KojikiShintoAncient Myth / ComparativeClassical Japanese / Chinese-style proseShareKojiki 72Basil 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 LXXII: Emperor Sui-nin (part Iv.--the Dumb Prince Homu-chi-wake)Kojiki 72ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1So the way they led about and amused the august child was by making a two-forked boat out of a two-forked cryptomeria from Ahidzu in Wohari, bringing it up and floating it on the Pool of Ichishi and on the Pool of Karu in Yamato, [thus] leading about and amusing the august child. Nevertheless the august child spoke never a word, though his eight-grasp beard reached to the pit of his stomach. So it was on hearing the cry of a high-flying swan that he made his first utterance. Then [the Heavenly Sovereign] sent Yamanobe-no-Ohotaka (this is a name of a person) to catch the bird. So this person, pursuing the swan, arrived in the Land of Harima from the Land of Ki, and again in his pursuit crossed over to the Land of Inaba, then reaching the Land of Taniba and the Land of Tajima; [thence] pursuing round to the eastward, he reached the Land of Afumi. and thereupon crossed over into the Land of Minu; and, passing along by the Land of Wohari, pursued it into the Land of Shinanu, and at length, reaching in his pursuit the Land of Koshi, spread a net in the Estuary of Wanami, and, having caught the bird, brought it up [to the capital] and presented it [to the Sovereign]. So that estuary is called the Estuary of Wanami. It had been thought that, on seeing the bird again, he would speak; but he did not speak, as had been thought. 2Hereupon the Heavenly Sovereign, deigning to be grieved, augustly fell asleep, when, in an august dream, he was instructed, saying: "If thou wilt build my temple like unto thine august abode, the august child shall surely speak." When he had been thus instructed, [the Heavenly Sovereign] made grand divination to seek what Deity's desire this might be. Then [it was discovered that] the curse was the august doing of the Great Deity of Idzumo. So when about to send the august child to worship [at] that Great Deity's temple, [he made divination to discover ] by whom it were well to have him attended. Then the lot fell on King Ake-tatsu. So he made King Ake-tatsu swear, saying: "If there is truly to be an answer to our adoration of this Great Deity, may the heron dwelling on the tree by the Pool of Sagisu here fall [through my] oath." When he thus spoke, the heron that had been sworn by fell to the ground dead. Again on his commanding it to come to life] in answer to his] oath, it then came to life again. Moreover he caused to wither by an oath and again brought to life again by an oath a broad-foliaged bear-oak on Cape Amakashi. Then [the Heavenly Sovereign] granted to Prince Ake-tatsu the name of Prince Yamato-oyu-shiki-tomi-tomi-toyo-asakura-ake-tatsu. 3So when the august child was sent off with the two Princes, Prince Ake-tatsu and Prince Una-kami, as his attendants, it was divined that [if they went out] by the Nara gate, they would meet a lame person and a blind person; [if they went out] by the Ohosaka gate, they would likewise meet a lame person and a blind person, and that only the Ki gate,--a side gate, --would be the lucky gate; and when they started off, they established the Homuji clan in every place they arrived at. So when they had reached Idzumo and had finished worshipping the Great Deity, and were returning up [to the capital], they made in the middle of the River Hi a black plaited bridge and respectfully offered a temporary palace [for the august child] to dwell in. Then when the ancestor of the rulers of the Land of Idzumo, whose name was Kihisa-tsu-mi, having made an imitation green-leafed mountain, placed [it] in the lower reach of the river, and was about to present the great august food the august child spoke, saying: "What here resembles a green-leafed mountain in the lower [reach of the] river; looks like a mountain, but is not a mountain. Is it perchance the great court of the deacons who holds in reverence the Great Deity Ugly-Male-of-the-Reed-Plains that dwells in the temple of So at Ihakuma in Idzumo? [Thus] he deigned to ask. 4Then the Kings, who had been sent in august attendance [on him], hearing with joy and seeing with delight, set the august child to dwell in the palace of Nagaho at Ajimasa, and despatched a courier [to inform the Heavenly Sovereign]. Then the august child wedded Princess Hinaga for one night. So, on looking privately at the beautiful maiden, [he found her] to be a serpent, at the sight of which he fled away alarmed. Then Princess Hinaga was vexed, and, illuminating the sea-plain, pursued after them in a ship; and they, more and more alarmed at the sight, pulled the august vessel across the mountain-folds, and went fleeing up [to the capital]. Thereupon they made a report, saying: "We have come up [to the capital] because thy great and august child has become able to speak through worship-ping the Great Deity." So the Heavenly Sovereign, delighted, forthwith sent King Unakami back to build the Deity's temple. Thereupon the Heavenly Sovereign, on account of this august child, established the Totori Clan, the Torikahi Clan, the Homuji Clan, the Ohoyuwe and the Wakayuwe. ‹Previous chapterKojiki 71Next chapterKojiki 143›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