__FORCETOC__ Susanoo (, ; historical orthography: , ), often referred to by the honorific title Susanoo-no-Mikoto (), is a in

Japanese mythology Japanese mythology is a collection of traditional stories, folktales, and beliefs that emerged in the islands of the Japanese archipelago. Shinto traditions are the cornerstones of Japanese mythology. The history of thousands of years of contac ...

. The younger brother of

Amaterasu , often called Amaterasu () for short, also known as and , is the goddess of the sun in Japanese mythology. Often considered the chief deity (''kami'') of the Shinto pantheon, she is also portrayed in Japan's earliest literary texts, the () ...

, goddess of the sun and mythical ancestress of the Japanese imperial line, he is a multifaceted deity with contradictory characteristics (both good and bad), being portrayed in various stories either as a wild, impetuous god associated with the

sea A sea is a large body of salt water. There are particular seas and the sea. The sea commonly refers to the ocean, the interconnected body of seawaters that spans most of Earth. Particular seas are either marginal seas, second-order section ...

and

storm A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstor ...

s, as a heroic figure who killed a monstrous serpent, or as a local deity linked with the harvest and agriculture. Syncretic beliefs of the Gion cult that arose after the introduction of

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

to Japan also saw Susanoo becoming conflated with deities of pestilence and disease. Susanoo, alongside Amaterasu and the earthly

Ōkuninushi Ōkuninushi (; historical orthography: , ), also known as Ō(a)namuchi (''Oho(a)namuchi'') or Ō(a)namochi (''Oho(a)namochi'') among other variants, is a ''kami'' in Japanese mythology. He is one of the central deities in the cycle of myths re ...

(also Ōnamuchi) – depicted as either Susanoo's son or scion depending on the source – is one of the central deities of the imperial Japanese mythological cycle recorded in the ( CE) and the (720 CE). One of the gazetteer reports () commissioned by the imperial court during the same period these texts were written, that of

Izumo Province was an Old provinces of Japan, old province of Japan which today consists of the eastern part of Shimane Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province is in the Chūgoku region. History During the early Kofun period (3rd century) this reg ...

(modern

Shimane Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Shimane Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-least populous prefecture of Japan at 665,205 (February 1, 2021) and has a ge ...

) in western Japan, also contains a number of short legends concerning Susanoo or his children, suggesting a connection between the god and this region. In addition, a few other myths also hint at a connection between Susanoo and the

Korean Peninsula Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically divided at or near the 38th parallel between North Korea (Dem ...

Name

Susanoo's name is variously given in the as , , or simply as . ''-no-Mikoto'' is a common honorific appended to the names of Japanese gods; it may be understood as similar to the English honorific 'the Great'. He is meanwhile named in the as , , , and . The of

renders his name both as and . In these texts the following honorific prefixes are attached to his name: , , and . The in Susanoo's name has been variously explained as being derived from either of the following words: *The verb or meaning 'to be impetuous,' 'to be violent,' or 'to go wild' *The verb , 'to advance' *The township of in Iishi District,

(modern

) *A word related to the

Middle Korean Middle Korean is the period in the history of the Korean language succeeding Old Korean and yielding in 1600 to the Modern period. The boundary between the Old and Middle periods is traditionally identified with the establishment of Goryeo in 918 ...

, meaning 'master' or 'shaman'

Mythology

Parentage

The ( CE) and the (720 CE) both agree in their description of Susanoo as the son of the god

Izanagi Izanagi (イザナギ/伊邪那岐/伊弉諾) or Izanaki (イザナキ), formally referred to with a divine honorific as , is the creator deity (''kami'') of both creation and life in Japanese mythology. He and his sister-wife Izanami are the ...

and the younger brother of

, the goddess of the

sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...

, and of

Tsukuyomi , or simply or , is the moon kami in Japanese mythology and the Shinto religion. The name "Tsukuyomi" is a compound of the Old Japanese words and . The ''Nihon Shoki'' mentions this name spelled as , but this ''yumi'' is likely a variation ...

, the god of the

moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...

. The circumstances surrounding the birth of these three deities, collectively known as the , however, vary between sources. *In the , Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Susanoo came into existence when Izanagi bathed in a river to purify himself after visiting

Yomi is the Japanese language, Japanese word for the underworld, land of the dead (World of Darkness). According to Shinto mythology as related in ''Kojiki'', this is where the dead go in the afterlife. Once one has eaten at the hearth of Yomi it is ...

, the underworld, in a failed attempt to rescue his deceased wife, Izanami. Amaterasu was born when Izanagi washed his left eye, Tsukuyomi was born when he washed his right eye, and Susanoo was born when he washed his nose. Izanagi then appoints Amaterasu to rule , Tsukuyomi the night, and Susanoo the seas. Susanoo, who missed his mother, kept crying and howling incessantly until his beard grew long, causing the mountains to wither and the rivers to dry up. An angry Izanagi then "expelled him with a divine expulsion." *The main narrative of the has Izanagi and Izanami procreating after creating the Japanese archipelago; to them were born (in the following order) Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, the 'leech-child'

Hiruko , also transliterated or called or , is the Japanese god of fishermen and luck. He is one of the , and the only one of the seven to originate purely from Japan without any Buddhist or Taoist influence. Origins as Hiruko In Feudal times, Ebisu' ...

, and Susanoo. Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi were sent up to heaven to govern it, while Hiruko – who even at the age of three could not stand upright – was placed on the and set adrift. Susanoo, whose wailing laid waste to the land, was expelled and sent to the netherworld (

Ne-no-Kuni or in the ''Nihon Shoki'', also called or in the ''Kojiki'', refers to a netherworld in Japanese mythology. It is sometimes considered to be identical to Yomi, another netherworld in the myths as well as . There is no clear consensus on the rel ...

). (In the , Hiruko is the couple's very first offspring, born before the islands of Japan and the other deities were created; there he is set afloat on a boat of reeds.) *A variant legend recorded in the has Izanagi begetting Amaterasu by holding a

bronze mirror Bronze mirrors preceded the glass mirrors of today. This type of mirror, sometimes termed a copper mirror, has been found by archaeologists among elite assemblages from various cultures, from Etruscan Italy to Japan. Typically they are round a ...

in his left hand, Tsukuyomi by holding another mirror in his right hand, and Susanoo by turning his head and looking sideways. Susanoo is here also said to be banished by Izanagi due to his destructive nature. *A third variant in the has Izanagi and Izanami begetting Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, Hiruko, and Susanoo, as in the main narrative. This version specifies the Rock-Camphor Boat on which Hiruko was placed in to be the couple's fourth offspring. The fifth child, the fire god

Kagutsuchi Kagutsuchi (カグツチ; Old Japanese: ''Kagututi''), also known as Hi-no-Kagutsuchi or Homusubi among other names, is the kami of fire in classical Japanese mythology. Mythology Kagutsuchi's birth burned his mother Izanami, causing her death. ...

, caused the death of Izanami (as in the ). As in other versions, Susanoo – who "was of a wicked nature, and was always fond of wailing and wrath" – is here expelled by his parents.

Susanoo and Amaterasu

Before Susanoo leaves, he ascends to Takamagahara, wishing to say farewell to his sister Amaterasu. As he did so, the mountains and rivers shook and the land quaked. Amaterasu, suspicious of his motives, went out to meet him dressed in male clothing and clad in armor, but when Susanoo proposed a trial by pledge () to prove his sincerity, she accepted. In the ritual, the two gods each chewed and spat out an object carried by the other (in some variants, an item they each possessed). *Both the and the 's main account relate that Amaterasu broke Susanoo's into three, chewed them and then spat them out. Three goddesses – Takiribime (Tagorihime), Ichikishimahime, and Tagitsuhime – were thus born. Susanoo then took the strings of beads Amaterasu entwined in her hair and round her wrists, likewise chewed the beads and spat them out. Five male deities – Ame-no-Oshihomimi, Ame-no-Hohi, Amatsuhikone, Ikutsuhikone, and Kumano-no-Kusubi – then came into existence. *A variant account in the has Amaterasu chew three different swords she bore with her – a ten-span sword, a , and an – while Susanoo chewed the necklace that hung on his neck. *Another variant account in the has Susanoo meet a named on his way to heaven. This deity presented him with the beads used in the ritual. In this version, Amaterasu begets the three goddesses after chewing the beads Susanoo obtained earlier, while Susanoo begets the five gods after biting off the edge of Amaterasu's sword. *A third variant has Amaterasu chewing three different swords to beget the three goddesses as in the first variant. Susanoo, in turn, begat six male deities after chewing the ''magatama'' beads on his hair bunches and necklace and spitting them on his hands, forearms, and legs. Amaterasu declares that the male deities were hers because they were born of her necklace, and that the three goddesses were Susanoo's. Susanoo, announcing that he had won the trial, thus signifying the purity of his intentions, "raged with victory" and proceeded to wreak havoc by destroying his sister's rice fields, defecating in her palace and flaying the 'heavenly piebald horse' (天斑駒, ''ame-no-fuchikoma''), which he then hurled at Amaterasu's loom, killing one of her weaving maidens. A furious Amaterasu in response hid inside the

Ama-no-Iwato is a cave in Japanese mythology. According to the ''Kojiki'' (''Records of Ancient Matters'') and the ''Nihon Shoki'', the bad behavior of Susano'o, the Japanese god of storms, drove his sister Amaterasu into the Ama-no-Iwato cave. The land w ...

("Heavenly Rock Cave"), plunging heaven and earth into total darkness. The gods, led by Omoikane-no-Kami (思金神), eventually persuade her to come out of the cave, restoring light to the world. As punishment for his misdeeds, Susanoo is thrown out of Takamagahara:Chamberlain (1882)
Section XVII.—The August Expulsion of His-Impetuous-Male-Augustness.
/ref> Guimet Haniwa 01

*A fourth variant of the story in the ''Shoki'' reverses the order of the two events. This version relates that Susanoo and Amaterasu each owned three rice fields; Amaterasu's fields were fertile, while Susanoo's were dry and barren. Driven by jealousy, Susanoo ruins his sister's rice fields, causing her to hide in the Ama-no-Iwato and him to be expelled from heaven (as above). During his banishment, Susanoo, wearing a

hat A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...

and a

raincoat A raincoat is a waterproof or water-resistant garment worn on the upper body to shield the wearer from rain. The term rain jacket is sometimes used to refer to raincoats with long sleeves that are waist-length. A rain jacket may be combined wit ...

made of straw, sought shelter from the heavy rains, but the other gods refused to give him lodging. He then ascends to heaven once more to say farewell to Amaterasu. The two then perform the ''ukehi'' ritual; Susanoo produces six male deities from the ''magatama'' beads on his hair knots. Declaring that his intentions were indeed pure, Susanoo gives the six gods to Amaterasu's care and departs.

Susanoo and Ōgetsuhime

The ''Kojiki'' relates that during his banishment, Susanoo asked the goddess of food,

Ōgetsuhime , commonly known as , the daughter of the Shinto deities Izanagi and Izanami, is a goddess of food in the Shinto religion of Japan. In some differing interpretations, Ukemochi is referred to as both male and female. When shown in other forms, Ukemo ...

-no-Kami (大気都比売神), to give him something to eat. Upon finding out that the goddess produced foodstuffs from her mouth, nose, and rectum, a disgusted Susanoo killed her, at which various crops, plants and seeds spring from her dead body. This account is not found in the ''Nihon Shoki'', where a similar story is told of Tsukuyomi and the goddess

Ukemochi , commonly known as , the daughter of the Shinto deities Izanagi and Izanami, is a goddess of food in the Shinto religion of Japan. In some differing interpretations, Ukemochi is referred to as both male and female. When shown in other forms, Ukemo ...

Slaying the Yamata no Orochi

Susanoo rescues Kushinada Hime by Toyohara Chikanobu 1886

After his banishment, Susanoo came down from heaven to Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni (葦原中国, the 'Central Land of Reed Plains', i.e. the earthly land of Japan), to the land of

Izumo Izumo (出雲) may refer to: Locations * Izumo Province, an old province of Japan * Izumo, Shimane, a city located in Shimane Prefecture ** Izumo Airport * Izumo-taisha, one of Japan's most ancient and important Shinto shrines Ships * ''Izumo ...

, where he met an elderly couple named Ashinazuchi (足名椎 / 脚摩乳) and Tenazuchi (手名椎 / 手摩乳), who told him that seven of their eight daughters had been devoured by a monstrous serpent known as the

Yamata no Orochi Yamata no Orochi (ヤマタノオロチ, also written as 八岐大蛇, 八俣遠呂智 or 八俣遠呂知) is a legendary eight-headed and eight-tailed serpent that appears in Japanese mythology. Both the ''Kojiki'' and ''Nihon Shoki'' record the ...

(八俣遠呂智 / 八岐大蛇, "eight-forked serpent") and it was nearing time for their eighth,

Kushinadahime , also known as or Inadahime (稲田姫、いなだひめ) among other names, is a goddess (''kami'') in Japanese mythology and the Shinto faith. According to these traditions, she is one of the wives of the god Susanoo-no-Mikoto, Susanoo, who ...

(櫛名田比売; also called Kushiinadahime, Inadahime, or Makami-Furu-Kushiinadahime in the ''Shoki''). Sympathizing with their plight, Susanoo hid Kushinadahime by transforming her into a

comb A comb is a tool consisting of a shaft that holds a row of teeth for pulling through the hair to clean, untangle, or style it. Combs have been used since prehistoric times, having been discovered in very refined forms from settlements dating ba ...

(''kushi''), which he placed in his hair. He then made the serpent drunk on strong

sake Sake, , or saki, also referred to as Japanese rice wine, is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indeed any East Asi ...

and then killed it as it lay in a drunken stupor. From within the serpent's tail Susanoo discovered the sword Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi (天叢雲剣, "Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven"), also known as

Kusanagi is a legendary Japanese sword and one of three Imperial Regalia of Japan. It was originally called , but its name was later changed to the more popular ("Grass-Cutting Sword"). In folklore, the sword represents the virtue of valor. Legends ...

-no-Tsurugi (草薙剣, "Grass-Cutting Sword"), which he then presented to Amaterasu as a reconciliatory gift.

Amaterasu later bequeathed the sword to

Ninigi is a deity in Japanese mythology. (-no-Mikoto here is an honorific title applied to the names of Japanese gods; Ninigi is the specific god's name.) Grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu, Ninigi is regarded according to Japanese mythology as the ...

, her grandson by Ame-no-Oshihomimi, along with the mirror

Yata no Kagami is a sacred bronze mirror that is part of the Imperial Regalia of Japan. Name and significance The represents "wisdom" or "honesty," depending on the source. Its name literally means "The Eight Mirror," a reference to its size. Mirrors in ...

and the jewel

Yasakani no Magatama are curved, comma-shaped beads that appeared in prehistoric Japan from the Jōmon period, Final Jōmon period through the Kofun period, approximately 1000 BCE to the 6th century CE. The beads, also described as jewels, were made of stone and e ...

. This sacred sword, mirror, and jewel collectively became the three

Imperial Regalia of Japan The are the imperial regalia of Japan and consist of the sword , the mirror , and the jewel . They represent the three primary virtues: valour (the sword), wisdom (the mirror), and benevolence (the jewel).

. While most accounts place Susanoo's descent in the headwaters of the river Hi in Izumo (肥河 / 簸之川, ''Hi-no-Kawa'', identified with the

Hii River The is a river on the island of Honshu in Shimane Prefecture and Tottori Prefecture, Japan. With a length of 153 km and catchment of 2540 km2, it is the largest river in the east of Shimane Prefecture. It flows through the cities of Izum ...

in modern

), with the ''Kojiki'' specifying the area to be a place called Torikami (鳥髮, identified with

Mount Sentsū , also known in English as Sentsūzan, is a mountain located on the border of Nichinan, Tottori Prefecture and Okuizumo, Shimane Prefecture, in Japan. Mount Sentsū has an elevation of and is one of the highest peaks in the Chūgoku Mountain R ...

in eastern Shimane), one variant in the ''Shoki'' instead has Susanoo descend to the upper reaches of the river E (可愛之川, ''E-no-kawa'') in the province of Aki (identified with the

Gōnokawa River The is a river that runs through Hiroshima and Shimane prefectures in Japan. It is the largest river in the Chūgoku region. It is also called the Gōgawa River () and, in Hiroshima, the Enokawa River (). The mainstream originates from Mount As ...

in modern Hiroshima Prefecture). Kushinadahime's parents are here given the names Ashinazu-Tenazu (脚摩手摩) and Inada-no-Miyanushi-Susa-no-Yatsumimi (稲田宮主簀狭之八箇耳); here, Kushinadahime is not yet born when Susanoo slew the Yamata no Orochi. The ten-span sword Susanoo used to slay the Yamata no Orochi, unnamed in the ''Kojiki'' and the ''Shoki'''s main text, is variously named in the ''Shoki'''s variants as Orochi-no-Aramasa (蛇之麁正, 'Rough ndTrue

lade Líneas Aéreas del Estado (LADE, ) is an airline based in Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina. It is owned by the government of Argentina and operated by the Argentine Air Force. It provides domestic scheduled services, mainly in Patagonia. Hist ...

of the Serpent'), Orochi-no-Karasabi-no-Tsurugi (蛇韓鋤之剣, 'Korean (''Kara'') Sword of the Serpent' or 'Flashing Sword of the Serpent'), and Ame-no-Haekiri-no-Tsurugi (天蝿斫剣, 'Heavenly Fly Cutter', also Ame-no-Hahakiri 'Heavenly Serpent (''haha'') Cutter'). In the ''

Kogo Shūi is a historical record of the Inbe clan of Japan written in the early Heian period (794–1185). It was composed by (斎部広成) in 807 using material transmitted orally over several generations of the Imbe clan, Inbe clan. Background Histor ...

'' it is dubbed Ame-no-Habakiri (天羽々斬, also Ame-no-Hahakiri). This sword is said to have been originally enshrined in Isonokami Futsumitama Shrine in

Bizen Province was a Provinces of Japan, province of Japan in the area that is eastern Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of western Japan.Louis-Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Mimasaka no Kuni''" in . Bizen bordered Bitchū Province, ...

(modern

Okayama Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,826,059 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 7,114 Square kilometre, km2 (2,746 sq mi). Okayama Prefecture ...

) before it was transferred to

Isonokami Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the hills of Furu in Tenri, Nara Prefecture, Japan. It is one of the oldest extant Shinto shrines in Japan and has housed several significant artifacts. Isonokami shrine was highly regarded in the ancient era, an ...

Yamato Province was a province of Japan, located in Kinai, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture in Honshū. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005). "Yamato" in . It was also called . Yamato consists of two characters, 大 "great", and 和 " Wa". At first, th ...

(modern

Nara Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara Prefecture has a population of 1,321,805 and has a geographic area of . Nara Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Osaka Prefecture to the ...

Susanoo in Soshimori

A variant account in the ''Shoki'' relates that after Susanoo was banished due to his bad behavior, he descended from heaven, accompanied by a son named Isotakeru-no-Mikoto (五十猛命), to a place called 'Soshimori' (曽尸茂梨) in the land of Shiragi (the

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean **Korean dialects **See also: North–South differences in t ...

kingdom of

Silla Silla (; Old Korean: wikt:徐羅伐#Old Korean, 徐羅伐, Yale romanization of Korean, Yale: Syerapel, Revised Romanization of Korean, RR: ''Seorabeol''; International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) was a Korean kingdom that existed between ...

) before going to Izumo. Disliking the place, they crossed the sea in a boat made of clay until they arrived at Torikami Peak (鳥上之峯, ''Torikami no mine'') by the upper waters of the river Hi in Izumo.

The palace of Suga

After slaying the Yamata no Orochi, Susanoo looked for a suitable place in Izumo to live in. Upon arriving at a place called Suga (須賀 / 清), he declared, "Coming to this place, my heart is refreshed (''sugasugashi'')." He then erected a palace there and made

a song ''A Song'' is an album by the American musician Neil Sedaka, released in 1977. It was produced by George Martin and released in 1977 on the Elektra label in the US, marking the beginning of Sedaka's association with Elektra, which would run thr ...

: Donald L. Philippi (1968) translates the song into English thus: The ''Kojiki'' adds that Susanoo appointed Kushinadahime's father Ashinazuchi to be the headman of his new dwelling, bestowing upon him the name Inada-no-Miyanushi-Suga-no-Yatsumimi-no-Kami (稲田宮主須賀之八耳神, 'Master of the Palace of Inada, the Eight-Eared Deity of Suga'). With his new wife Kushinadahime, Susanoo had a child named Yashimajinumi-no-Kami (八島士奴美神). He then took another wife named Kamu-Ōichihime (神大市比売), the daughter of

Ōyamatsumi __FORCETOC__ Ōyama-tsumi or Ohoyama-tsumi (Kojiki: or Nihon Shoki: , , ), also Ōyama-tsumi-mi'oya-no-mikoto (), is a god of mountains, sea, and war in Japanese mythology. He is an elder brother of Amaterasu and Susanoo. His other names are Wat ...

, the god of mountains, and had two children by her: Ōtoshi-no-Kami (大年神), the god of the harvest, and

Ukanomitama Ukanomitama (宇迦之御魂神 – Mighty Soul of Sustenance - ''Kojiki'') (倉稲魂命 - ''Nihongi'') is a ''kami'' in classical Japanese mythology, associated with food and agriculture, often identified with Inari, the deity of rice. Name an ...

-no-Kami (宇迦之御魂神), the god of agriculture. The ''Shoki'''s main narrative is roughly similar: Susanoo appoints Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi to be the keepers of his palace and gives them the title Inada-no-Miyanushi. The child born to Susanoo and Kushiinadahime in this version is identified as Ōnamuchi-no-Kami (大己貴神, the ''Kojiki'''s

). After having thus lived for a time in Izumo, Susanoo at length finally found his way to Ne-no-Kuni.

Planting trees

One variant in the ''Shoki'' has Susanoo pulling out hairs from different parts of his body and turning them into different kinds of trees. Determining the use of each, he then gives them to his three children – Isotakeru-no-Mikoto, Ōyatsuhime-no-Mikoto (大屋津姫命), and Tsumatsuhime-no-Mikoto (枛津姫命) – to spread in Japan. Susanoo then settled down in a place called Kumanari-no-Take (熊成峯) before going to Ne-no-Kuni. The myth of Susanoo's descent in Soshimori has Isotakeru bringing seeds with him from Takamagahara which he did not choose to plant in Korea but rather spread throughout Japan, beginning with

Tsukushi Province was an Old provinces of Japan, ancient province of Japan, in the area of Chikuzen Province, Chikuzen and Chikugo Province, Chikugo provinces. This province was located within Fukuoka Prefecture.Louis-Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005 ...

. The narrative adds that it is, for this reason, why Isotakeru is styled Isaoshi-no-Kami (有功之神, 'Meritorious Deity').

Susanoo and Ōnamuji

In the ''Kojiki'', a sixth-generation descendant of Susanoo, Ōnamuji-no-Kami (大穴牟遅神), ends up in Ne-no-Kuni to escape his wicked elder brothers who make repeated attempts on his life. There he meets and falls in love with Susanoo's daughter Suseribime (須勢理毘売). Upon learning of their affair, Susanoo imposes four trials on Ōnamuji: *Susanoo, upon inviting Ōnamuji to his dwelling, had him sleep in a chamber filled with snakes. Suseribime aided Ōnamuji by giving him a scarf that repelled the snakes. *The following night, Susanoo had Ōnamuji sleep in another room full of

centipede Centipedes (from Neo-Latin , "hundred", and Latin , "foot") are predatory arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda (Ancient Greek , ''kheilos'', "lip", and Neo-Latin suffix , "foot", describing the forcipules) of the subphylum Myriapoda, ...

s and

bee Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamil ...

s. Once again, Suseribime gave Ōnamuji a scarf that kept the insects at bay. *Susanoo shot an arrow into a large plain and had Ōnamuji fetch it. As Ōnamuji was busy looking for the arrow, Susanoo set the field on fire. A field mouse showed Ōnamuji how to hide from the flames and gave him the arrow he was searching for. *Susanoo, upon discovering that Ōnamuji had survived, summoned him back to his palace and had him pick the lice and centipedes from his hair. Using a mixture of red clay and nuts given to him by Suseribime, Ōnamuji pretended to chew and spit out the insects he was picking. After Susanoo was lulled to sleep, Ōnamuji tied Susanoo's hair to the hall's rafters and blocked the door with an enormous boulder. Taking his new wife Suseribime as well as Susanoo's sword, '' koto'', and bow and arrows with him, Ōnamuji thus fled the palace. The ''koto'' brushed against a tree as the two were fleeing; the sound awakens Susanoo, who, rising with a start, knocks his palace down around him. Susanoo then pursued them as far as the slopes of

Yomotsu Hirasaka In Japanese mythology, Yomotsu Hirasaka ( or ) is a slope or boundary between the world of the dead (Yomi) and the world of the living. Overview The myth, which holds that there is a boundary place between the realms where the living and the de ...

(黄泉比良坂, the 'Flat Slope of

'). As the two departed, Susanoo grudgingly gave his blessing to Ōnamuji, advising him to change his name to Ōkuninushi-no-Kami (大国主神, "Master of the Great Land"). Using the weapons he obtained from Susanoo, Ōkuninushi defeats his brothers and becomes the undisputed ruler of Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni.

Susanoo in the Izumo ''Fudoki''

The ''

Fudoki are ancient reports on provincial culture, geography, and oral tradition presented to the reigning monarchs of Japan, also known as local gazetteers. They contain agricultural, geographical, and historical records as well as mythology and ...

'' of Izumo Province (completed 733 CE) records the following etiological legends which feature Susanoo and his children: *The township of Yasuki (安来郷) in Ou District ( 意宇郡) is named such after Susanoo visited the area and said, "My mind has been comforted (''yasuku nari tamau'')." *The township of Ōkusa (大草郷) in Ou is said to have been named after a son of Susanoo named Aohata-Sakusahiko-no-Mikoto (青幡佐久佐比古命). *The township of Yamaguchi (山口郷) in Shimane District ( 島根郡) is named as such after another son of Susanoo, Tsurugihiko-no-Mikoto (都留支日子命), declared these entrance to the hills (''yamaguchi'') to be his territory. *The township of Katae (方結郷) in Shimane received its name after Kunioshiwake-no-Mikoto (国忍別命), a son of Susanoo, said, "The land I govern is in good condition geographically (''kunigatae'')." *The township of Etomo (恵曇郡) in Akika District ( 秋鹿郡) is named such after Susanoo's son Iwasakahiko-no-Mikoto (磐坂日子命) noted the area's resemblance to a painted arm guard (画鞆, ''etomo''). *The township of Tada (多太郷) in Akika District received its name after Susanoo's son Tsukihoko-Tooruhiko-no-Mikoto (衝杵等乎留比古命, also Tsukiki-Tooruhiko) came there and said, "My heart has become bright and truthful (''tadashi'')." *The township of Yano (八野郷) in Kando District ( 神門郡) is named after Susanoo's daughter Yanowakahime-no-Mikoto (八野若日女命), who lived in the area. Ōnamochi (大穴持命, i.e. Ōkuninushi), also known as Ame-no-Shita-Tsukurashishi-Ōkami (所造天下大神, 'Great Deity, Maker of

All Under Heaven ''Tianxia'', 'all under Heaven', is a Chinese term for a historical Chinese cultural concept that denoted either the entire geographical world or the metaphysical realm of mortals, and later became associated with political sovereignty. In anc ...

'), who wished to marry her, had a house built at this place. *The township of Namesa (滑狭郷) in Kando District ( 神門郡) is named after a smooth stone (滑磐石, ''nameshi iwa'') Ame-no-Shita-Tsukurashishi-Ōkami (Ōnamochi) spotted while visiting Susanoo's daughter Wakasuserihime-no-Mikoto (和加須世理比売命, the ''Kojiki'''s Suseribime), who is said to have lived there. *The township of Susa (須佐郷) in Iishi District ( 飯石郡) is said to be named after Susanoo, who enshrined his spirit in this place: *The township of Sase (佐世郷) in Ōhara District ( 大原郡) is said to have gained its name when Susanoo danced there wearing leaves of a plant called ''sase'' on his head. *Mount Mimuro (御室山, ''Mimuro-yama'') in the township of Hi (斐伊郷) in Ōhara District is said to have been the place where Susanoo built a temporary dwelling (御室, ''mimuro'', lit. 'noble chamber') in which he stayed the night.

Susanoo, Mutō Tenjin and Gozu Tennō

The

syncretic Syncretism () is the practice of combining different beliefs and various schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merging or assimilation of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, thus ...

deity

Gozu Tennō Gozu Tennō (牛頭天王, lit. "Ox-Headed Heavenly King") is a syncretic Japanese deity of disease and healing. Originally imported to Japan from mainland Asia, he was regarded since the Heian period both as a causer of and protector against ep ...

(牛頭天王, "Ox-Headed Heavenly King"), originally worshiped at Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto and at other shrines such as Tsushima Shrine in Aichi Prefecture, was historically conflated with Susanoo. Originally a deity of foreign import (India and Korea have all been suggested as possible origins), Gozu Tennō was widely revered since the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...

as a god of pestilence, who both caused disease and cured them. Gozu Tennō became associated with another deity called Mutō-no-Kami ( 武塔神) or Mutō Tenjin (武塔天神), who appears in the legend of Somin Shōrai ( 蘇民将来). This legend relates that Mutō, a god from the northern sea, embarked on a long journey to court the daughter of the god of the southern seas. On his way he sought lodging from a wealthy man, but was turned down. He then went to the home of a poor man (sometimes identified as the rich man's brother) named Somin Shōrai, who gave him food and shelter. Years later, Mutō returned and slew the rich man and his family but spared Somin Shōrai's house. Some versions of the story have Mutō repaying Somin Shōrai for his hospitality by giving the poor man's daughter a wreath of ''susuki'' (''

Miscanthus sinensis ''Miscanthus sinensis'', the eulalia or Chinese silver grass, is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae, native to most of East Asia (China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea) and Southeast Asia (the Philippines, eastern Indonesia, Mala ...

'') reeds that she is to wear while declaring, " amthe descendant of Somin Shōrai" (蘇民将来之子孫也, ''Somin Shōrai no shison nari''). By doing so, she and her descendants would be spared from pestilence. The deity in this story, Mutō, is often conflated with Gozu Tennō (who, as his name implies, was born with the head of an ox) in later retellings, though one version identifies Gozu Tennō as Mutō Tenjin's son. The earliest known version of this legend, found in the ''Fudoki'' of

Bingo Province was a province of Japan on the Inland Sea side of western Honshū, comprising what is today the eastern part of Hiroshima Prefecture. It was sometimes grouped together with Bizen and Bitchu Provinces as . The 備 ''bi'' in the names of these ...

(modern eastern Hiroshima Prefecture) compiled during the

Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capita ...

(preserved in an extract quoted by scholar and Shinto priest Urabe Kanekata in the ''

Shaku Nihongi is an annotated text of the ''Nihon Shoki'' compiled by Urabe Kanekata between 1274 and 1301 that is 28 volumes in length.Nihon Koten Bungaku Daijiten Henshū Iinkai (1986:894) Contents The 28 volumes are divided into seven sections: *volume 1 ...

''), has Mutō explicitly identify himself as Susanoo. This suggests that Susanoo and Mutō Tenjin were already conflated in the Nara period, if not earlier. Sources that equate Gozu Tennō with Susanoo only first appear during the

Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the G ...

(1185–1333), although one theory supposes that these three gods and various other disease-related deities were already loosely coalesced around the 9th century, probably around the year 877 when a major epidemic swept through Japan.

Analysis

The image of Susanoo that can be gleaned from various texts is rather complex and contradictory. In the ''Kojiki'' and the ''Shoki'' he is portrayed first as a petulant young man, then as an unpredictable, violent boor who causes chaos and destruction before turning into a monster-slaying

culture hero A culture hero is a mythological hero specific to some group (Culture, cultural, Ethnic group, ethnic, Religion, religious, etc.) who changes the world through invention or Discovery (observation), discovery. Although many culture heroes help with ...

after descending into the world of men, while in the Izumo ''Fudoki'', he is simply a local god apparently connected with rice fields, with almost none of the traits associated with him in the imperial mythologies being mentioned. Due to his multifaceted nature, various authors have had differing opinions regarding Susanoo's origins and original character. The

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

kokugaku was an academic movement, a school of Japanese philology and philosophy originating during the Edo period. scholars worked to refocus Japanese scholarship away from the then-dominant study of Chinese, Confucian, and Buddhist texts in favor of ...

'' scholar

Motoori Norinaga was a Japanese people, Japanese scholar of active during the Edo period. He is conventionally ranked as one of the Four Great Men of Kokugaku (nativist) studies. Life Norinaga was born in what is now Matsusaka, Mie, Matsusaka in Ise Province ...

, in his ''

Kojiki-den The (古事記伝) is a 44-volume commentary on the written by the ''kokugaku'' scholar Motoori Norinaga. Overview The is a commentary on the , an eighth-century work of Shinto historiography and mythology, by the Edo period ''kokugaku'' sch ...

'' (''Commentary on the Kojiki''), characterized Susanoo as an evil god in contrast to his elder siblings Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi, as the unclean air of the land of the dead still adhered to Izanagi's nose from which he was born and was not purified completely during Izanagi's ritual ablutions.Philippi (2015). p. 402.Gadeleva (2000). pp. 166-167. The early 20th century historian Tsuda Sōkichi, who put forward the then-controversial theory that the ''Kojiki'''s accounts were not based on history (as Edo period ''kokugaku'' and

State Shinto was Empire of Japan, Imperial Japan's ideological use of the Japanese folk religion and traditions of Shinto. The state exercised control of shrine finances and training regimes for Kannushi, priests to strongly encourage Shinto practices that ...

ideology believed them to be) but rather propagandistic myths concocted to explain and legitimize the rule of the imperial dynasty, also saw Susanoo as a negative figure, arguing that he was created to serve as the rebellious opposite of the imperial ancestress Amaterasu. Ethnologist

Ōbayashi Taryō Obayashi may refer to: *Obayashi Corporation, one of five major Japanese construction companies * Obayashi (surname), a Japanese surname *Obayashi Station is a passenger railway station located in the city of Takarazuka Hyōgo Prefecture, Jap ...

, speaking from the standpoint of

comparative mythology Comparative mythology is the comparison of myths from different cultures in an attempt to identify shared themes and characteristics.Littleton, p. 32 Comparative mythology has served a variety of academic purposes. For example, scholars have used ...

, opined that the stories concerning the three deities were ultimately derived from a continental (

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

n) myth in which the Sun, the Moon and the Dark Star are siblings and the Dark Star plays an antagonistic role (cf.

Rahu Rāhu (Sanskrit: राहु, 16px, ☊) is one of the nine major celestial bodies ( navagraha) in Hindu texts and the king of meteors. It represents the ascension of the Moon in its precessional orbit around the Earth, also referred to as ...

and Ketu from

Hindu religion Hinduism () is an umbrella term for a range of Indian religious and spiritual traditions ( ''sampradaya''s) that are unified by adherence to the concept of ''dharma'', a cosmic order maintained by its followers through rituals and right ...

); Ōbayashi thus also interprets Susanoo as a bad hero. Other scholars, however, take the position that Susanoo was not originally conceived of as a negative deity. Mythologist Matsumura Takeo for instance believed the Izumo ''Fudoki'' to more accurately reflect Susanoo's original character: a peaceful, simple ''kami'' of the rice fields. In Matsumura's view, Susanoo's character was deliberately reversed when he was grafted into the imperial mythology by the compilers of the ''Kojiki''. Matsumoto Nobuhiro, in a similar vein, interpreted Susanoo as a harvest deity. While the Izumo ''Fudoki'' claims that the township of Susa in Izumo is named after its deity Susanoo, it has been proposed that the opposite might have actually been the case and Susanoo was named after the place, with his name being understood in this case as meaning "Man (''o'') of Susa." While both Matsumura and Matsumoto preferred to connect Susanoo with rice fields and the harvest, Matsumae Takeshi put forward the theory that Susanoo was originally worshiped as a patron deity of sailors. Unlike other scholars who connect Susanoo with Izumo, Matsumae instead saw

Kii Province , or , was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is today Wakayama Prefecture, as well as the southern part of Mie Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Kii''" in . Kii bordered Ise, Izumi, Kawachi, Shima, and Yamato Pro ...

(the modern prefectures of

Wakayama Wakayama may refer to: * Wakayama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan * Wakayama (city), the capital city of Wakayama Prefecture, Japan * Wakayama Station, a train station in Wakayama, Wakayama * Wakayama University, a national university in Wakayama, ...

and Mie) as the birthplace of Susanoo worship, pointing out that there was also a settlement in Kii named Susa (須佐). (In the ''Kojiki'', Ōnamuji enters Susanoo's realm, Ne-no-Kuni, through the fork of a tree in Kii.) Matsumae proposed that the worship of Susanoo was brought to other places in Japan by seafaring peoples from Kii, a land rich in timber (the province's name is itself derived from the word ''ki'' meaning 'tree'). A few myths, such as that of Susanoo's descent in Soshimori in Silla, seem to suggest a connection between the god and the

. Indeed, some scholars have hypothesized that the deities who were eventually conflated with Susanoo, Mutō Tenjin, and Gozu Tennō, may have had Korean origins as well, with the name 'Mutō' (武塔, historical orthography: ''mutau'') being linked with the Korean word ''

mudang ''Mu'' () is the Korean term for a shaman in Korean shamanism. Korean shamans hold rituals called '' gut'' for the welfare of the individuals and society. In modern Korea different terms are used to define shamans, including ''mudang'' (mostly f ...

'' "shamaness," and 'Gozu' being explained as a

calque In linguistics, a calque () or loan translation is a word or phrase borrowed from another language by literal word-for-word or root-for-root translation. When used as a verb, "to calque" means to borrow a word or phrase from another language ...

of 'Soshimori', here interpreted as being derived from a Korean toponym meaning 'Bull's ('' so'') Head ('' mari'')'. The name 'Susanoo' itself has been interpreted as being related to the

title '' susung'' (

transliterated Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one writing system, script to another that involves swapping Letter (alphabet), letters (thus ''wikt:trans-#Prefix, trans-'' + ''wikt:littera#Latin, liter-'') in predictable ways, such as ...

as 次次雄 or 慈充), meaning 'master' or 'shaman', notably applied to Namhae, the second king of Silla, in the ''

Samguk Sagi ''Samguk sagi'' () is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. Completed in 1145, it is well-known in Korea as the oldest surviving chronicle of Korean history. The ''Samguk sagi'' is written in Classical ...

''. Susanoo is thus supposed in this view to have originally been a foreign god (蕃神, ''banshin''), perhaps a deified shaman, whose origins may be traced back to Korea. Emilia Gadeleva (2000) sees Susanoo's original character as being that of a

rain god There are many different gods of rain in different religions: African African mythology * Anẓar, god of rain in Berber mythology. * Achek, wife of the rain god Deng in Dinka mythology * Mangwe, a water spirit known as "the flooder" in the bel ...

– more precisely, a god associated with

rainmaking Rainmaking, also known as artificial precipitation, artificial rainfall and pluviculture, is the act of attempting to artificially induce or increase precipitation, usually to stave off drought or the wider global warming. According to the clou ...

– with his association with the harvest and a number of other elements from his myths ultimately springing from his connection with rainwater. He thus serves as a contrast and a parallel to Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun. Gadeleva also acknowledges the foreign elements in the god's character by supposing that rainmaking rituals and concepts were brought to Japan in ancient times from the continent, with the figure of the Korean shaman (''susung'') who magically controlled the abundance of rain eventually morphing into the Japanese Susanoo, but at the same time stresses that Susanoo is not completely a foreign import but must have had Japanese roots at his core. In Gadeleva's view, while the god certainly underwent drastic changes upon his introduction in the imperial myth cycle, Susanoo's character already bore positive and negative features since the beginning, with both elements stemming from his association with rain. As the right quantity of rainwater was vital for ensuring a rich harvest, calamities caused by too much or too little rainfall (i.e. floods, drought, or epidemics) would have been blamed on the rain god for not doing his job properly. This, according to Gadeleva, underlies the occasional portrayal of Susanoo in a negative light.

Susanoo and Ne-no-Kuni

In the ''Kojiki'' and the ''Nihon Shoki'', Susanoo is repeatedly associated with

(

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

: 根の国; the "Land of Roots"). While sometimes seemingly considered to be more or less identical to Yomi, the Land of the Dead (the ''Kojiki'' speaks of Ne-no-Kuni as the land of Susanoo's deceased mother Izanami, who is stated earlier in the narrative to have become the ruler of Yomi, and calls the slope serving at its exit the Yomotsu Hirasaka, the 'Flat Slope of Yomi'), it would seem that the two were originally considered to be different locations. While Matsumura Takeo suggested that Ne-no-Kuni originally referred to the dimly remembered original homeland of the Japanese people, Emilia Gadeleva instead proposes that the two locales, while similar in that both were subterranean realms associated with darkness, differed from each other in that Yomi was associated with death, while Ne-no-Kuni, as implied by the myth about Ōnamuji, was seemingly associated with rebirth. Ne-no-Kuni being a land of revival, as per Gadeleva's theory, is why Susanoo was connected to it: Susanoo, as the god that brought rain and with it, the harvest, was needed in Ne-no-Kuni to secure the rebirth of crops. In time, however, the two locations were confused with each other, so that by the time the ''Kojiki'' and the ''Shoki'' were written Ne-no-Kuni came to be seen like Yomi as an unclean realm of the dead. Gadeleva argues that this new image of Ne-no-Kuni as a place of evil and impurity contributed to Susanoo becoming more and more associated with calamity and violence.

Susanoo's rampage

Susanoo's acts of violence after proving his sincerity in the ''ukehi'' ritual has been a source of puzzlement to many scholars. While Edo period authors such as Motoori Norinaga and

Hirata Atsutane was a Japanese scholar, conventionally ranked as one of the Four Great Men of Kokugaku (nativist) studies, and one of the most significant 19th century theologians of the Shintō religion. His literary name was , and his primary assumed name ...

believed that the order of the events had become confused and suggested altering the narrative sequence so that Susanoo's ravages would come before, and not after, his victory in the ''ukehi'', Donald Philippi criticized such solutions as "untenable from a textual standpoint." (Note that as mentioned above, one of the variants in the ''Shoki'' does place Susanoo's ravages and banishment before the performance of the ''ukehi'' ritual.) Tsuda Sōkichi saw a political significance in this story: he interpreted Amaterasu as an emperor-symbol, while Susanoo in his view symbolized the various rebels who (unsuccessfully) rose up against the imperial court. Emilia Gadeleva observes that Susanoo, at this point in the narrative, is portrayed similarly to the hero

Yamato Takeru , originally , was a Japanese folk hero and semi-legendary prince of the imperial dynasty, son of Emperor Keikō, who is traditionally counted as the 12th Emperor of Japan. The kanji spelling of his name varies: it appears in the ''Nihon Shoki'' ...

(Ousu-no-Mikoto), in that both were rough young men possessed with "valor and ferocity" (''takeku-araki kokoro''); their lack of control over their fierce temperament leads them to commit violent acts. It was therefore imperative to direct their energies elsewhere: Ousu-no-Mikoto was sent by his father, the

Emperor Keikō , also known as and , was the 12th legendary Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Both the ''Kojiki'', and the ''Nihon Shoki'' (collectively known as the ''Kiki'') record events that took place during Keikō's all ...

, to lead conquering expeditions, while Susanoo was expelled by the heavenly gods. This ultimately resulted in the two becoming famed as heroic figures. A prayer or ''

norito are liturgical texts or ritual incantations in Shinto, usually addressed to a given ''kami''. History The first written documentation of ''norito'' dates to 712 CE in the ''Kojiki'' and 720 CE in the ''Nihongi''. The Engishiki, a compilation ...

'' originally recited by the priestly

Nakatomi clan was a Japanese aristocratic kin group ('' uji''). Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Nakatomi," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 39 retrieved 2013-5-5. The clan claims desce ...

in the presence of the court during the Great Exorcism (大祓, ''Ōharae'') ritual of the last day of the sixth month, more commonly known today as the ''Ōharae no Kotoba'' ( 大祓詞, 'Words of the Great Exorcism'), lists eight "heavenly sins" (

: 天つ罪, '' amatsu-tsumi''), most of which are agricultural in nature: # Breaking down the ridges # Covering up the ditches # Releasing the irrigation sluices # Double planting # Setting up stakes # Skinning alive # Skinning backward # Defecation 1, 2, 6, 7 and 8 are committed by Susanoo in the ''Kojiki'', while 3, 4, 5 are attributed to him in the ''Shoki''. In ancient Japanese society, offenses related to agriculture were regarded as being as abhorrent as those which caused ritual impurity. One of the offensive acts Susanoo committed during his rampage was 'skinning backward' (逆剥, ''sakahagi'') the ''Ame-no-Fuchikoma'' (

: 天の斑駒, "Heavenly-Piebald Horse"). Regarding this,

William George Aston William George Aston (9 April 1841 – 22 November 1911) was an Anglo-Irish diplomat, author, and scholar of the languages and histories of Korea and Japan. Early life Aston was born near Derry, Ireland.Ricorso Aston, bio notes/ref> He disti ...

observed, "Indian myth has a piebald or spotted deer or cow among celestial objects. The idea is probably suggested by the appearance of the stars." Nelly Naumann (1982) meanwhile interpreted the spotted horse as a lunar symbol, with Susanoo's action being equivalent to the devouring or killing of the moon. To Naumann, the act of flaying itself, because it is performed in reverse, is intended to be a magical act that caused death. Indeed, in the ''Kojiki'' when Susanoo throws the flayed horse (or its hide) to Amaterasu's weaving hall, one of the weaving maidens injures herself and dies. (In the ''Shoki'', it is Amaterasu herself who is alarmed and injured.) Emilia Gadeleva meanwhile connects Susanoo's act of skinning and flinging the horse with ancient Korean rainmaking rituals, which involved

animal sacrifice Animal sacrifice is the ritual killing and offering of animals, usually as part of a religious ritual or to appease or maintain favour with a deity. Animal sacrifices were common throughout Europe and the Ancient Near East until the spread of Chris ...

. The gods punish Susanoo for his rampages by cutting off his beard, fingernails, and toenails. One textual tradition in which the relevant passage is read as "cutting off his beard and causing the nails of his hands and feet ''to be extracted''" (亦切鬚及手足爪令拔而) suggests that this was something along the lines of corporal punishment. Another tradition which reads the passage as "cutting off his beard and the nails of his hands and feet, ''had him exorcised''" (亦切鬚及手足爪令祓而) meanwhile suggests that this was an act of purification, in which the sins and pollution that adhered to Susanoo are removed, thus turning him from a destroyer of life into a giver of life.

Family

Consorts

Susanoo's consorts are: *

(櫛名田比売), daughter of

Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi are a pair of Japanese deities. They are the parents of Kushinadahime, the wife of Susanoo-no-Mikoto. The serpent killed their other 7 daughters. Their names mean foot stroking elder and hand stroking elder respectivel ...

, children of

, a son of Izanagi and elder brother of Susanoo (''Kojiki'', ''Nihon Shoki'') :Also known under the following names: :*Kushiinadahime (奇稲田姫, ''Nihon Shoki'') :*Inadahime (稲田媛, ''Shoki'') :*Makami-Furu-Kushiinadahime (真髪触奇稲田媛, ''Shoki'') :*Kushiinada-Mitoyomanurahime-no-Mikoto (久志伊奈太美等与麻奴良比売命, Izumo ''Fudoki'') *

Kamuōichihime Kamuō Ichihime is a Japanese goddess. She is a daughter of Ōyamatsumi. She is referenced in the Kojiki as the second wife of Susanoo-no-Mikoto, and the aunt of his first wife Kushinadahime. According to the Kojiki she and Susanoo are the pare ...

(神大市比売), another daughter of Ōyamatsumi (''Kojiki'') *Samirahime-no-Mikoto (佐美良比売命), a goddess worshiped in Yasaka Shrine reckoned as a consort of Susanoo

Offspring

Susanoo's child by Kushinadahime is variously identified as Yashimajinumi-no-Kami (八島士奴美神) in the ''Kojiki'' and as Ōnamuchi-no-Kami (大己貴神) in the ''Nihon Shoki'''s main narrative. (In the ''Kojiki'' and in variant accounts contained in the ''Shoki'', Ōnamuchi / Ōnamuji (

) is instead Susanoo's descendant.) Susanoo's children by

meanwhile are: * Ōtoshi-no-Kami (大年神) *

-no-Kami (宇迦之御魂神) Susanoo's children who are either born without a female partner or whose mother is unidentified are: * The Munakata goddesses of

Munakata Taisha is a collection of three Shinto Shinto shrine, shrines located in Munakata, Fukuoka, Munakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is the head of the approximately 6,000 Munakata shrines all over the country. Although the name Munakata Taisha refers to ...

in Munakata,

Fukuoka Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Fukuoka Prefecture has a population of 5,109,323 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,986 Square kilometre, km2 (1,925 sq mi). Fukuoka Prefecture borders ...

:* Takiribime-no-Mikoto (多紀理毘売命) :Also known as Tagorihime (田心姫) :* Ichikishimahime-no-Mikoto (市寸島比売命) :Also known as Okitsushimahime (瀛津島姫) :* Tagitsuhime-no-Mikoto (多岐都比売命) * Suseribime-no-Mikoto (須勢理毘売命) :Also known as Wakasuserihime-no-Mikoto (和加須世理比売命) in the Izumo ''Fudoki'' * Isotakeru / Itakeru-no-Mikoto (五十猛命) * Ōyatsuhime-no-Mikoto (大屋津姫命) * Tsumatsuhime-no-Mikoto (枛津姫命) Deities identified as Susanoo's children found only in the Izumo ''Fudoki'' are: * Kunioshiwake-no-Mikoto (国忍別命) * Aohata-Sakusahiko-no-Mikoto (青幡佐草日古命) * Iwasakahiko-no-Mikoto (磐坂日子命) * Tsukihoko-Tooruhiko-no-Mikoto (衝桙等番留比古命) * Tsurugihiko-no-Mikoto (都留支日子命) * Yanowakahime-no-Mikoto (八野若日女命) An

text, the ''

Wakan Sansai Zue The is an illustrated Japanese ''leishu'' encyclopedia published in 1712 in the Edo period. It consists of 105 volumes in 81 books. Its compiler was Terashima or Terajima Ryōan, Terajima (), a doctor from Osaka. It describes and illustrates va ...

'' (和漢三才図会, lit. "Illustrated Sino-Japanese Encyclopedia"), identifies a monstrous goddess known as Ama-no-Zako (天逆毎) as an offspring of Susanoo.

Worship

In addition to his connections with the sea and tempests, due to his mythical role as the slayer of the Yamata no Orochi and his historical association with pestilence deities such as Gozu Tennō, Susanoo is also venerated as a god who wards off misfortune and calamity, being invoked especially against illness and disease. As his heroic act helped him win the hand of Kushinadahime, he is also considered to be a patron of love and marriage, such as in Hikawa Shrine in

Saitama Prefecture is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Saitama Prefecture has a population of 7,338,536 (January 1, 2020) and has a geographic area of 3,797 Square kilometre, km2 ( ...

(see below).

Shrines

Susanoo is worshiped in a number of shrines throughout Japan, especially in

(the eastern part of which is the historical Izumo Province). A few notable examples are: * Susa Shrine (須佐神社) in

, Shimane Prefecture :Listed in the Izumo ''Fudoki'' as one of five shrines in Iishi District that were registered with the

Department of Divinities The , also known as the Department of Shinto Affairs, Department of Rites, Department of Worship, as well as Council of Divinities, was a Japanese Imperial bureaucracy established in the 8th century, as part of the reforms. It was first establish ...

, this shrine is identified as the place in what was formerly the township of Susa where Susanoo chose to enshrine his spirit. The shrine was also known as Jūsansho Daimyōjin (十三所大明神) and Susa no Ōmiya (須佐大宮 'Great Shrine of Susa') during the medieval and early modern periods. The shrine's priestly lineage, the Susa (or Inada) clan (須佐氏 / 稲田氏), were considered to be the descendants of Susanoo via his son Yashimashino-no-Mikoto (八島篠命, the ''Kojiki'''s Yashimajinumi-no-Kami) or Ōkuninushi. Besides Susanoo, his consort Kushinadahime and her parents Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi are also enshrined here as auxiliary deities. *

Suga Shrine Suga Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Unnan, Shimane Prefecture, Japan The shrine, claimed to stand on the site of the palace Shinto deity Susanoo built after defeating the Yamata no Orochi, enshrines Susanoo, Kushinadahime, and their son Yashima ...

(須我神社) in Unnan, Shimane Prefecture :This shrine, claimed to stand on the site of the palace Susanoo built after defeating the Yamata no Orochi, enshrines Susanoo, Kushinadahime, and their son Suga-no-Yuyamanushi-Minasarohiko-Yashima-no-Mikoto (清之湯山主三名狭漏彦八島野命, i.e. Yashimajinumi-no-Kami). Listed in the Izumo ''Fudoki'' as one of sixteen shrines in Ōhara District not registered with the Department of Divinities. *

Yaegaki Shrine , formerly known as , is a Shinto shrine in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. History The gods ''Susanoo __FORCETOC__ Susanoo (, ; historical orthography: , ), often referred to by the honorific title Susanoo-no-Mikoto (), is a in Jap ...

(八重垣神社), in

Matsue is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Shimane Prefecture, Japan, located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. , the city had an estimated population of 196,748 in 91287 households and a population density of 340 persons per km². The total area of ...

, Shimane Prefecture :Dedicated to Susanoo, Kushinadahime, Ōnamuchi (Ōkuninushi) and Aohata-Sakusahiko, the shrine takes its name from the 'eightfold fence' (''yaegaki'') mentioned in Susanoo's song. The shrine's legend claims that Susanoo hid Kushinadahime in the forest within the shrine's precincts, enclosing her in a fence, when he slew the Yamata no Orochi. Identified with the Sakusa Shrine (佐久佐社) mentioned in the Izumo ''Fudoki''. *

Kumano Taisha is a Shinto shrine located in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture. The shrine is dedicated to the god Kaburogi-kumano-okami Kushi-mike-no-mikoto (伊邪那伎日真名子加夫呂伎熊野大神櫛御気野命, "Beloved Child of Izanagi, Divine Ancestor n ...

(熊野大社) in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture :Reckoned as Izumo Province's ''

ichinomiya is a Japanese language, Japanese historical term referring to the Shinto shrines with the highest rank in a Provinces of Japan, province. Shrines of lower rank were designated , , , and so forth.''Encyclopedia of Shinto'' ''Ichi no miya'' retr ...

'' alongside

Izumo Grand Shrine , officially Izumo Ōyashiro, is one of the most ancient and important Shinto shrines in Japan. No record gives the date of establishment. Located in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, it is home to two major festivals. It is dedicated to the god , fam ...

. Not to be confused with the Kumano Sanzan shrine complex in

Wakayama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Wakayama Prefecture has a population of 876,030 () and a geographic area of . Wakayama Prefecture borders Osaka Prefecture to the north, and Mie Prefecture and Nara Prefecture to ...

. Its deity, known under the name 'Izanagi-no-Himanago Kaburogi Kumano-no-Ōkami Kushimikenu-no-Mikoto' (伊邪那伎日真名子加夫呂伎熊野大神櫛御気野命, "Beloved Child of Izanagi, Divine Ancestor ndGreat Deity of Kumano, Kushimikenu-no-Mikoto'), is identified with Susanoo. The shrine is also considered in myth to be where the use of fire originated; two ancient fire-making tools, a

hand drill A hand drill is the simplest primitive method to produce rapid rotary motion of a rod. It consists in holding the rod vertically between both hands and moving these back and forth, in opposite directions, as in rubbing them. The rod typically i ...

(燧杵 ''hikiri-kine'') and a hearthboard (燧臼 ''hikiri-usu'') are kept in the shrine and used in the shrine's Fire Lighting Ceremony (鑚火祭 ''Kiribi-matsuri'' or ''Sanka-sai'') held every October. * (須佐神社) in Arida,

Gion shrines

The following shrines were originally associated with Gozu Tennō: *

Yasaka Shrine , once called , is a Shinto shrine in the Gion District of Kyoto, Japan. Situated at the east end of Shijō-dōri (Fourth Avenue), the shrine includes several buildings, including gates, a main hall and a stage. The Yasaka shrine is dedicated to S ...

(八坂神社) in

Gion is a district of Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan, originating as an entertainment district in the Sengoku period, in front of Yasaka Shrine (Gion Shrine). The district was built to accommodate the needs of travellers and visitors to the shrine. ...

, Higashiyama,

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

Kyoto Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Kyoto Prefecture has a population of 2,561,358 () and has a geographic area of . Kyoto Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the northeast, Shiga Prefecture ...

– Head shrine of the Yasaka shrine network *

Tsushima Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Tsushima, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It is the head shrine of a nationwide shrine network of shrines dedicated to the . Centered primarily in the Tōkai region, this network has approximately 3,000 shrines and is the tenth ...

(津島神社) in Tsushima,

Aichi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,461,111 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the ...

– Head shrine of the Tsushima shrine network *

Hiromine Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Himeji. It is one of the three main shrines of the Gion cult alongside Yasaka Shrine, and Tsushima Shrine. Until the Muromachi period the shrine was perceived as highly prestigious, on par with Kumano Taisha, but li ...

(広峰神社) in

Himeji 260px, Himeji City Hall is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 525,682 in 227,099 households and a population density of 980 persons per km2. The total area of the city is ...

Hyōgo Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 () and a geographic area of . Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to th ...

Hikawa Shrine network

The Hikawa Shrine network concentrated in Saitama and

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

(historical

Musashi Province was a Provinces of Japan, province of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province encompassed Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Kawasaki and Yokohama. ...

) also has Susanoo as its focus of worship, often alongside Kushinadahime. * Hikawa Shrine (氷川神社) in Ōmiya, Saitama,

* Hikawa Shrine in Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture * Hikawa Shrine in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo *Susanoo Shrine in

Hamamatsu is a Cities of Japan, city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. In September 2023, the city had an estimated population of 780,128 in 340,591 households, making it the prefecture's largest city, with a population density of over the t ...

, Shizuoka Prefecture

In Japanese performing arts

*The iwami

kagura is a type of Shinto ritual ceremonial dance. The term is a contraction of the phrase , indicating the presence of gods () in the practice. One major function of is , involving a procession-trance process. Usually a female shaman will perfor ...

–

Orochi Yamata no Orochi (ヤマタノオロチ, also written as 八岐大蛇, 八俣遠呂智 or 八俣遠呂知) is a legendary eight-headed and eight-tailed serpent that appears in Japanese mythology. Both the ''Kojiki'' and ''Nihon Shoki'' record the ...

*The jōruri – ''Nihon Furisode Hajime'' () by

Chikamatsu Monzaemon , real name , was a Japanese dramatist of jōruri, the form of puppet theater that later came to be known as bunraku, and the live-actor drama, kabuki. The ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' has written that he is "widely regarded as the greatest Jap ...

Influence outside of Japan

In the 20th century, Susanoo was depicted as the common ancestor of the modern

Koreans Koreans are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Korean Peninsula. The majority of Koreans live in the two Korean sovereign states of North and South Korea, which are collectively referred to as Korea. As of 2021, an estimated 7.3 m ...

while the

were considered to be descendants of

during the

Japanese occupation of Korea From 1910 to 1945, Korea was ruled by the Empire of Japan under the name Chōsen (), the Japanese reading of "Joseon". Japan first took Korea into its sphere of influence during the late 1800s. Both Korea (Joseon) and Japan had been under polic ...

by historians such as

Shiratori Kurakichi Shiratori Kurakichi (白鳥庫吉, March 1, 1865 – March 30, 1942) was a Japanese historian and Sinologist who was one of the pioneers of the field of "Oriental History". Biography Shiratori graduated from Tokyo Imperial University and joined ...

, founder of the discipline of Oriental History (Tōyōshi 東洋史) in

Tokyo Imperial University The University of Tokyo (, abbreviated as in Japanese and UTokyo in English) is a public university, public research university in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1877 as the nation's first modern university by the merger of several Edo peri ...

. The theory linked the Koreans to Susanoo and in turn the Japanese which ultimately legitimized the colonization of the

Korean peninsula Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically divided at or near the 38th parallel between North Korea (Dem ...

by the Japanese.

In popular culture

''Yamata Amasung Keibu Keioiba'' () is a

Meitei language Meitei (; ) also known as Manipuri ), is a Tibeto-Burman language of northeast India. It is the official language and the lingua franca of Manipur and an additional official language in four districts of Assam. It is one of the scheduled ...

play that interweaves the stories of the two legendary creatures,

Yamata-no-Orochi Yamata no Orochi (ヤマタノオロチ, also written as 八岐大蛇, 八俣遠呂智 or 八俣遠呂知) is a legendary eight-headed and eight-tailed serpent that appears in Japanese mythology. Both the ''Kojiki'' and ''Nihon Shoki'' record the ...

slain by Susanoo of

Japanese folklore Japanese folklore encompasses the informally learned folk traditions of Japan and the Japanese people as expressed in its oral traditions, Tradition, customs, and material culture. In Japanese, the term is used to describe folklore. The Folklor ...

and

Keibu Keioiba , also known as , is a mythical creature with the head of a tiger and the body of a human in the Meitei mythology and folklore of Manipur. According to legend, he was once a skilful priest named Kabui Salang Maiba. He used witchcraft to turn ...

Meitei folklore Meitei folklore is the folklore and mythology of the Meitei people of Manipur Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagal ...

(

Manipuri folklore Meitei folklore is the folklore and mythology of the Meitei people of Manipur, India. Such folklore is traditionally passed from generation to generation. Currently, the government of Manipur The Government of Manipur (; /mə.ni.pur lə́i ...

). In the play, the role of Susanoo was played by ''Romario Thoudam Paona''. Along with Yamato Takeru, he was portrayed by

Toshiro Mifune was a Japanese actor and producer. The recipient of numerous awards and accolades over a lengthy career, he is widely considered one of the greatest actors of all time. He often played hypermasculine characters and was noted for his commandin ...

in ''

The Birth of Japan is a 1959 Japanese epic religious fantasy film directed by Hiroshi Inagaki, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced by Toho as their celebratory thousandth film, it was the most expensive Japanese film ever made upon its release and is ...

''. The film suggests Susanoo's grief over Izanami and resentment towards Izanagi caused his violent rampage.

Family tree

Notes

References

Bibliography

*Aoki, Michiko Y., tr. (1997). ''Records of Wind and Earth: A Translation of Fudoki, with Introduction and Commentaries''. Association for Asian Studies, Inc. . *Aston, William George, tr. (1896). ''Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697''. 2 vols. Kegan Paul. 1972 Tuttle reprint. *Chamberlain, Basil H., tr. (1919)
''The Kojiki, Records of Ancient Matters''
1981 Tuttle reprint. * * *Philippi, Donald L. (2015). ''Kojiki''. Princeton University Press. .

External links

Susanoo
Encyclopedia of Shinto

Kimberley Winkelmann, in the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

as of 5 December 2008
Shaji Enza no Kai OrganizationOfficial Website of Susa Shrine
(in Japanese)
Official Website of Yasaka Shrine
(in Japanese)
Official Website of Kumano Taisha
(in Japanese)
Official Website of Hikawa Shrine (Saitama)
(in Japanese)
Official Website of Akasaka Hikawa Shrine
(in Japanese)
Susanoo vs Yamata no Orochi
animated depiction {{Authority control Dragonslayers Japanese gods Mythological swordfighters War gods Sea and river gods Shinto kami Sky and weather gods Love and lust gods Nature gods Fertility gods Agricultural gods Marriage deities Trickster gods Gion cult Kunitsukami Kusanagi no Tsurugi Bodhisattvas