the Chiefs of Adzumi are the descendants of His Augustness Utsushi-hi-gana-saku, a child of these Ocean-possessing deities.[1] These three deities His Augustness Elder-Male-of-the-Bottom, His Augustness Elder-Male-of-the-Middle, and His Augustness Elder-Male-of-the-Surface are the three great deities of the Inlet of Sumi.[2] The name of the deity that was born as he thereupon washed his left august eye was the Heaven-Shining-Great-August deity.[3] The name of the deity that was next born as he washed his right august eye was His Augustness Moon-Night-Possessor.[4] The name of the deity that was next born as he washed his august nose was His Brave-Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness.[5]
The fourteen deities in the foregoing list from the Wondrous-Deity-of-Eighty-Evils down to His Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness are deities born from the bathing of his august person.
- ↑ Attention must again be drawn to the vagueness of the Japanese perception of the distinction between singular and plural. As three deities are particularly and repeatedly mentioned in the foregoing text, we are forced to translate this passage in the plural; and yet how could one child have three fathers?
- ↑ Sumi-no-ye, also called Sumi-yoshi, i.e., by a play upon words, "pleasant to dwell in." The real etymology of sumi is not certain. Instead of "the three great deities," we might translate by "the great deities of the Three Shrines."
- ↑ This deity became the favorite of the Japanese, who regarded themselves as her descendants. She is the Sun-goddess, Amaterasu. The untranslated name would be Ama-terasu-oho-mi-kami. The causative form is simply honorific, and the two words ama terasu signify, as Motowori explains, "shining in heaven."
- ↑ Tsuki-yomi-no-kami. There is no doubt as to a moon-god being intended, but the precise import of the name is disputed. The translator has followed Mabuchi's view as quoted by Motowori, and which is supported by the fact that, from classical times down to the present day, tsuku-yo or tsuki-yo has been a word in common use to denote "a fine moonlight night." If we were to take yomi as one word, we should have to render it either by "Moon-Hades" or by "Moon-Darkness," which seem less appropriate designations, though still of plain enough intent.
- ↑ Susa, which is sometimes read Soso, is rendered by the word "impetuous," in accordance with Mabuchi's view as quoted by Motowori. This god is usually called Susa-no-wo. He is the rain-storm, a popular but mischievous deity.
at any rate the etymology of the word may be traced to ama-tsu-mochi, "possessors of fishermen."
