Japan Part 2

The _Kojiki_(30) has been translated into English, to which have been added a valuable introduction and notes. The _Nihongi_ (_Chronicles of j.a.pan_) has never been translated entire into English, but has been used by scholars in connection with the _Kojiki_. Among the j.a.panese it has always been more highly esteemed than the _Kojiki_, perhaps because of its more learned and cla.s.sical style.

Besides these two historical works the student of early times finds his chief a.s.sistance in the s.h.i.+nto rituals(31) contained in a work called _Yengis.h.i.+ki_ (_Code of Ceremonial Law_). They have been in part translated by Mr. Satow, who for many years was the learned j.a.panese secretary of the British legation, and who read two papers on them before the Asiatic Society of j.a.pan, and afterward prepared an article on the same subject for the _Westminster Review_.(32)

It will be apparent from these circ.u.mstances that the knowledge of the earlier events, indeed of all preceding the ninth century, must be derived from tradition and cannot claim the same certainty as when based on contemporaneous doc.u.ments. Not only the whole of the so-called divine age, but the reigns of the emperors from Jimmu to Richu, must be reckoned as belonging to the traditional period of j.a.panese history, and must be sifted and weighed by the processes of reason.

Relying on the narratives of the _Kojiki_ and the _Nihongi_, j.a.panese scholars have constructed a table of the emperors which has been accepted by the great ma.s.s of the readers, both foreign and native. It will be found in the Appendix.(33) It must be remembered that the names of these early emperors, their ages at the time of accession and at the time of death, and the length of reign, must have all been handed down by tradition during almost a thousand years. That errors and uncertainties should have crept in seems inevitable. Either the names and order of the successive emperors, or the length of time during which they reigned would be liable to be misstated. If we examine the list of emperors(34) we find that the ages at death of the first seventeen, beginning with Jimmu and ending with Nintoku, sum up 1853 years, with an average of 109 years(35) for each. The age of Jimmu is given as 127 years; of Koan 137 years, of Korei 128 years, of Keiko 143 years, of Nintoku, the last, 110 years, etc.

Then suddenly the ages of the emperors from Richu onward drop to 67, 60, 80, 56, etc., so that the ages of the seventeen emperors, beginning with Richu, have an average of only 61- years. This reasonable average extends down through the long series to the present time. It is plain that up to this time there must have existed a different system of reckoning the ages than that which pertained afterwards. Either the original epoch of the Emperor Jimmu has been rendered more remote and the lives of the emperors have been prolonged to fill up the s.p.a.ce, or, if we a.s.sume the epoch of Jimmu to be correct, we must suppose that a number of the emperors have been dropped from the count.

The sudden depression in the ages occurs about the time of the introduction of writing from China, which occurred in A.D. 284. Wani, who came from Korea to j.a.pan bringing continental culture with him, was appointed tutor to the heir-apparent who became the Emperor Nintoku.

During his and subsequent reigns a knowledge of Chinese writing gradually spread, so that the annals of the Imperial court were kept in regular and stated order. This will account without difficulty for the sudden change and for the irregularity of the early chronology.

Notwithstanding the almost absolute certainty of error which exists in the received j.a.panese chronology, it is by far more convenient to accept it in the form it is presented to us, and use it as if it were true. The early history must be treated as traditional and only the later period from the beginning of the fourth century can be accepted as in any sense historical. Yet the events of the earlier period which have been preserved for us by oral tradition are capable with due care and inspection of furnis.h.i.+ng important lessons and disclosing many facts in regard to the lives and characteristics of the primitive j.a.panese.

In writing the history of Rome, Dr. Thomas Arnold(36) said that the only way to treat its early history was to give the early legends in as nearly the form in which they had been handed down as possible; that in this way the spirit of the people would be preserved and the residuum of truth in them would become the heritage of the present generation. We have tried to treat the myths and legends of j.a.panese history in this manner, and have given the princ.i.p.al stories as they are preserved among the j.a.panese.

_The Origin of the Celestial Deities._

The scene opens in the plain of high heaven. When heaven and earth began there were three deities(37) in existence, that is:

Master-of-the-August-Centre-of-Heaven, High-August-Producing-Wondrous-Deity, Divine-Producing-Wondrous-Deity.

These three came into existence without creation and afterwards died.

Then two other deities were born from a thing that sprouted up like unto a reed shoot when the earth, young and like unto floating oil, drifted about medusa-like, viz.:

Pleasant-Reed-Shoot-Prince-Elder-Deity, Heavenly-Externally-Standing-Deity.

These two deities likewise came into existence without creation and afterward died.

The five deities above named are called the Heavenly Deities.

Next were born,

Earthly-Eternally-Standing-Deity, Luxuriant-Integrating-Master-Deity.

These two deities likewise came into existence without creation and afterwards died.

Next were born,

Mud-Earth-Lord and Mud-Earth-Lady, Germ-Integrating-Deity and Life-Integrating-Deity, Elder-of-the-Great-Place and Elder-Lady-of-the-Great-Place, Perfect-Exterior and Oh-Awful-Lady, The-Male-who-invites and The-Female-who-invites; or Izanagi and Izanami.

The two deities named above together with these five pairs are called the seven divine generations.

_The Creation of the j.a.panese Islands._

Then the heavenly deities gave commandment to Izanagi and Izanami to make, consolidate, and give birth to this drifting land. For their divine mission they received a heavenly jewelled spear. With this, standing on the floating bridge of heaven, they reached down and stirred the brine and then drew up the spear. The brine that dripped from the end of the spear was piled up and became the island of Onogoro(38) or Self-Coagulated Island. Then the pair descended upon this island and erected thereon a palace eight fathoms long. Here they lived and begat successive islands.

The first was the island of Hirugo, which, as it was a miscarriage, they put in a boat of bulrushes and let it float away. The second was the island of Awa, which also is not reckoned among their offspring. The next was the island of Awaji,(39) and the next the land of Iyo by which is understood the present island of s.h.i.+koku.

So in succession they produced the islands of Mitsugo, near the island of Oki, the island of Tsukus.h.i.+, which is now called Kyushu, the island of Iki, the island of Tsu, and the island of Sado, and lastly the Great-Yamato-the-Luxuriant-Island-of-the-Dragon-Fly, which is supposed to mean the princ.i.p.al island, named in these pages the Main island. Afterward they produced Kojima in Kibi, Os.h.i.+ma, the island of Adzuki, the island of Hime, the island of Chika, and the islands of Futago.

Thus were finished the labors of this industrious pair in producing the islands of j.a.pan. Then they turned to the duty of begetting additional deities, and thirty-five are named as their descendants. But as their names do not appear in the record of subsequent events, we omit them here.

Finally the Deity of Fire was born, and the mother in giving birth to this child died and departed into hades. Izanagi was overwhelmed with grief at his wife's death. The tears which he shed turned into the Crying-Weeping-Female-Deity. In his madness he drew the ten-grasp(40) sabre with which he was augustly girded, and cut off the head of the Deity of Fire. Three deities were born from the blood that stuck to the blade; three were born from the blood that besprinkled the sword guard; two were born from the blood which oozed out through his fingers as they grasped the hilt; and eight were born from the head and trunk of the slaughtered deity.

_Descent into Hades._

Then Izanagi resolved to follow his spouse into the land of hades. At the gate of the palace of hades she came out to meet him. After an interview with him she went back to seek the advice of the deities of hades. To her impatient husband she seemed to tarry too long. So he broke off the end-tooth of the comb stuck in his hair, and kindling it as a torch he went in. He was appalled by the dreadful pollution of the place, and by the loathsome condition of his spouse. He fled from the scene followed by the furious guards. By guile and by force, however, he escaped and came again to the upper regions.

_Purification of Izanagi._

Then Izanagi, in order to purify himself from the pollution of hades, came to a small stream on the island of Tsukus.h.i.+. So he threw down the august staff which he carried and it became a deity. He took off his girdle and it became a deity. He threw down his skirt and it became a deity. And he took off his upper garment and it became a deity. And from his trousers which he threw down there was born a deity. Three deities were born from the bracelet which he took from his left arm, and three from the bracelet which he took from his right arm. Thus twelve deities were born from the things which he took off.

Then he found that the waters in the upper reach were too rapid, and the waters in the lower reach were too sluggish. So he plunged into the waters of the middle reach. And as he washed, there were born successive deities, whose names it is not needful to mention. But when he washed his left august eye there was born from it the Heaven-s.h.i.+ning-Great-August-Deity,(41) or as she is often called the Sun G.o.ddess.

When he washed his right august eye there was born His-Augustness-Moon-Night-Possessor. Then when he washed his august nose there was born His-Brave-Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness. Thus fourteen deities were born from his bathing. All these deities, as well as those before produced, seem to have come into being in full maturity, and did not need years of growth to develop their final powers.

Izanagi was greatly delighted with the beauty and brilliancy of these last three children. He took from his neck his august necklace and gave it to the Sun G.o.ddess, saying, Rule thou in the plains of high heaven. Then he gave command to the Moon-Night-Possessor, Rule thou the dominion of the night.

And to His-Impetuous-Male-Augustness he commanded, Rule thou the plain of the sea. But His-Impetuous-Male-Augustness did not a.s.sume command of his domain, but cried and wept till his beard reached the pit of his stomach.

Then Izanagi said to him, How is it that thou dost not take possession of thy domain, but dost wail and weep? He replied, I weep because I wish to go to my mother in hades. Then Izanagi said, If that be so thou shalt not dwell in this land. So he expelled him with a divine expulsion (whatever that may mean).

_Visit of His-Impetuous-Male-Augustness to the Heavenly Plains._

Then His-Impetuous-Male-Augustness said, I will first take leave of my sister who rules in the plains of heaven. When the Sun G.o.ddess saw her brother coming she put jewels in her hair and on her arms, slung two quivers of arrows on her back, put an elbow pad upon her left arm, and, brandis.h.i.+ng her bow, she went out to meet him. She demanded of him why he ascended hither. Then he replied that he had no malicious intentions; that his august father had expelled him with a divine expulsion, and that he had come to take leave of her before departing to the land of hades.

Thereupon she proposed to him a test of his sincerity. They stood on opposite sides of the tranquil river of heaven. She begged him to reach her his mighty sabre. She broke it into three pieces and crunched the pieces in her mouth, and blew the fragments away. Her breath and the fragments which she blew away were turned into three female deities. Then His-Impetuous-Male-Augustness took the jewels which she wore in her hair, and the jewels which she wore in her head-dress, and the jewels she wore on her left arm, and the jewels she wore on her right arm, and crunched them and blew them out, and they were turned into five male deities. Then the Sun G.o.ddess declared that the three female deities which were produced from her brother's sword belonged to him, and the five male deities which were produced from her own jewels belonged to her. But His-Impetuous-Male-Augustness was angry at this decision, and broke down the fences of her rice fields, and filled up the water sluices, and defiled her garden. And as she sat with her maidens in the weaving hall, he broke a hole in the roof and dropped upon them a piebald horse which he had flayed with a backward flaying.(42)

_Retirement of the Sun G.o.ddess._

Then the Sun G.o.ddess closed the door of the cave in which the weaving hall was, and the whole plain of heaven and the Central-Land-of-Reed-Plains were darkened, and night prevailed, and portents of woe were seen on every hand. Myriads of deities a.s.sembled in the bed of the tranquil river of heaven and besought the deity Thought-Includer, child of the High-August-Producing-Wondrous-Deity, the second of the original trio of deities, to propose a plan for inducing the Sun G.o.ddess to reappear. They gathered the c.o.c.ks of the barn-door fowl and made them crow; they wrought a metal mirror; they constructed a string of beautiful jewels; they performed divination with the shoulder-blade of a stag; they took a plant of Sakaki and hung on its branches the strings of jewels, the mirror, and offerings of peace. Then they caused the rituals to be recited, and a dance to be danced, and all the a.s.sembled deities laughed aloud. The Sun G.o.ddess heard these sounds of merriment and was amazed. She softly opened the door and looked out, and asked the meaning of all this tumult. They told her it was because they had found another G.o.ddess more ill.u.s.trious than she. At the same time they held before her luminous face the mirror which they had made. Astonished, she stepped out, and they shut and fastened the door behind her. And the plain of heaven and the Central-Land-of-Reed-Plains became light again.

Then the a.s.sembled deities took council together, and caused His-Impetuous-Male-Augustness to be punished and expelled with a divine expulsion.

_His-Impetuous-Male-Augustness in Izumo._

So His-Impetuous-Male-Augustness came to the river Hi in Izumo. And he found there an old man and an old woman and a young girl, and they were weeping. And he asked them why they wept. And the old man answered. I once had eight daughters; but every year an eight-forked serpent comes and devours one of them; and now it is the time for it to come again. Then the deity said, Wilt thou give me thy daughter if I save her from the serpent?

And he eagerly promised her. Then the deity said, Do you brew eight tubs of strong _sake_, and set each on a platform within an enclosure. So they brewed and set the _sake_ according to his bidding. Then the eight-forked serpent came and putting a head in each tub drank up all the _sake_, and being intoxicated therewith went to sleep. The deity then with his sabre hacked the serpent in pieces, and the blood flowed out and reddened the river. But when he came to the middle tail his sabre was broken, and when he searched he found that within the tail was a great sword which he took out. And this is the herb-quelling-great-sword.

Then His-Impetuous-Male-Augustness built for himself a palace and dwelt there with his wife, and made the old man the master of his palace.

Here follows a line of legends relating to the deities of the land of Izumo, which do not concern particularly our story, except that they show that Izumo was closely connected with the early migrations from the continent. It must be remembered that Izumo lies almost directly opposite to Korea, and that this would be a natural point to which the nomadic tribes of Asia would turn in seeking for new fields in which to settle.

_Plans for Pacifying the Land._

Then the heavenly deities consulted together how they might pacify the lands of j.a.pan. They sent down one of their number to report on its condition. But he went no farther than the floating bridge of heaven, and seeing the violence which prevailed he returned. Then they sent another; but he made friends with the insurgent deities and brought back no report.

Again they sent an envoy, who married the daughter of the insurgent deity, and for eight years sent back no report. After this they sent a pheasant down to inquire why a report was not sent. This bird perched on a ca.s.sia tree at the palace gate of the delinquent envoy, and he hearing its mournful croaking shot it with an arrow, which flew up through the ether and landed in the plains of heaven. The arrow was shot down again and killed the envoy. Finally two other envoys were sent down, who landed in Izumo, and after some parley with the refractory deities of the land received their adhesion and settled and pacified the land. Then they returned to the heavenly plains and reported that peace was established.

_Descent of the August Grandchild._