The Emperor Kami-Nunagaha-mimi was the third child of the Emperor Kami-Yamato-Ihare-biko Hohodemi. His mother's name was Hime-tatara-Isuzu no Mikoto, the eldest daughter of Koto-shiro-nushi no Kami.
This Emperor was of distinguished manners and appearance. As a child he possessed the vigour of manhood; when he grew to manhood, his form was gigantic. He excelled in warlike accomplishments, and his will was resolute in the extreme.
(IV. 2.) When he reached the age of forty-eight, the Emperor Kami-Yamato-Ihare-biko died. Now Kama-Nunagaha-mimi no Mikoto's disposition was profoundly filial, and his grief and longing knew no bounds. He made the funeral ceremonies his especial care.
His elder half-brother,[2] Tagishi-mimi no Mikoto, was now advanced in years,[3] and had a long experience of matters of
- ↑ This book contains the reigns of eight emperors, and covers a period of 483 years, giving an average of over sixty years for each reign. This is far too much for real history, especially when we consider the ages to which these sovereigns are said to have reached. Kôshô lived to the age of 114, Kôan to 137, and so on. Most of it is not even legendary. The account of the period previous to the accession of Suizei seems to contain a genuine ancient tradition, but the rest is plainly fictitious and the invention of some one imbued with Chinese ideas.
Kami means upper or lord; Nunagaha is the name of a river; mimi means august body.
Suizei means quiet, tranquil.
- ↑ The word employed indicates that the mother of this prince was not of full rank, but there is no such stigma as is implied by our word "bastard."
- ↑ As he was present with his younger brother at a council held by the Emperor Jimmu before starting on his expedition to the East, B.C. 667, we
