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Creation Myth of Japan (Izanami and Izanagi)

1) In Shinto mythology, the world and its inhabitants are said to be "born" rather than "made". The divine couple Izanagi and Izanami married and gave birth to the islands of Japan and natural deities. 2) Izanagi and Izanami descended from heavenly realm to the formless earth and used a sacred spear to mix the waters, creating the first island. They realized their bodies were different and married to give birth to more lands and deities. 3) Izanami died giving birth to the fire deity, prompting Izanagi to enter the underworld to retrieve her. However, she had eaten food of the dead and was unable to return. I

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128 views2 pages

Creation Myth of Japan (Izanami and Izanagi)

1) In Shinto mythology, the world and its inhabitants are said to be "born" rather than "made". The divine couple Izanagi and Izanami married and gave birth to the islands of Japan and natural deities. 2) Izanagi and Izanami descended from heavenly realm to the formless earth and used a sacred spear to mix the waters, creating the first island. They realized their bodies were different and married to give birth to more lands and deities. 3) Izanami died giving birth to the fire deity, prompting Izanagi to enter the underworld to retrieve her. However, she had eaten food of the dead and was unable to return. I

Uploaded by

ferminjaira
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Creation According to Shinto Mythology

(Overview)

A Shinto interpretation of creation is that the world and its inhabitants are not “made” but “born,”
and the divine couple Izanagi no Mikoto and Izanami no Mikoto play a central role in this narrative.
The couple marry and give birth to the islands of Japan, as well as to several important natural deities
that give the islands shape. This myth of Izanagi and Izanami introduces significant concepts, such as
male and female roles, marriage, copulation and birth, death and the afterlife, and the birth and death
cycle.

=================

Beginnings of “Kami”

In the beginning the world split into the heavens and the earth, and three kami deities of the heavenly
realm came into being. Then the first reeds took root and sprouted, and two more kami deities came
to be. These first five kami deities were formless and had no partners. Thereafter, however, pairs of
“partner” kami deities were born in succession. The seventh and final generation was the male
Izanagi no Mikoto and the female Izanami no Mikoto.

At this time, the land was yet unformed and floated aimlessly like oil upon water. So, the older deities
charged the pair Izanagi and Izanami with the task of bringing order to the world and granted them a
sacred spear with which to do so. Standing on a bridge, the two first looked down upon the
primordial mire and decided to try mixing it. They stuck the spear in, turned it about, and when they
drew it back out, a drop fell from its tip. This drop settled and became the first island, Onokoro
Shima. It was here that the two descended to live.

Birth of the Islands of Japan

After descending to the island, Izanagi and Izanami became aware of the differences in their bodies
and decided to join together to give birth to the country. And so, they married by circling a sacred
post three times and taking their vows. Izanami spoke her vows first but their attempts to have
children ended poorly so the two redid the marriage ceremony, this time with Izanagi speaking his
vows first. This time, they successfully gave birth to the islands of Japan and a host of other kami
deities to give them shape. This included deity of the seas, the wind, the mountains, and all manner
of natural phenomena.

Land of Death
Unfortunately, Izanami was gravely injured giving birth to the fire kami deity, and soon died. Izanagi
mourned and missed her terribly, and before long decided to travel to the land of the dead to get her
back.

By the time Izanagi arrived and found Izanami, she had already eaten food of the underworld. This
meant she was thus unable to return. Izanagi pleaded with Izanami anyway until she agreed to ask the
deities of the land of the dead if she might leave to go back to the country they were still in the
process of making. Before she went to ask, Izanami made one request: she bid Izanagi not to follow
her, and to wait outside until she returned. Izanagi agreed.

A long time passed in Izanami’s absence, and Izanagi grew impatient. At last, he decided to disregard
Izanami’s request and went to look for her. To his horror, he discovered her as a frightful, decaying
corpse. Izanami was furious at being seen, and Izanagi fled in terror. He quickly exited the land of
the dead. Izanami chased after him, but she soon found her way blocked by a large boulder and
could follow Izanagi no further. Izanagi had placed the boulder, and so trapped Izanami in the land
of the dead.

Izanagi’s “Misogi”

After escaping, Izanagi declared the land of the dead an ugly and defiled place and decided to purify
himself by cleansing. This act is today considered the origin of “misogi,” a ritual cleansing done at
Shinto shrines and ceremonies where one bathes or immerses oneself in water.

As Izanagi washed his face, three significant deities were born: the sun kami Amaterasu Omikami
from his left eye, the moon kami Tsukuyomi no Mikoto from his right eye, and the kami of the seas
Susanoo no Mikoto from his nose. Izanagi gave these three children the duties of ruling, respectively,
the heavenly realm, the night realm, and the seas.

Takachiho and the “Creation”

While it is difficult to determine from ancient documents exactly where these events would have
taken place, Takachiho local belief considers the island in the center of Onokoro Pond near
Takachiho Gorge to be Onokoro Shima, the place where Izanami and Izanagi married, lived, and
gave birth to the islands of Japan. In this belief, Takachiho is where the Japanese archipelago, both its
natural formations and its inhabitants, was born.

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