Shinto Mythology

Shinto Mythology

Embraces Shinto and Buddhism

Polytheism
Based on Kojiki, The Nihon Shoki, and some
other books
Explains the Imperial Lineage

Creation Myth

Nothingness and Chaos

Takamagahara formed by the light and
the lightest particle that rises from the
chaos
The rest of the particle that didnt rise
formed Earth
First 3 gods appeared, followed by the
other 2
The Kotoamatsukami went into hiding as
soon as they emerged, disappearing
from the myth
2 other gods arose, also hid after
emerging
5 pair of gods was born
After the completion of Heaven and
Earth, Izanagi and Izanami proceed to

Kuniumi

Kuniumi

Lit. means The Creation of the Country

Using Ame-no-Nuboko (spear) and Ameno-ukihashi (Bridge) to churn the chaotic
mass
The salty water from the tip of the spear
dropped and created the first island
Both gods descended to the island and
made Ame-no-mihashira (heavenly
pillar)
Izanagi and Izanami decided to mate.
The ritual consist of circling the Ame-nomihashira, the male going left and the
female going right
Izanami spoke first, which is wrong for
the wife to spoke first. They mated
anyway, and mated, bearing 2 child that

Kuniumi

Following the failure, Izanagi decided to consult

to the elder gods at Takamagahara
The wife shouldnt spoke first
Izanagi then performed the ritual again, this
time the male spoke first
This time The ritual succeeded, and Izanami
gave birth to all the island known in Japan

Kamiumi

Kamiumi

Lit. means The Birth of the Gods

Happens after Kuniumi

During this time, Izanagi and Izanami gave

birth to a lot of gods, including the
household deities, deities of the wind,
trees and meadows, all born
spontaneously

Then Kagutsuchi was born

Kamiumi: Kagutsuchi

The birth of Kagutsuchi burned Izanamis genital

and she was mortally wounded

During this period, Izanamis vomits, tears, and

excrement also gave birth to more gods

Then Izanami died, leaving Izanagi in sadness.

From his tears, another god was born.

After burying Izanamis body in Mt. Hiba, Izanagi

became enraged and killed Kagutsuchi with Ameno-Ohabari

From Kagutsuchis blood and body, more gods

was born

Kaminumi: Yomi

Izanagi decided to go to the underworld (Yomino-kuni) to bring back Izanami

Izanami already ate in Yomi (by eating in Yomi,
you became permanent resident in Yomi)
Izanami decided to consult it to the gods of
Yomi, and Izanagi was prohibited to see her
After waiting for some time, Izanagi got
impatient and lit a fire and entered the world of
the dead
Izanagi found Izanami, but was shocked to find
her as a rotting corpse. From her body, the 8
gods of thunder was born
Izanagi ran away, but then Izanami sent
Yomotsuhikome to chase him

Kaminumi: The Chase and The

Separation

Izanagi threw a bunch of things to the ground and

change it into fruits, so that the Yomotsuhikome
ate them, enabling him to get some distance
Izanami then released the 8 thunder gods and
1500 warriors from Yomi to pursuit Izanagi
Using Totsuka-no-Tsurugi, Izanagi continued his
escape
Izanagi then reached Yomotsu-Hirasaka, which is
the slope connecting the land of the living to Yomi
Izanagi, at the slope, lifted a rock that a thousand
man cant lift, and blocked the slope, separating
the Yomi and the living land
At the moment Izanagi lifted the rock, Izanagi and
Izanamis eyes met for the last time

Kaminumi: Circle of Life and Death

Izanami said:
If you behave in this way, I will strangle and
kill one thousand men of your land in one
day!
Izanagi replied:
If you do this, I will in one day set up 1,500
parturition houses. So in one day indeed
1,000 men will die and indeed 1,500 are going
to be born.

Kaminumi: The Purification of Izanagi

After leaving Yomi, Izanagi decided to purify himself

using the misogi ceremony.
From his clothes and accessory, 12 more gods were
born
At the moment Izanagi is stripped clean, 2 more
gods were born
When he shook off the curse, 3 gods were born
When he washed his body, a total of 6 gods were
born as well
Finally, when Izanagi washes his left eye Amaterasu
Omikami was born, who received the mandate to
govern Takamagahara and Mikuratanano-no-kami
From his right eye, Tsukuyomi no-Mikoto was born,
who received the mandate to govern Dominion of
Night
From his nose, Takehayasusanoo-no-mikoto, who
received the mandate to govern the Seas

Amaterasu

Amaterasu and Susanoo

Amaterasu and Susanoo isnt actually in good term

One story tells a tale where Susanoo was banished to
Yomi by Izanagi because Susanoo kept complaining
Susanoo begrudgingly agrees, but before he left for
Yomi, he decided to bid farewell to Amaterasu
Knowing Susanoo, Amaterasu wasnt quite pleased
and was ready to battle when Susanoo arrived
Amaterasu challenged Susanoos good faith by
making the most noble and divine children
Amaterasu declared both are victorious, and insisted
that
The persistence then drove Susanoo mad and caused
him to go into frenzy, and at the climax, he threw
half-flayed pony (animal sacred to Amaterasu) to her
weaving hall, which caused the death of one of her
attendant

The Disappearance of Amaterasu

Angered by Susanoos behavior, Amaterasu

decided to hides in Iwayado cave, causing the
world to fall into total darkness
All of the deities tried to coax Amaterasu out of
the cave, but none succeded
Finally, Ame-no-Uzume, the goddess of
merriment, hatches a plan, which is to put large
bronze mirror facing Amaterasus cave, and
danced away on top of a washtub, wearing only
flowers and leaves.
Ame-no-Uzume then shed the flowers and
leaves, and danced naked, causing all the male
gods to roar in laughter. This in turn, causes
Amaterasu to become curious, and peeked
outside

Dawn Bringer

When Amaterasu peeked outside, dawn

escaped from the caves, and Amaterasu was
dazzled from seeing the beautiful goddess in
front of her, which is her own reflection in the
bronze mirror

Ameno-Tajikarawo then pulled Amaterasu out

from the cave, dragging Amaterasu into the
middle of the merriment, which in turn made
her depression disappear

Amaterasu agreed to return to heaven, and

Ame-no-Uzume is then known as the kami of
Dawn

Amaterasu

Susanoo

Susanoo and Orochi

Exiled from heaven, Susanoo decided to come to

Izumo Province, where he met with an old couple,
whose children was devoured by Yamata-no-Orochi,
the eight headed, eight tail snake whos as long as
eight hills
The last daughter of the couple is Kushinada-Hime,
who will be devoured by Orochi soon
Knowing the old couple relation with Amaterasu,
Susanoo agreed to help the couple in exchange of
their daughter hand in marriage, and the couple
agreed
He then turns the daughter into a comb and hide her
in his hair
He also ordered a fence-like barrier around the
house. The fence have 8 gates, 8 tables in front of
the gates, 8 cask on top of the table thats filled with
8-times-brewed sake

Susanoo and Orochi

When Orochi arrived, it was goaded in by the smell of

sake, which the serpent loves, but found trouble
when they cant get through to the sake.

After a lot of bickering among the heads, they

decided to look or an entrance, and found a hatch,
where they decided to go in from that hatch and
drank all of the sake

Now that the serpent is drunk from sake, Susanoo

jumped in and launches his attack, and decapitates
all 8 heads.

From the tail of the serpent, Susanoo found a sword,

which he then gave to Amaterasu, who named it
Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi

Susanoo and Orochi

Okuninushi

Okuninushi

Okuninushi is the descendant

of Susanoo

Real name Onamuji,

Okuninushi is a nickname

Represent the power structure

in Izumo province

Succeeded in unifying territory

in some degree, before
handing it over to the Yamatoclan

The Hare of Inaba

There was 80 gods all competing to

court Princess Yagami in Inaba.
When on their way from Izumo to
Inaba, they stumbled upon a flayed
rabbit on the sea shore
In a wicked-hearted gesture, the
group advised the rabbit to bathe in
the sea and blow himself dry in the
wind, which makes the rabbit in
even more agony
Onamuji, who was lagging behind,
takes pity, and told the rabbit to
bathe in fresh water and roll around
in the pollen of cattail plant
The cured rabbit, now revealed to
be a god, then made a divined
prediction that Onamuji will win the
competition

Ninigi

Ninigi

He was the grandson of Amaterasu, who

she decreed to govern over the earth
(Only Japan)
Most of the terrestrial deity disagreed,
and most of the gods sent to quell the
rebellion either joined their cause or in
shambles, before Takemikazuchi and
Itsu-no-Ohabari quelled it
Amaterasu then decreed the 3 Imperial
Regalia of Japan to Ninigi which is
Yasakani no Magatama, Yata no Kagami,
and Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi
The 3 Imperial Regalia was to be
worshipped as representation of
Amaterasu

Ninigis Marriage and Downfall

Ninigi then met with Konohanasakuya-hime

(symbol of flower), daughter of Yamatsumi
(master of mountain), and they both fell in
love.
Yamatsumi was so happy that he offered both
his daughter, Iwanaga (Symbol of Rock) and
Sakuya, to be married to Ninigi, but he refused,
only marrying Sakuya
Apparently Iwanaga is blessed with eternity
and Sakuya with prosperity, so by refusing to
marry Iwanaga, Ninigi, who was formerly a god,
is now mortal, and so does their offspring, thus
marking the first step of transition from the
Age of Gods to the Age of Human

The Mythical Emperor

Emperor Jinmu

The first legendary Emperor of Japan,

also known as emperor Jinmu, is the
son of Ugaya, descendant of Ninigi

Emperor Jinmu then launched an

attack to capture Yamato

After taking control of Yamato

province, Emperor Jinmu established
imperial throne

Jinmu was guided by Yatagarasu on

his path to become an Emperor

Emperor Suizei

After Jinmus death, an elder prince,

Tagishishimi, whos not in the first line as
successor, moved to consolidate power,
while the rest is mourning

He plotted to slay his two younger halfbrother, but the plot was suppressed

The youngest prince, Suizei, who had the

courage to pluck the bow and fatally
wound Tagishishimi was given the title of
the 2nd Emperor of Japan

Eight Undocumented Emperor

After Suizei, theres little to none documentation

regarding the next emperor

Only the 10th Emperor, Sujin, the first emperor who

perform a census and establish and regularize
taxation system, and the 11th Emperor, Suinin,
where in his age sumo was established, were
discussed in their own book

Before Suinin, when a lord dies, all his closer

retainers were buried alive as sacrificial burial.
Since it was deemed to cruel, Suinin then forwarded
the idea to bury clay figure instead of live men. The
clay figure was later known as Haniwa

Yamato Takeru

Yamato Takeru, birth name Osu no

Mikoto, is the son of the 12th Emperor
of Japan, Emperor Keiko
One of his son became the 14th
Emperor of Japan, Emperor Chuai
He have a brutal temperament, so
his father sent him away, first to
Izumo, later to Kumaso

He fought and won at both place, and

his enemy gave him the title Yamato
Takeru
He then was sent to the eastern land,
where all people that disobeyed the
Emperor was sent

Yamato Takeru

Before being sent to the eastern land, Yamato

Takeru met with his aunt Yamato-hime, the
highest priestesses in Ise Grand Shrine, who lent
him the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi
Later he was lured onto open grassland by a
hunting expedition, who then loosed several
fiery arrow into the grassland to burn Yamato
Takeru alive, after killing his horse first
Desperate, Yamato Takeru used the sword to cut
the grass around him, but in doing so, he also
found out the swords ability to control the wind
Using the wind, he sent the fire back to his
attacker, and emerged victorious. He then
renamed the sword to Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi

Yamato Takeru

Made By: