Japanese creation myth

In Japanese mythology, the Japanese Creation Myth is the story that describes the legendary birth of the celestial and creative world, the birth of the first gods, and the birth of the Japanese archipelago. This story is described at the beginning of the Kojiki, the first book written in Japan (712), and in the Nihon Shoki (720). Both form the literary basis of Japanese mythology and Shinto; however, the story differs in some aspects between these works. At the beginning the universe was immersed in a beaten and shapeless kind of matter (chaos), sunk in silence. Later there were sounds indicating the movement of particles. With this movement, the light and the lightest particles rose but the particles were not as fast as the light and could not go higher. Thus, the light was at the top of the Universe, and below it, the particles formed first the clouds and then Heaven, which was to be called Takamagahara. The rest of the particles that had not risen formed a huge mass, dense and dark, to be called Earth. When Takamagahara was formed, the first three gods appeared: Amenominakanushi Takamimusubi and Kamimusubi. Then these gods: Umashi-ashi-kabi-hikoji and Ame-no-toko-tachi These five deities, known as Kotoamatsukami, appeared spontaneously, did not have a definite sex, did not have partners (hitorigami) and went into hiding after their emergence. These gods are not mentioned in the rest of the mythology. Kamiyonanayo Then two other gods arose: Kuni-no-Tokotachi and Toyo-kumono These gods also emerged spontaneously, did not have a defined sex, did not have a partner, and hid at birth. Then, five pairs of gods were born (for a total of ten deities), each pair consisting of a male deity and a female deity: ja and his younger sister (and wife) ja, Tsunuguhi and his younger sister (and wife) Ikuguhi, Ōtonoji and his younger sister (and wife) Ōtonobe, Omodaru and his younger sister (and wife) Aya-kashiko-ne and Izanagi and his younger sister (and wife) Izanami All deities from Kuni-no-koto-tachi to Izanami are collectively called Kamiyonanayo.

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Related concepts (15)

Hitorigami

Hitorigami (独神) are Shinto deities (kami) who came into being alone, as opposed to those who came into being as male-female pairs. According to the Kojiki, this group includes the "three deities of creation" and the "separate heavenly kami." They are described as hiding themselves away once they achieved awareness. Most are said to have been created from the "male essence" and, as such, are male in gender.

Kamiumi

In Japanese mythology, the story of the birth of the gods occurs after the creation of Japan (Kuniumi). It concerns the birth of the divine (kami) descendants of Izanagi and Izanami. According to the Kojiki, various gods were born from the relationship between Izanagi and Izanami until the fire deity, Kagu-tsuchi, at birth burned Izanami's genitals and wounded her fatally. Izanagi, witnessing the death of his beloved wife, in rage took the ten-grasp sabre and crushed his child, Kagutsuchi.

Japanese creation myth