commanded the Mononobe, Tochine no Oho-muraji,[1] saying:—"We (VI. 18.) have repeatedly despatched messengers to the Land of Idzumo to inspect the divine treasures of that Land, but we have had no clear report. Do thou go thyself to Idzumo, and having made inspection, attest them." So Tochine no Oho-muraji, having examined and attested the divine treasures, made a clear report thereof to His Majesty. He was accordingly appointed to the charge of the divine treasures.
B.C. 3. 27th year, Autumn, 8th month, 7th day. The Department of Worship was made to ascertain by divination what implements of war would be lucky as offerings to the Gods. Consequently bows, arrows, and cross-swords were deposited in the shrines of all the Gods. The land and houses consecrated to their service were fixed anew, and they were sacrificed to in due season. The practice of offering weapons in sacrifice to the Gods of Heaven and Earth probably had its origin at this time. This year granaries were erected in the village of Kume.[2]
B.C. 2. 28th year, Winter, 10th month, 5th day. Yamato-hiko no Mikoto, the Emperor's younger brother by the mother's side, died.
11th month, 2nd day. Yamato-hiko was buried at Tsuki-zaka in Musa. Thereupon his personal attendants were assembled, and were all buried alive upright in the precinct of the misasagi. For several days they died not, but wept and wailed day and night. At last they died and rotted. Dogs and crows gathered and ate them.
(VI. 19.) The Emperor, hearing the sound of their weeping and wailing, was grieved in heart, and commanded his high officers, saying:—"It is a very painful thing to force those whom one has loved in life to follow him in death. Though it be an ancient custom, why follow it, if it is bad? From this time forward, take counsel so as to put a stop to the following of the dead."[3]
- ↑ Great-village-elder. This word is nearly equivalent to Prime Minister.
- ↑ As explained above, Kume is probably a variant of the Chinese word for army. There is at present a village of this name in Yamato, but it was no doubt originally the barrack quarter, and the storehouses here referred to were to contain grain for the food of the army. The original commentary gives miyake as the Japanese name for these granaries. At a later period the miyake were local government offices.
- ↑ The "Kojiki" (Ch. K., p. 174) says that this was the first time a hedge of
