was] rotting, and in her head dwelt the Great-Thunder, in her breast dwelt the Fire-Thunder, in her belly dwelt the Black-Thunder, in her private parts dwelt the Cleaving-Thunder, in her left hand[1] dwelt the Young-Thunder, in her right hand dwelt the Earth-Thunder, in her left foot[2] dwelt the Rumbling-Thunder, in her right foot dwell the Couchant-Thunder:—altogether eight Thunder-Deities had been born and dwelt there.[3] Hereupon His Augustness the Male-Who-Invites, overawed at the sight, fled back, whereupon his younger sister Her Augustness the Female-Who-Invites said: “Thou hast put me to shame,” and at once sent the Ugly-Female-of-Hades[4] to pursue him. So His Augustness the Male-Who-Invites took his black august head-dress[5] and cast it down, and it instantly turned into grapes. While she picked them up and ate them, he fled on; but as she still pursued him, he took and broke the multitudinous and close-toothed comb in the right bunch [of his hair] and cast it down, and it instanly turned into bamboo-sprouts. While she pulled them up and ate them, he fled on. Again later [his younger sister] sent the eight Thunder-Deities with a thousand and five hundred warriors
- ↑ Or “arm.”
- ↑ Or “leg.”
- ↑ The Japanese names of the eight Thunder-Deities are: Oho-ikadzuchi, Ho-no-ikadzuchi, Kuro-ikadzuchi, Saku-ikadzuchi, Waki-ikadzuchi, Tsuchi-ikadzuchi, Naru-ikadzuchi, and Fushi-ikadzuchi. Moribe, in his Critique on Motowori’s Commentary, has some observations on the appropriateness of each of these names which the student will do well to consult if the work should be published.
- ↑ Yomo-tsu-shiko-me.
- ↑ We might perhaps with equal propriety render by “wreath” the word here translated head-dress,—leaves and flowers having been the earliest ornaments for the hair. In later times, however, it has been Used to designate any sort of head-dress, and that is also the dictionary meaning of the Chinese character with which it is written. The Japanese words for “head-dress” and “creeper” are homonymous, and indeed the former is probably but a specialised acceptation of the latter.
considered a mere invention made to account for the peculiar expression in the text. Motowori tells us however that “it is said by a native” that these actions are still (latter part of 18th century) considered unlucky in the province of Ihami, and the same superstition also survives, as the translator is assured, in Yedo itself. It is to be understood that it was the large tooth broken off from the comb which the god lighted.
