- V.—Religious and Political Ideas of the Early Japanese. Beginnings of the Japanese Nation, and Credibility of the National Traditions.
I.
The Text and Its Authenticity, Together with
Bibliographical Notes.
The latter portion of the Preface to the “Records of Ancient Matters” is the only documentary authority for the origin of the work. It likewise explains its scope. But though in so doing the author descends to a more matter-of-fact style than the high-sounding Chinese phrases and elaborate allusions with which he had set forth, still his meaning may be found to lack somewhat of clearness, and it will be as well to have the facts put into language more intelligible to the European student. This having already been done by Mr. Satow in his paper on the “Revival of Pure Shintô,”[1] it will be best simply to quote his words. They are as follows: “The Emperor Temmu, at what portion of his reign is not mentioned, lamenting that the records possessed by the chief families contained many errors, resolved to take steps to preserve the true traditions from oblivion. He therefore had the records carefully examined, compared, and weeded of their faults. There happened to be in his household a person of marvellous memory named Hiyeda no Are, who could repeat without mistake the contents of any document he had ever seen, and never forgot anything that he had heard. Temmu Tennô[2] took the pains to instruct this person in the genuine traditions and ‘old language of former ages,’' and to make him repeat them until he had the whole by heart. ‘Before the undertaking was completed,’ which probably means before it could be committed to writing, the Emperor died, and for twenty-five years Are’s memory was the sole depository of what afterwards received the title of Kojiki[3] or Furu-koto-bumi as it is read by Motoori. At the end of this interval the Empress Gemmiô ordered Yasumaro to write it down from the
