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誓約とスサノオのあばれ

The Pledge and Susanoo's Misdeeds

Driven out, Susanoo said, “Before I go to the Land of Roots where my mother is, I want to see my elder sister Amaterasu,” and he went up to Takamagahara.

As Susanoo went up, the earth and the sea both shook violently.

Amaterasu thought, “My brother may have come to take my land.”

So she took a bow and arrows, prepared for battle, and waited.

Susanoo said, “My heart is clean. Let us make a pledge (ukei) and I will show it to you.”

An ukei is a way of deciding an outcome in advance and learning the will of the gods, or the like, by whether it comes true; in this story, they decide by giving birth to gods.

When Amaterasu chewed up Susanoo's sword, called the Totsuka-no-tsurugi, three goddesses were born.

These goddesses are called the Three Goddesses of Munakata, and it is said that they are worshipped at Munakata Taisha (the Grand Shrine of Munakata).

Next, when Susanoo chewed up Amaterasu's magatama, the curved jewels, five gods were born, and Ame-no-oshihomimi was among them.

Susanoo said, “Gentle goddesses were born from my sword because my heart is clean. I win.”

However, after winning, Susanoo began to run wild in Takamagahara.

He broke down the banks of Amaterasu's rice fields and filled in the channels for the water.

He also dirtied the hall where the festival of offering the new rice to the gods was held.

Worse still, he threw a skinned horse into the weaving hall.

A woman who had been weaving cloth inside was startled, hurt herself on a weaving tool, and died.

Amaterasu became frightened and shut herself away in a rock cave.

That story becomes the next tale, the Heavenly Rock Cave.

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