Adzuki,[1] another name for which is Oho-Nu-De-Hime. Next they gave birth to the Island of Oho [-shima],[2] another name for which is Oho-Tamaru-Wake. Next they gave birth to the Island of Hime,[3] another name for which is Heaven’s-One-Root. Next they gave birth to the Island of Chika,[4] another name for which is Heavenly-Great-Male. Next they gave birth to the Island[s] of Futa-go,[5] another name for which is Heaven’s-Two-Houses. (Six islands in all from the Island of Ko in Kibi to the Island of Heaven’s-Two-Houses.)
[Sect. VI.—Birth of the Various Deities.]
When they had finished giving birth to countries, they began afresh giving birth to Deities. So the name of the Deity they gave birth to was the Deity Great-Male-of-the-Great-Thing;[6] next they gave birth to the Deity Rock-Earth-Prince;[7] next they gave birth to the Deity
- ↑ Adzuki is writen with the characters 小豆, which signify a kind of bean (the Phaseolus radiatus); but it is possible that they represent the sound, and not the sense, of the name. In the alternative personal name oho signifies “great,” and hime “princess,” while the syllables nu-de are of altogether uncertain interpretation. Motowori suggests that nu may mean “moor” and de (for te) “clapper-bell.”
- ↑ I.e., Great Island. The word tamaru in the alternative personal name is so obscure that not even any plausible conjecture concerning it has been ventured and the name is therefore of necessity left untranslated.
- ↑ Hime signifies “princess” or “maiden.” The original of the alternative personal name is Ame-hito-tsu-ne.
- ↑ Etymology uncertain. Motowori would take the name in a Plural sense as standing for the modern islands of Hirado and Go-tō (Goto). The original of the alternative personal name is Ame-no-oshi-wo, in which as usual, oshi is supposed to represent ohoshi (大), “great.”
- ↑ Futa-go means “twins.” The original of the alternative personal name is Ame-futa-ya.
- ↑ Oho-koto-oshi-wo-no-kami. “The Male-Enduring-Great-Things” would be a possible, but less good rendering. This god is identified by Motowori with Koto-toke-no-wo mentioned in “One account” of the “Chronicles of Japan.”
- ↑ The original Iha-tsuchi-biko-no-kami (石土昆古神) is identified by Motowori with Uha-dzutsu-no-wo (上箇之男) mentioned in Sect. X (Note 18). He would interpret the first tsu (dzu) as the Genitive particle and the second as identical with the “Honorific appellation ji of males,” which occurs in such words as Hiko-ji, Oho-to-no-ji, etc. If this surmise were correct, the entire name would signify Upper-Lord-Prince; but it is safer to be guided by the characters in the text.
