The Japanese word “八百万 / YAOYOROZU” has been mentioned several times in past articles. The word means “too many to count”, but in Japan it is often used to describe the number of deities.
Japanese Shinto is based on a belief in nature and is a synthesis of the beliefs of many local tribes that existed long ago, which is why it has taken such a large form.
However, it is not the case that all deities are aligned on an equal level.
The clearest categorisation is between the “Amatsu_gami” and the “Kunitsu_gami”.
The Amatsu_gami are the gods who reside in the heavens and watch over the land. The Kunitsu_gami are the deities on earth who are in charge of their respective territories and fields. The Kunitsu_gami are never above the Amatsu_gami.
This form of belief in a multitude of deities and levels of divisions may be found outside Japan.
With the explanation given so far, those with good intuition will understand.
Amatsu_gami are the gods belonging to the Yamato dynasty, which we dealt with in the previous article. It means the ancestors and descendants of Amaterasu at the top.
In contrast, the Kunitsu_gami are the gods of the tribes that became subordinate to the Yamato dynasty after its establishment. As the Yamato dynasty expanded its sphere of control, it did not erase the local deities who agreed to be subordinated, but recognised them as members of the family of gods.
Even though it is a myth, there is a strong reflection of human conduct and political expediency that seems to have actually taken place…
Now, ‘Susanoo’ was a major character in the first part.
He is the son of Izanagi and brother of Amaterasu, so naturally he is a direct descendant of Amatsu_gami.
However, in mythology he is treated as a Kunitsu_gami.
One reason is that he is a fallen god who was banished from the heavens, but I don’t think that is the only reason.
A strange story in which, from his emergence until his banishment from the heavens, he is portrayed as an extremely violent god, but once he arrives on earth, he turns around and is portrayed as a hero who conquers demons, saves poor parents and daughters, and builds a peaceful country.
This story clearly illustrates the peculiarity of Susanoo.
Susanoo
And from this it can be foreseen that ‘Susanoo was not Amatsu_gami to begin with’…
Susanoo established a large kingdom there with his rescued daughter (Kushinada) and her parents as his family. The location corresponds to present-day Shimane Prefecture. Shimane Prefecture faces the Asian continent across the Sea of Japan.
Yes, the coastal areas from northern Kyushu to the Sea of Japan near the continent, such as Shimane Prefecture, have long been heavily influenced by continental culture since 2000 years ago. Many people crossed the sea and established themselves in the area, creating a large cultural area.
They already possessed primitive iron-making technology and were an extremely powerful force in Japan at a time when even the foundations of society were still being laid.
It is possible that this background had an influence on the fact that the family that built the Yamato dynasty and became the ancestors of the Japanese imperial family did not set out from southern Kyushu and land on the way, but moved all the way to the Kii Peninsula to establish an imperial capital.
Susanoo has been identified in Japanese religious culture with the deity ‘Gozu Tenno’.※ Gozu Tenno is also identified with the ‘Muto-gami’. ※ Gozu Tenno (deity said to be the Indian god Gavagriva)
Both deities are associated with plague, natural disasters and warfare and have a character of violence. (At the same time, they are also said to be deities who purge disasters by worshipping them.)
It is reasonable to assume that the story of Susanoo’s raging on earth and his later banishment from the heavenly realms after ascending to the heavens tells of this conflict between domestic and migratory forces.
The development of the story of how this Susanoo descended to earth and later became a hero and king tells us that the relationship between the Yamato dynasty and the migratory powers changed.
Perhaps it was more of a political bargain than a war settlement? This is because there is little evidence of large-scale battles between the two forces.
Gozu Tenno
The migratory forces limit their active cultural sphere and come under the Yamato dynasty.
The Yamato side recognised a certain degree of autonomy and independence for the cultural sphere of the migratory forces.
This was probably a pledge of this kind…
These considerations are not written in any mythology, and include a lot of my own speculation, but they are no less close to contemporary research and speculation.
And there is more to the myth.
The country founded by Susanoo was named Izumo-no-kuni and prospered for a long time, but a major change came when Susanoo’s sixth grandson, Okuninushi, became king.
Okuninushi was a good king who developed his country, but during his reign Amaterasu forced him to give up the Land of Izumo.
There was probably also military pressure, as mythology states that two war gods, Takemikazuchi and Futsunushi, were dispatched at this time.
The myth states that the king, Okuninushi, did not put up any significant resistance, but ceded the territory to the Yamato dynasty in exchange for only one condition.
That condition was that a large shrine should be built in the Land of Izumo to enshrine him.
Izumo Taisha shrine, Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture.
His wish was granted and a large shrine was built on the site that seemed to pierce the heavens.
It was rebuilt in later times, and the present Izumo-taisha Shrine has continued to display its grandeur for 1,300 years…
This article is based on mythology and its content is close to allegory.
In addition, the speculative part is based on personal Consideration and has no clear corroboration whatsoever.
However, Susanoo, the god of tyranny, is enshrined at the Yasaka Shrine, a large shrine in Kyoto, where the Gion Festival is held every July to the delight of hundreds of thousands of people.
And his sixth grandson, Okuninushi, is regarded as a god of good fortune and is enshrined at shrines throughout the country, notably at Izumo Taisha.
And furthermore…
The Japanese Imperial Family is descended from the “Amatsu_gami” and is supposed to be a descendant of the Yamato dynasty, but maintains a considerate relationship with the Izumo Taisha and its clans. (A female member of the Imperial Family married the head of Izumo Taisha in 2014 as well.)
Myths are fables of the gods created by man, but are they not also strongly interwoven with the circumstances and feelings of human beings themselves?