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As soon as Izanagi returned to earth he hastened to wash himself in the sea, at a locality which cannot be precisely determined, but it appears to have been in either Hiuga or Chikuzen. The legend says, “The names of the gods whom he produced by blowing when he plunged into the middle shoal and washed, were Yaso-Maga-tsu-hi no kami and Oho-Maga-tsu-hi no kami. These two gods originated from the pollution which affected him when he went to that region of perpetual foulness. * * The names of the gods whom he produced by blowing in order to correct the evil [to be done by the two last] were Kamu-Nawo-bi no kami and Oho-Nawo-bi no kami. * * The name of the god who originated subsequently when he washed his left eye was Ama-terasu oho-mi-kami, also called Ama-terasu-oho-hiru-me no mikoto, and the name of the god who originated when he washed his right eye was Tsuku-yomi no mikoto, also called Take-haya-Susa-no-wo no mikoto. Then Izanagi no kami rejoiced greatly, and said, “I have begotten Child upon Child, and at the end of my begetting, I have begotten me two rare Children.” Now the brightness of the Person of Ama-terasu oho-mi-kami was beautiful, and shone through heaven and earth. Izanagi no kami spake, and said, “Though my children are many, none of them is like this miraculous Child. She is not to he kept in this region.” Then taking the necklace of precious stones from his neck, and rattling it, he gave it to Ama-terasu oho-mi-kami, and spake, commanding her in these words, “Rule thou over Takama no hara.” As the distance between the sun and the earth was not great at this period, he sent her up by the Ame-no-mi-hashira. * * Next he spake unto Take-haya-susa-no-wo no mikoto, and commanded him, saying, “Rule thou over Awo-una-bara, and the multitudinous salt water.” * *
The statement that Takehaya-Susa-no-wo is another name of Tsukuyomi is not to be found in any of the ancient texts, and is an emendation of Hirata’s, founded upon the grounds already noticed for supposing the two gods to be in reality one. The Ame no mi-hashira was
