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88
“Ko-ji-ki,” or Records of Ancient Matters.
[Vol. XII.


[Sect. XXVIII.—The August-Luck-Spirit-the-August-Wondrous-Spirit.[1]]

Thereupon the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land lamented himself, and said: “How shall I alone be able to make this land?[2] Together with what Deity can I make this land?” At this time there came a Deity illuminating the sea. This Deity said: “If thou wilt lay me to rest[3] well, I can make it together with thee. If not, the land cannot be made.” Then the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land said: “If that be so, what is the manner of reverently laying thee to rest?” He replied, saying: “Reverently worship me on Yamato’s green fence, the eastern mountain’s top.”[4] This is the Deity who dwells on the top of Mount Mimoro.[5]

[Sect. XXIX.—The August Children of the Great-Harvest-Deity and of the Swift-Mountain-Deity.]

So the Great-Harvest-Deity wedded the Princess [of?] Inu,[6] daughter of the Divine-Life-Producing-Wondrous-Deity,[7] and begot children: the


    to form the whole civilized world. The expression was borrowed by the Japanese to designate their own country. But its use by them had not the same plea of ignorance of other civilized lands, as they were acquainted with China and Korea, and had thence obtained nearly all the arts of life.

  1. In the “Chronicles,” this is given as the designation of the Deity who came over the sea, and Motowori therefore adopts it as the heading of this Section.
  2. For an explanation of this expression see Sect. XXIII, Note 26.
  3. I.e. “if thou wilt build me a temple.” The original might also be rendered “if thou wilt worship before me,” or “at my shrine,” or “if thou wilt establish a temple to me.”
  4. I.e., on Mount Mimoro which stands as a protecting fence in the eastern part of the province of Yamato. Awo-kaki-yama, “green fence mountain,” became a proper name used alternatively for Mount Mimoro (or, according to the later pronunciation, Mimuro). In like manner Himukashi-yama (in the later language Higashi-yama) “eastern mountain,” has by some been considered to be a proper name.
  5. I.e. “august house;” so called probably from the temple of the deity.
  6. Inu-hime. Motowori supposes Inu to be the name of a place. The word properly siginfies “dog.”
  7. Kamu-iku-musu-bi-no-kami.