tegrating-Master deity. These two deities were likewise deities born alone, and hid their persons. The names of the deities that were born next were the deity Mud-Earth-Lord; next, his younger sister the deity Mud-Earth-Lady; next, the Germ-Integrating deity; next, his younger sister the Life-Integrating deity; next, the deity of Elder-of-the-Great-Place; next, his younger sister the deity Elder-Lady-of-the-Great-Place; next, the deity Perfect-Exterior; next, his younger sister the deity Oh-Awful-Lady; next, the deity Izanagi or the Male-Who-Invites; next, his younger sister Izanami or the deity the Female-Who-Invites.[1]
From the Earthly-Eternally-Standing deity down to the deity the Female-Who-Invites in the previous list are what are termed the Seven Divine Generations.
THE ISLAND OF ONOGORO
Hereupon all the Heavenly deities commanded the two deities His Augustness the Male-Who-Invites and Her Augustness the Female-Who-Invites, ordering them to "make, consolidate, and give birth to this drifting land." Granting to them a heavenly jeweled spear, they thus deigned to charge them. So the two deities, standing upon the Floating Bridge of Heaven,[2] pushed down the jeweled spear and stirred with it, whereupon, when they had stirred the brine
- ↑ Izana-gi-no-kami and Izana-mi-no-kami. There is some slight diversity of opinion as to the literal signification of the component parts of the names of these the best-known of the deities hitherto mentioned, though the gist of the meaning remains unchanged. Motowori would prefer to read Iza-na-gi and Iza-na-mi, understanding the names thus: "the Prince-Who-Invites-Thee" and the "Princess-Who-Invites-Thee."
- ↑ Ama-no-uki-hashi or Ame-no-uki-hashi. The best authorities are at variance as to the nature of this bridge uniting Heaven with Earth. Hirata identifies it with the Heavenly-Rock-Boat (Ame-no-iha-fune) mentioned in some ancient writings, whereas Motowori takes it to have been a real bridge, and finds traces of it and of similar bridges in the so-called "Heavenly Stairs" (Ama-no-hashi-date) which are found on
all the native editors. As the expressions "Heavenly deity" and "Earthly deity" (literally "Country deity") are of frequent occurrence in these "Records," it may be as well to state that, according to Motowori, the "Heavenly deities" were such as either dwelt in Heaven or had originally descended to Earth from Heaven, whereas the Earthly deities were those born and dwelling in Japan.
