Thought-Includer and likewise all the Deities said: "“He who is named the Deity Majestic-Point-Blade-Extended[1] and dwells in the Heavenly Rock-Dwelling by the source of the Tranquil River of Heaven, is the one that should be sent; or if not this Deity, then this Deity’s child, the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity,[2] might be sent, Moreover,[3] owing to this Deity Heavenly-Point-Blade-Extended having blocked up and turned back the waters of the Tranquil River of Heaven, and to his dwelling with the road blocked up, other Deities cannot go [thither]. So the Heavenly-Deer-Deity[4] should be sent specially to ask him.” So then the Heavenly-Deer-Deity was sent to ask the Deity Heavenly-Point-Blade-Extended, who replied, saying: “I will obey, and will respectfully serve you. Nevertheless on this errand[5] ye should send my[6] child, the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity,”[7]—[and with these words] immediately offered [his son to the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity]. So the Deity Heavenly-Bird-Boat[8] was attached to the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity, and they were sent off. Therefore these two Deities, descending to the little shore[9] of Inasa[10] in the
- ↑ Itsu-no-wo-ha-bari no kami. We have already seen (Sect. VIII, Note 15) this name (minus the title of Deity) as the appellation of the sword with which Izanagi (“the Male-Who-Invites”) decapitated his son Kagu-tsu-chi (“Shining Elder”) for having by his birth caused the death of Izanami (“the Female-Who-Invites.”) This sword’s alternative name appears immediately below as the alternative name of this deity,—Ame-no-wo-ha-bari-no-kami, i.e., “the Deity Heavenly-Point-Blade-Extended.” Motowori’s gloss to the effect that the deity was the spirit of the sword has no warrant from the text.
- ↑ Take-mika-dzu-chi-no-wo-no-kumi. See Sect. VIII. Note 7.
- ↑ Here, as in Sect. IX. (Note 6) the character 且, “moreover,” occurs where some other Conjunction would seem more appropriate both in Japanese and in English. We may here understand it to be used for “but.”
- ↑ Ame-no-kaku-no-kami. The interpretation of kaku as “deer” is Hirata’s. See his “Exposition of the Ancient Histories,” Vol. XXII, p. 6, and conf. the remarks on Mount Kagu in Sect. VII. Note 12 of this translation.
- ↑ Literally, “in this road.”
- ↑ The First Personal Pronoun is here represented by the humble character 僕, “servant.”
- ↑ See Sect. VIII, Note 7.
- ↑ Tori-bune-no-kami. See Sect. VI, Note 24.
- ↑ The word “little” is merely a sort of Honorific Expletive.
- ↑ The true etymology of this word is doubtful; for Motowori’s proposal to
