dominions of river and sea were: the Deity Foam-Calm;[1] next the Deity Foam-Waves; next the Deity Bubble-Calm; Next the Deity Bubble-Waves; next the Deity Heavenly-Water-Divider;[2] next the Deity Earthly-Water-Divider; next the Deity Heavenly-Water-Drawing-Gourd-Possessor;[3] next the Deity Earthly-Water-Drawing-Gourd-Possessor. (Eight Deities in all from the Deity Foam-Prince to the Deity Earthly-Water-Drawing-Gourd-Possessor.) Next they gave birth to the Deity of Wind, whose name is the Deity Prince-of-Long-Wind.[4] Next they gave birth to the Deity of Trees, whose name is Deity Stem-Elder,[5] next they gave birth to the Deity of Mountains, whose name is the Deity Great-Mountain-Possessor.[6] Next they gave birth to the Deity of Moors, whose name is the Deity Thatch-Moor-Princess,[7] another name for whom is the Deity Moor-Elder. (Four Deities in all from the Deity Prince-of-Long-Wind to Moor-Elder.) The names of the Deities
- ↑ The original names of this deity and the three that follow are Awa-nagi-no-kami, Awa-nami-no-kami, Tsura-nagi-no-kami, and Tsura-nami-no-kami. The interpretation of the component parts is open to doubt, but that here adopted has the authority of Motowori and Hirata.
- ↑ Ame-no-mi-kumari-no-kami. The following deity is Kuni-no-mi-kumari-no-kami.
- ↑ This Deity and the next are in the original Ame-no-ku-hiza-mochi-no-kami and Kuni-no-ku-hiza-mochi-no-kami. The etymology is obtained by comparison with a passage in the “Ritual for Averting Fire” (鎭火察祝詞).
- ↑ Shina-tsu-hiko-no-kami. The original of this name is explained by Motowori, who founds his view on two passages in the “Collection of a Myriad Leaves,” to signify Prince-of-Long-Breath. But the translator feels confident that shi-na, by him interpreted in the sense of “long breath” (or rather “long of breath”) should be connected with shi, an old word for wind which we see in ara-shi (“storm-wind”), ni-shi (“west-wind”), hi-gashi (“east wind”), and perhaps under a slightly altered form in kaze, “wind,” whereas shi nowhere occurs in the sense of “breath.” Hirata notices approvingly this etymology of shi (“Exposition of the Ancient Histories,” Vol. III. p. 63), though without venturing flatly to contradict his predecessor’s decision as to the import of the name in question. The difference in the meaning is after all slight. Na is to be taken as an apocopated form of nagaki, “long.” In later times Shinato has been used as a name for the north-west wind.
- ↑ Such seems to be the meaning of the original Kuku-no-chi-no-kami.
- ↑ Oho-yama-tsu-mi-no-kami.
- ↑ Kaya-nu-hime-no-kami. The etymology of the alternative personal name (in the original Nu-dzu-chi-no-kami) is not quite certain.
