Taniha and the Land of Tajima; [thence] pursuing round to the eastward, he reached the Land of Afumi, and thereupon crossed over into the Land of Minu; and, passing along by the Land of Wohari, pursued it into the Land of Shinanu, and at length, reaching in his pursuit the Land of Koshi, spread a net in the Estuary of Wanami,[1] and, having caught the bird, brought it up [to the capital] and presented it [to the Sovereign]. So that estuary is called the Estuary of Wanami. It had been thought that, on seeing the bird again, he would speak; but he did not speak, as had been thought.[2] Hereupon the Heavenly Sovereign, deigning to be grieved, augustly fell asleep, when, in an august dream, he was instructed, saying: “If thou wilt build my temple like unto thine august abode, the august child shall surely speak.” When he had been thus instructed, [the Heavenly Sovereign] made grand divination to seek what Deity’s desire[3] this might be. Then [it was discovered that] the curse was the august doing of the Great Deity of Idzumo.[4] So when about to send the august child to worship [at] that Great Deity’s temple, [he made divination to discover[5]] by whom it were well to have him attended. Then the lot fell on King Ake-tatsu.[6] So he made King Ake-tatsu swear,[7] saying: “If there
- ↑ No such place is now known. The name may be interpreted to mean “snare-net” in allusion to this story, as stated in the next sentence of the text.
- ↑ The various texts and printed editions all differ slightly in their reading of this passage, and from some it might he gathered that the prince did indeed speak as it had been thought that he would do, but could not speak freely. The translation follows Motowori’s emended text.
- ↑ Literally, “heart.”
- ↑ I.e., Oho-kuni-nushi (the Master of the Great Land), the aboriginal monarch of Idzumo, the descendant of the Sun Goddess, whose abdication of the sovereignty of Japan in favour of the descendant of the Sun-Goddess forms the subject-matter of Sect. XXXII. The word tatari, here written with the Chinese character 崇 and rendered “curse,” signifies properly the vengeance of a spirit, i.e., either of a deity or of the ghost of a dead man. The word translated “doing” is literally “heart.”
- ↑ That some such words must be supplied is evident, and the translator has followed Mabuchi and Motowori in supplying them.
- ↑ Lit., “King Ake-tatsu ate the divination.”
- ↑ Remember that the original word ukehi combines the meanings of our words “wager,” “oath,” “pledge,” “curse,” etc.,—being in fact a general name for all words to which any mysterious importance attaches.
