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Nihongi.
flowers. They also worship her with drums, flutes, flags, (I. 15.) singing and dancing."
In one writing it is said:—"Izanagi no Mikoto and Izanami no Mikoto, having together procreated the Great-eight-island Land, Izanagi no Mikoto said: 'Over the country which we have produced there is naught but morning mists which shed a perfume everywhere!' So he puffed them away with a breath, which became changed into a God, named Shina tohe no Mikoto. He is also called Shina[1] tsu hiko no Mikoto. This is the God of the Wind. Moreover, the child which they procreated when they were hungry was called Uka no mi-tama[2] no Mikoto. Again they produced the Sea-Gods, who were called Wata[3] tsu mi no Mikoto, and the Mountain-Gods, who were called Yama tsu mi, the Gods of the River-mouths, who were called Haya-aki[4]-tsubi no Mikoto, the Tree-Gods, who were called Ku-ku no chi, and the Earth-Goddess, who was called Hani-yasu[5] no Kami. Thereafter they produced all manner of things whatsoever. When the time came for the Fire-God Kagu tsuchi to (I. 16.) be born, his mother Izanami no Mikoto was burnt, and suffered change and departed.[6] Then Izanagi no Mikoto was wroth, and said: 'Oh, that I should have given my beloved younger sister[7] in exchange for a single child!
- ↑ Shina is said to be derived from shi, wind or breath, and na, a short form of naga, long. See Chamberlain's "Kojiki," p. 27. The worship of this God is frequently referred to in the last two books of the Nihongi. See also Satow's "Ancient Japanese Rituals," where a prayer to him is given. Tohe means chief.
- ↑ Food august-spirit. The Chinese characters transliterated Uka mean storehouse rice.
- ↑ Wata is an old word for sea; mi is probably "body."
- ↑ Haya-aki means swift-autumn; tsu, of, and bi (or mi) perhaps person or body.
- ↑ Clay-easy.
- ↑ i.e. died.
- ↑ The ancient Japanese word for younger sister was imo, which is also applied to a wife. It may be doubted whether this justifies any adverse inference as to the morals of the Japanese in early times. "Sister" is used as an endearing epithet in the Song of Solomon where the relation is certainly not that of brother and sister. It is true, however, that marriages were allowed between brothers and sisters when of different mothers.
