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Cultural Group - Script: Source: HTTP://WWW - Gly.Uga - Edu/Railsback/Cs/Csjapan - HTML

The document summarizes the Japanese creation myth. According to the myth, three invisible deities first came into being, followed by five or six pairs of deities. The last two deities were Izanagi and Izanami, who were commanded to solidify the land. They stirred the ocean brine with a jeweled spear, creating the first island. There, they built a palace and mated behind a pillar but gave birth to imperfect children. After consulting other deities, they mated again correctly and gave birth to the main islands of Japan and various nature deities to inhabit them. Izanami died giving birth to the fire deity, and more deities arose from her and Izanagi's actions

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Clarice Mae Dacasin
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57 views1 page

Cultural Group - Script: Source: HTTP://WWW - Gly.Uga - Edu/Railsback/Cs/Csjapan - HTML

The document summarizes the Japanese creation myth. According to the myth, three invisible deities first came into being, followed by five or six pairs of deities. The last two deities were Izanagi and Izanami, who were commanded to solidify the land. They stirred the ocean brine with a jeweled spear, creating the first island. There, they built a palace and mated behind a pillar but gave birth to imperfect children. After consulting other deities, they mated again correctly and gave birth to the main islands of Japan and various nature deities to inhabit them. Izanami died giving birth to the fire deity, and more deities arose from her and Izanagi's actions

Uploaded by

Clarice Mae Dacasin
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Cultural Group - Script The history of Japan started when heaven and earth began, three deities came

into being, The Spirit Master of the Center of Heaven, The August Wondrously Producing Spirit, and the Divine Wondrously Producing Ancestor. These three were invisible. The earth was young then, and land floated like oil, and from it reed shoots sprouted. From these reeds came two more deities. After them, five or six pairs of deities came into being, and the last of these were Izanagi and Izanami, whose names mean "The Male Who Invites" and "The Female who Invites". The first five deities commanded Izanagi and Izanami to make and solidify the land of Japan, and they gave the young pair a jeweled spear. Standing on the Floating Bridge of Heaven, they dipped it in the ocean brine and stirred. They pulled out the spear, and the brine that dripped of it formed an island to which they descended. On this island they built a palace for their wedding and a great column to the heavens. Izanami examined her body and found that one place had not grown, and she told this to Izanagi, who replied that his body was well-formed but that one place had grown to excess. He proposed that he place his excess in her place that was not complete and that in doing so they would make new land. They agreed to walk around the pillar and meet behind it to do this. When they arrive behind the pillar, she greeted him by saying "What a fine young man", and he responded by greeting her with "What a fine young woman". They procreated and gave birth to a leech-child, which they put in a basket and let float away. Then they gave birth to a floating island, which likewise they did not recognize as one of their children. Disappointed by their failures in procreation, they returned to Heaven and consulted the deities there. The deities explained that the cause of their difficulties was that the female had spoken first when they met to procreate. Izanagi and Izanami returned to their island and again met behind the heavenly pillar. When they met, he said, "What a fine young woman," and she said "What a fine young man". They mated and gave birth to the eight main islands of Japan and six minor islands. Then they gave birth to a variety of deities to inhabit those islands, including the sea deity, the deity of the sea-straits, and the deities of the rivers, winds, trees, and mountains. Last, Izanami gave birth to the fire deity, and her genitals were so burned that she died. Izanagi grieved over Izanami, and a deity was born from his tears. Distraught after burying Izanami, he used his long sword to behead his son, the deity of fire, whose birth had killed Izanami. From the blood on the sword came three deities of rocks, two deities of fire, and one of water, all of which are needed to make a sword. Eight more deities arose from the body of Izanagi and Izanami's slain son. And that is how Japan was created by Izanami and Izanagi. Source: http://www.gly.uga.edu/railsback/CS/CSJapan.html

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