public, whilst those of the Kume Family serving under the Otomo Family exhibited the weapons. The men who represented these two families opened the gates widely to allow those who desired to render homage to the Central Court, and witness the august scene to do so, so that they might realize the nobility and majesty of the Imperial Throne!
In those olden days, when the gods and our Japanese sovereigns were not widely differentiated, they were wont to share the same couch, under the same roof, so that the distinction between the two kinds of property, human (i.e., sovereign) and
