given birth to by these two Deities, the Deity Great-Mountain-Possessor and the Deity Moor-Elder from their separate dominions of mountain and moor were: the Deity Heavenly-Elder-of-the-Passes, next the Deity Earthly-Elder-of-the-Passes;[1] next the Deity Heavenly-Pass-Boundary, next the Deity Earthly-Pass-Boundary;[2] next the Deity Heavenly-Dark-Door, next the Deity Earthly Dark-Door;[3] next the Deity Great-Vale-Prince, next the Deity Great-Vale-Princess.[4] (Eight Deities in all from the Deity Heavenly-Elder-of the-Passes to the Deity Great-Vale-Princess.) The name of the Deity they[5] next gave birth to was the Deity Bird’s-Rock-Camphor-tree-Boat,[6] another name for whom is the Heavenly-Bird-Boat. Next they gave birth to the Deity Princess-
- ↑ The original of these two names is Ame-no-sa-dzu-chi-no-kami and Kuni-no-sa-dzu-chi-no-kami. Their signification is obscure, but the translator has, after some hesitation, followed Motowori’s interpretation. The words “heavenly” and “earthly” should probable be considered as qualifying “passes.” This word “pass,” used here and elsewhere to render the Japanese term saka (sa), must be understood to include lesser ascents than those very arduous ones which are alone denoted by the word “pass” in ordinary English parlance. In the later language of Japan the word tauge (tōge) generally denotes “passes” properly so called, while saka is restricted to the meaning of small ascents or hills. But this distinction is by no means strictly observed.
- ↑ Ame-no-sa-giri-no-kami and Kuni-no-sa-giri-no-kami. Sa seems to be rightly considered, as in the two preceding names, to be an archaic form of saka (properly sa-ka, “hill-place”), and giri as an apocopated form of kagiri, (properly ka-giri, “place-cutting”), “limit” or “boundary.” Hirata however, following the Chinese character with which kiri is written, interprets it in the sense of “mist.”
- ↑ Ame-no-kura-do-no-kami and Kuni-no-kura-do-no-kami. Motowori explains kura (闇, “dark”) by tani (谷, “valley”), and to (戸, “door”) by tokoro (處, “place”).
- ↑ Such appears to be the proper interpretation of the originals of these two names, Oko-tomato-hiko-no-kami and Oho-tomato-hime-no-kami, tomato being plausibly referred to towomaru and tawamu. It is difficult to find an English word to represent exactly the idea, which is rather that of a gentle fold in the mountains than of the narrower and steeper hollow which we call a “valley.”
- ↑ I.e., the Prince-Who-Invites and the Princess-Who-Invites (Izana-gi and Izana-mi).
- ↑ Tori-no-iha-kusa-bune-no-kami. The alternative name is Ame-no-tori-bune, from which the title of Deity is omitted. Motowori’s Commentary, Vol. V. pp. 52–53 should be consulted on the subject of this deity.
