KojikiShintoAncient Myth / ComparativeClassical Japanese / Chinese-style proseShareKojiki 32Basil Hall Chamberlain 1919 - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 availableBasil Hall Chamberlain 1919LanguageEnglishEspañol‹Kojiki 1Kojiki 2Kojiki 3Kojiki 4Kojiki 5Kojiki 6Kojiki 7Kojiki 8Kojiki 9Kojiki 10Kojiki 11Kojiki 12Kojiki 13Kojiki 14Kojiki 16Kojiki 17Kojiki 19Kojiki 20Kojiki 21Kojiki 22Kojiki 23Kojiki 24Kojiki 25Kojiki 26Kojiki 28Kojiki 29Kojiki 30Kojiki 31Kojiki 32Kojiki 33Kojiki 34Kojiki 35Kojiki 36Kojiki 37Kojiki 38Kojiki 39Kojiki 40Kojiki 41Kojiki 43Kojiki 44Kojiki 45Kojiki 46Kojiki 47Kojiki 48Kojiki 49Kojiki 50Kojiki 51Kojiki 52Kojiki 53Kojiki 105Kojiki 55Kojiki 56Kojiki 57Kojiki 58Kojiki 59Kojiki 60Kojiki 62Kojiki 63Kojiki 64Kojiki 65Kojiki 66Kojiki 67Kojiki 68Kojiki 69Kojiki 134Kojiki 71Kojiki 72Kojiki 143Kojiki 74Kojiki 75Kojiki 76Kojiki 77Kojiki 78Kojiki 79Kojiki 151Kojiki 154Kojiki 82Kojiki 83Kojiki 157Kojiki 85Kojiki 86Kojiki 87Kojiki 88Kojiki 162Kojiki 90Kojiki 91Kojiki 92Kojiki 93Kojiki 94Kojiki 95Kojiki 172Kojiki 97Kojiki 98Kojiki 99Kojiki 100Kojiki 101Kojiki 102Kojiki 103Kojiki 104Kojiki 107Kojiki 108Kojiki 109Kojiki 110Kojiki 111Kojiki 112Kojiki 113Kojiki 114Kojiki 115Kojiki 116Kojiki 117Kojiki 118Kojiki 119Kojiki 121Kojiki 205Kojiki 124Kojiki 125Kojiki 126Kojiki 127Kojiki 128Kojiki 130Kojiki 131Kojiki 132Kojiki 133Kojiki 135Kojiki 137Kojiki 138Kojiki 139Kojiki 142Kojiki 144Kojiki 145Kojiki 146Kojiki 147Kojiki 148Kojiki 240Kojiki 150Kojiki 153Kojiki 155Kojiki 156Kojiki 158Kojiki 160Kojiki 161Kojiki 163Kojiki 164Kojiki 165Kojiki 166Kojiki 167Kojiki 168Kojiki 169Kojiki 170Kojiki 171Kojiki 173Kojiki 174Kojiki 175Kojiki 176Kojiki 177Kojiki 178Kojiki 179Kojiki 180›Section XXXII: Abdication of the Deity Master-of-the-great-landKojiki 32ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1Hereupon the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity said: "Which Deity were it best to send on a fresh mission?" Then the Deity Thought-Includer and likewise all the Deities said: "He who is named the Deity Majestic-Point-Blade-Extended and dwells in the Heavenly Rock-Dwelling by the source of the Tranquil River of Heaven, is the one that should be sent: or if not this Deity, then this Deity's child, the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity, might be sent. Moreover, owing to this Deity Heavenly-Point-Blade-Extended having blocked up and turned back the waters of the Tranquil River of Heaven, and to his dwelling with the road blocked up, other Deities cannot go [thither]. So the Heavenly-Deer-Deity should be sent specially to ask him." So then the Heavenly-Deer-Deity was sent to ask the Deity Heaven-Point-Blade-Extended, who replied, saying: "I will obey, and will respectfully serve you. Nevertheless on this errand ye should send my child, the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity," --[and with these words] immediately offered [his son to Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity]. So the Deity Heavenly-Bird-Boat was attached to the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity, and they were sent off. 2Therefore these two Deities, descending to the little shore of Inasa in the land of Idzumo, drew their swords ten hand-breadths long, stuck them upside down on the crest of a wave, seated themselves cross-legged on the points of the swords, and asked the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land, saying "The Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity and the High-Integrating-Deity have charged us and sent us to ask, [saying]: 'We have deigned to charge our august child with thy dominion, the Central Land of Reed-Plains, as the land which he should govern. So how is thy heart?'" He replied, saying: "I am unable to say. My child the Deity Eight-Fold-Thing-Sign-Master will be the one to tell you; but he is gone to Cape Miho to pursue birds and catch fish, and has not yet returned." So then the Deity Bird-Boat was sent to summon the Deity Eight-Fold-Thing-Sign-Master, who, on being graciously asked, spoke to the Great Deity his father, saying: "I will obey. [Do thou] respectfully present this land to the august child of the Heavenly Deity;"--and thereupon he trod on [the edge of] his boat so as to capsize it, clapped his heavenly departing hands in the fence of green branches, and disappeared. So then they asked the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land, saying: "Thy son the Deity Thing-Sign-Master has now spoken thus. Hast thou other sons who should speak?" Hereupon he spoke again, saying: 3"There is my other son, the Deity Brave-August-Name-Firm. There is none beside him." While he was thus speaking, the Deity Brave-August-Name-Firm came up, bearing on the tips of his fingers a thousand-draught rock, and said: "Who is it that has come to our land, and thus secretly talks? If that be so, I should like to have a trial of strength. So I should like to begin by taking thine august hand." So on his letting him take his august hand, his touch at once turned it into an icicle, and again his touch turned it into a sword-blade. So then he was frightened and drew back. Then on the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity wishing to take the hand of the Deity Brave-August-Name-Firm, and asking permission to take it in return, he grasped and crushed it as if it were taking a young reed, and cast it aside, upon which [the Deity Brave-August-Name-Firm] fled away. So when [the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity] pursuing after him, came up with him at the Sea of Suha in the land of Shinanu, and was about to slay him, the Deity Brave-August-Name-Firm said: "I will obey. Slay me not. I will go to no other place but this, neither will I go against the command of my father the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land. I will not go against the words of the Deity Eight-Fold-Thing-Sign-Master. 4I Will yield up this Central Land of Reed-Plains according to the command of the august child of the Heavenly Deities." So they returned again, and asked the Deity Master-of-the Great-Land [saying]: "Thy children the two Deities the Deity Thing-Sign-Master and the Deity Brave-August-Name-Firm have said that they will follow and not go against the commands of the august child of the Heavenly Deities. So how is thy heart?" Then he replied, saying: According as the two Deities my children have said, I too will not go against them. In accordance with the [heavenly] command, I will at once yield up this Central Land of Reed-Plains. But as to my place of residence, if ye will make stout the temple pillars on the nethermost rock-bottom, and make high the cross-beams to the Plain of High Heaven like the rich and perfect august nest where the august child of the Heavenly Deities rules the succession of Heaven's sun, and will deign to establish me, I will hide in the eighty (less than a hundred) road-windings, and wait on him. Again, as for my children the hundred and eighty Deities, if the Deity Eight-Fold-Thing-Sign-Master will be the Deities, august rear and van and will respectfully serve them, there will be no disobedient Deities." Having thus spoken [he hid himself. So in accordance with his word, ] they built a heavenly august abode on the shore of Tagishi in the land of Idzumo; 5and the Deity Wondrous-Eight-Spirits, grandson of the Deity Of Water-Gates, was made butler to offer up the heavenly august banquet, when, having said prayers, the Deity Wondrous-Eight-Spirits turned into a cormorant, went down to the bottom of the sea, took in his mouth red earth from the bottom, made eighty heavenly platters, and, cutting sea-weed stalks, made a fire-drill mortar, and made a fire-drill pestle out of stalks of komo, and drilled out fire, saying: "This fire which I have drilled will I burn until, in the Plain of High Heaven, the soot on the heavenly new lattice of the gable of His Augustness the Wondrous-Divine-Producer-the-August-Ancestor hang down eight hand-breadths; and as for what is below the earth, I will bake down to the nethermost rock-bottom, and,--the fishing sailors, who spread their thousand-fathom ropes of paper-mulberry and angle, having with many shouts drawn in and landed the large-mouthed small-finned perch,--I will offer up the heavenly true fish-food so that the split bamboos bend." So the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity re-ascended [to Heaven], and reported how he had subdued and pacified the Central Land of Reed-Plains. ‹Previous chapterKojiki 31Next chapterKojiki 33›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public domain in the United States