Page:Kojiki by Chamberlain.djvu/148

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62

“Ko-ji-ki,” or Records of Ancient Matters.

[Vol. IX.

and inflamed.” (What is here called akakagachi is the modern hohodzuki.^[1]) Then His-Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness said to the old man: “If this be thy daughter, wilt thou offer her to me?” He replied, saying: “With reverence,^[2] but I know not thine august name.” Then he replied, saying: “I am elder brother^[3] to the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity. So I have now descended from Heaven.” Then the Deities Foot-Stroking-Elder and Hand-Stroking-Elder said: “If that be so, with reverence will we offer [her to thee].” So His-Swift-Impetuous-Male-Augustness, at once taking and changing the young girl into a multitudinous and close-toothed comb which he stuck into his august hair-bunch, said to the Deities Foot-Stroking-Elder and Hand-Stroking-Elder: “Do you distill some eight-fold refined liquor.^[4] Also make a fence round about, in that fence make eight gates, at each gate tie [together] eight platforms,^[5] on each platform put a liquor-vat, and into each vat pour the eight-fold refined liquor, and wait.” So as they waited after having thus prepared everything in accordance with his bidding, the eight-forked serpent came

↑ The winter-cherry, Physalis Alkekengi.
↑ For the word “reverence” here and a few lines further on, conf. Sect. IX, Note 4.
↑ He was her younger brother; but see Introduction, p. xxxvii.
↑ In Japanese sake, and archaically ki, written with the character 酒 and generally translated “rice-beer,” but by Dr. Hein “rice-brandy” (Reis-branntwein). The modern sake resembles the Chinese ‘huang chiu (黄酒). If we translated it by “rice-beer,” we should of course have to render by “to brew” the Verb kamu or kamosu (醸) here rendered “to distill.” It should be mentioned that Professor Atkinson who, like Dr. Bein, has studied the subject specially, uses the word “brewing;” but apparently no English term exactly represents the process which the liquor undergoes in the course of preparation. A curious question is suggested by the fact that the old Japanese word for “distilling” or “brewing” liquor is homonymous with the Verb “to chew.” But there is not, beyond this isolated verbal resemblance, any documentary evidence in favour of the Japanese ever having practised a method of making liquor which still obtains in some of the South Sea Islands.—“One account” of the Chronicles of Japan makes Susa-no-wo say “Take all the fruits, and distill liquor.”
↑ The author doubtless intended, as Motowori suggests, to speak only of eight platforms,—one at each gate,—and not of sixty-four. But what he actually says is as in the translation.

[1] The winter-cherry, Physalis Alkekengi.

[2] For the word “reverence” here and a few lines further on, conf. Sect. IX, Note 4.

[3] He was her younger brother; but see Introduction, p. xxxvii.

[4] In Japanese sake, and archaically ki, written with the character 酒 and generally translated “rice-beer,” but by Dr. Hein “rice-brandy” (Reis-branntwein). The modern sake resembles the Chinese ‘huang chiu (黄酒). If we translated it by “rice-beer,” we should of course have to render by “to brew” the Verb kamu or kamosu (醸) here rendered “to distill.” It should be mentioned that Professor Atkinson who, like Dr. Bein, has studied the subject specially, uses the word “brewing;” but apparently no English term exactly represents the process which the liquor undergoes in the course of preparation. A curious question is suggested by the fact that the old Japanese word for “distilling” or “brewing” liquor is homonymous with the Verb “to chew.” But there is not, beyond this isolated verbal resemblance, any documentary evidence in favour of the Japanese ever having practised a method of making liquor which still obtains in some of the South Sea Islands.—“One account” of the Chronicles of Japan makes Susa-no-wo say “Take all the fruits, and distill liquor.”

[5] The author doubtless intended, as Motowori suggests, to speak only of eight platforms,—one at each gate,—and not of sixty-four. But what he actually says is as in the translation.

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