Vol. XXIII.]
Vol. II. Sect. LXV.
177
spear the Deity of Sumisaka[1] at Uda, and with a black-coloured shield and spear the Deity of Ohosaka;[2] likewise to present august offerings of cloth to all the Deities of the august declivities of the hills and to all the Deities of the reaches of the rivers, without neglecting any.[3][4] In consequence of this the pestilential vapour ceased altogether, and the country was tranquillized.
[Sect. LXV.—Emperor Sū-jun (Part III.—Story of Oho-taka-ne-ko’s Birth).]
The reason why this person called Oho-tata-ne-ko was known to be a Deity’s child, was that the above-mentioned Iku-tama-yori-bime was regularly beautiful,[5] whereupon a [divine[6]] youth [who thought] the majesty of her appearance without comparison in the world,[7] came
- ↑ Sumisaka probably signifies “charcoal-hill.” Uda, which has already been mentioned in Sect. XLVI, is in Yamato. This passage may equally well be rendered thus: “to present a red-coloured shield and spear to the Deity of Sumisaka,” and similarly in the following clause. The meaning comes nearly to the same.
- ↑ Literally, “great hill,” or “great pass.” It is at the boundary of the provinces of Yamato and Kahachi. Neither Motowori nor Tanigaha Shisei sanctions the view of the elder scholars, who fancied they saw in the distinction of red and black some mysterious import connected with the four cardinal points.
- ↑ In the Old Printed Edition the text of this passage differs slightly from that adopted by Motowori; but the meaning is exactly the same.
- ↑ A large lacuna here occurs in the “Old Printed Edition,” in which the four hundred and forty-five Chinese characters forming the original of the following part of the translation, from the words, “In consequence of this” down to the words immediately preceding “Methinks this is a sign” on p. 180 are missing. Both the editor of 1687 and Motowori are silent as to the manner in which they supplied the deficiency; but it may be presumed from their silence that the MS. authorities furnished them with what had accidentally been omitted from the printed text.
- ↑ It is not easy to render literally into English the force of the characters 容姿端正, containing this description of the maiden’s beauty, and of 形姿威儀 in the next clause. But it is hoped that at least the translation represents them better than do Motowori’s readings kaho yokariki and kaho sugata.
- ↑ This word, which is not in most texts, was supplied by the editor of 1687, and is adopted by Motowori on apparently satisfactory grounds.
- ↑ Literally, “in the time.”
