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Kuniumi
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In Japanese mythology, Kuniumi (国産み; literally "birth or formation of the country") is the traditional and legendary history of the emergence of the Japanese archipelago, of islands, as narrated in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. According to this legend, after the creation of Heaven and Earth (Tenchi-kaibyaku), the gods Izanagi and Izanami were given the task of forming a series of islands that would become what is now Japan. In Japanese mythology, these islands make up the known world. The creation of Japan is followed by the creation of the gods (Kamiumi).
Creation story
[edit]
According to the Kojiki
[edit]After the formation, Heaven was above and Earth was still a drifting soft mush. The first five gods named Kotoamatsukami (別天津神; "Separate Heavenly Deities") were lone deities without sex[1] and did not reproduce. Then came the Kamiyonanayo (神世七代; "The Seven Divine Generations"), consisting of two lone deities followed by five couples. The elder gods delegated the youngest couple Izanagi and Izanami to carry out their venerable mandate: to reach down from heaven and give solid form to the earth.
This they did with the use of a precious stone-covered spear named Ame-no-nuboko (天沼矛; "heavenly jewelled spear"), given to them by the elders. Standing over the Ame-no-ukihashi (天浮橋; "floating bridge of heaven"), they churned the chaotic mass with the spear. When drops of salty water fell from the tip, they formed into the first island, Onogoroshima. In forming this island, both gods came down from heaven, and spontaneously built a central support column[2] called the Ame-no-mihashira (天御柱; "heavenly pillar") which upheld the "hall measuring eight fathoms" that the gods caused to appear afterwards.[1][3][4][5]
Then they initiated conversation inquiring of each other's anatomy, leading to a mutual decision to mate and reproduce:[4]
IZANAGI:
How has your body been made?[nb 1]
IZANAMI:
My body is fully formed, except for a part which has not quite grown.[nb 2]
IZANAGI:
My body is fully formed, except I have a part that has grown too much. If I place the part of my body that has grown too much, and plug the part of your body not yet grown, we will produce lands and dominions. What say you to this?[nb 3]
Izanami accepted the offer and Izanagi proposed that both should circle around the column Ame-no-mihashira in opposite directions, Izanami going right and Izanagi left and on meeting each other would perform sexual intercourse (maguwai (麻具波比)). However, when they met on the other side of the pillar, Izanami was the first to speak, saying: "Oh, indeed you are a beautiful and kind youth!", to which Izanagi replied: "Oh, what a most beautiful and kind youth!". Izanagi then rebukes Izanami saying: "It is wrong for the wife to speak first."[4]
However, they mated anyway and later fathered a child Hiruko (lit. "leech child), who was placed in a reed boat dragged by the current.[nb 4] Afterwards they gave birth to Awashima (淡島; lit. "island of foam"). Neither Hiruko nor Awashima were considered legitimate children of Izanagi and Izanami.[4]
Izanagi and Izanami decided to ascend to heaven and consult the primordial gods at Takamagahara about the ill-formed children that resulted from their union. The gods determined through divination that the female speaking first during the ceremony was the cause. So the couple returned to Onogoroshima island and repeated the rite encircling the column, only making sure Izanagi was the first to speak out in greeting. When finished, they performed the union successfully and lands began to be born.[6]
Birth of the islands
[edit]According to the legend, the formation of Japan began with the creation of eight large islands by Izanagi and Izanami. In order of birth these islands are the following:[6]
- Awaji-no-ho-no-sawake-no-shima (淡道之穂之狭別島): currently, Awaji Island;
- Iyo-no-futana-no-shima (伊予之二名島): currently, Shikoku. This island had a body and four faces. The names of the faces are as follows:
- Ehime (愛比売): Iyo Province;
- Ihiyorihiko (飯依比古): Sanuki Province;
- Ohogetsuhime (大宣都比売): Awa Province;
- Takeyoriwake (建依別): Tosa Province.
- Oki-no-mitsugo-no-shima (隠伎之三子島): today, Oki Islands. Dubbed Ame-no-oshikorowake (天之忍許呂別);
- Tsukushi-no-shima (筑紫島): today, Kyūshū. This island had a body and four faces. The names of the faces are as follows:
- Shirahiwake (白日別): Tsukushi Province;
- Toyohiwake (豊日別): Toyo Province;
- Takehimukahitoyokujihinewake (建日向日豊久士比泥別): Hi Province;
- Takehiwake (建日別): Kumaso.
- Iki-no-shima (伊伎島): today, Iki Island. Dubbed Amehitotsubashira (天比登都柱);
- Tsu-shima (津島): today, Tsushima Island. Dubbed Ame-no-sadeyorihime (天之狭手依比売);
- Sado-no-shima (佐度島): today, Sado Island;
- Ohoyamatotoyoakitsu-shima (大倭豊秋津島): today, Honshu. Dubbed Amatsumisoratoyoakitsunewake (天御虚空豊秋津根別).
Traditionally these islands are known as Ōyashima (lit. eight large islands) and as a whole are what is currently known as Japan. In the myth neither Hokkaidō nor the Ryukyu Islands are mentioned as these were not known to the Japanese at the time of compiling the Kojiki.[6]
Additionally, Izanagi and Izanami then gave birth to six islands:[6][7]
- Kibi-no-kojima (吉備児島): Kojima Peninsula of Kibi (now in Okayama). Dubbed Takehikatawake (建日方別);
- Azuki-jima (小豆島): Shōdoshima. Dubbed Ohonodehime (大野手比売);
- Oho-shima (大島): Suō-Ōshima. Dubbed Ohotamaruwake (大多麻流別);
- Hime-jima (女島): Himeshima. Dubbed Amehitotsune (天一根);
- Chika-no-shima (知訶島): Gotō Islands. Dubbed Ame-no-oshio (天之忍男);
- Futago-no-shima (両児島): Danjo Islands. Dubbed Amefutaya (天両屋).
According to the Nihon Shoki
[edit]The story of this book only differs in that Izanagi and Izanami volunteered to consolidate the earth. In addition, the two deities are described as "god of yang" (陽神 youshin, male deity) and "goddess of yin" (陰神 inshin, female deity) influenced by the ideas of Yin and yang. The rest of the story is identical, except that the other celestial gods (Kotoamatsukami) do not appear, nor are the last six smaller islands mentioned that were born through Izanagi and Izanami.
Notes
[edit]- ^ 「汝身者如何成也」 (in Old Japanese); 「あなたの体はどのようにできていますか」 (transcription in modern Japanese). Kojiki.
- ^ 「妾身層層鑄成 然未成處有一處在」 (in Old Japanese); 「私の体には、成長して、成長していないところが1ヶ所あります」 (transcription in modern Japanese). Kojiki.
- ^ 「吾身亦層層鑄也 尚有凸餘處一 故以此吾身之餘處 刺塞汝身之未成處 為完美態而生國土 奈何」 (in Old Japanese); 「私の体には、成長して、成長し過ぎたところが1ヶ所あります。そこで、この私の成長し過ぎたところで、あなたの成長していないところを刺して塞いで、国土を生みたいと思います。生むのはどうですか。」 (transcription in modern Japanese). Kojiki.
- ^ Later popular legends say he became the god Ebisu. It does not say so in the Kojiki
References
[edit]- ^ a b 小向, 正司 (1992). 神道の本. Books Esoterica. Vol. 2. 学研. p. 27.(zasshi code 66951-07; kyōtsu zasshi code T10-66951-07-1000)
- ^ Takeda (武田 1996, p. 22 n6)
- ^ Chamberlain 2008, p. 73
- ^ a b c d Chamberlain 2008, p. 74
- ^ 武田, 祐吉 (Yūkichi Takeda) [in Japanese] (1996) [1977]. 中村啓信 (ed.). 新訂古事記. 講談社. pp. 21–25. ISBN 4-04-400101-4.
- ^ a b c d Chamberlain 2008, p. 75
- ^ Chamberlain 2008, p. 76
Bibliography
[edit]- Chamberlain, Basil Hall (2008). The Kojiki: Japanese Records of Ancient Matters. Forgotten Books. ISBN 978-1-60506-938-8. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
- "Génesis del mundo y aparición de los primeros dioses" [Genesis of the world and appearance of the first gods] (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-11-10.
| Mythic texts |   | |
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| Japanese creation myth | ||
| Takamagahara mythology | ||
| Izumo mythology | ||
| Hyūga mythology | ||
| Human age | ||
| Mythological locations | ||
| Mythological weapons | ||
| Major Buddhist figures | ||
| Seven Lucky Gods | ||
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Kuniumi
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Overview
Definition
Kuniumi is the mythological narrative in Japanese tradition describing the "birth of the land," wherein the primordial chaos of the ocean is transformed into the Japanese archipelago and its terrain. This cosmogonic episode focuses on the emergence of solid landmasses from a formless, drifting state, establishing the physical foundation of the terrestrial world.[2] The term "Kuniumi" derives from the Japanese words "kuni" (国), meaning "land" or "country," and "umi" (産み), denoting "birth" or "production," literally translating to "birth of the country." It originates from ancient oral traditions that were compiled in the 8th-century texts Kojiki (712 CE) and Nihon Shoki (720 CE), which preserve these myths as foundational accounts of Japanese origins.[6][2] Unlike the creation of Takamagahara, the heavenly realm where the initial deities reside, or the establishment of Yomi, the underworld domain of the dead, Kuniumi represents the specifically terrestrial phase of cosmogony, enacted by the divine pair Izanagi and Izanami under mandate from the heavenly gods.[6][2]Historical Context
The Kuniumi myth, detailing the divine formation of the Japanese archipelago, first appears in written form in the Kojiki (古事記, "Records of Ancient Matters"), Japan's earliest extant chronicle, compiled in 712 CE by the court scholar Ō no Yasumaro under the commission of Empress Genmei.[7] This text was created as an official effort to document and systematize Japan's mythological origins alongside imperial genealogy, drawing from earlier clan records and recitations to affirm the divine lineage of the ruling Yamato dynasty.[8] The Kojiki's preface explicitly states that Ō no Yasumaro based the work on oral accounts memorized by the court reciter Hieda no Are, highlighting its role as a bridge between pre-literate traditions and written history.[9] Eight years later, in 720 CE, the Nihon Shoki (日本書紀, "Chronicles of Japan") was completed as the second official national history, incorporating the Kuniumi narrative in a more elaborate and variant form.[10] Unlike the Kojiki, which uses native Japanese phonetics, the Nihon Shoki employs classical Chinese (kanbun) and presents multiple parallel versions of myths, reflecting a deliberate Sinicization to align Japanese imperial history with continental historiographical standards.[11] This compilation, overseen by a team of scholars under imperial directive, aimed to legitimize the sovereign's authority by embedding mythological events within a chronological framework that emphasized the unbroken descent from divine ancestors.[12] Both texts stem from pre-8th-century oral traditions prevalent among Yamato court elites and regional clans, which preserved cosmological narratives through ritual recitation and storytelling long before the adoption of writing systems.[8] These indigenous elements likely incorporated adaptations of continental mythological motifs from China and Korea, such as cosmogonic themes of separation from chaos and land formation, reshaped to emphasize Japan's unique island geography and divine mandate.[11]Mythological Narratives
Kojiki Account
In the Kojiki, the process of kuniumi, or the birth of the land, begins with the divine pair Izanagi (the Male-Who-Invites) and Izanami (the Female-Who-Invites), the seventh and final generation of heavenly deities, who receive a mandate from the celestial assembly to descend from Takamagahara, the Plain of High Heaven, and consolidate the drifting, formless ocean below.[13] Equipped with the Ame-no-Nuboko, or heavenly jeweled spear, they stand on the Ame-no-Ukihashi, the Floating Bridge of Heaven, and Izanagi thrusts the spear into the primordial brine, stirring it until the salt congeals and droplets fall, solidifying into Onogoro-shima, the first island, which serves as the foundational landmass for their creative labors.[13] This act symbolizes the emergence of solidity from chaos, rendered in the text's archaic, rhythmic prose that evokes ritual incantation, with phrases like the spear's "jewel[ed] point" dripping to form "a thing like mud" that becomes enduring earth.[13] Descending to Onogoro-shima, Izanagi and Izanami erect an eight-fathom heavenly hall and a central heavenly august pillar, around which they perform a sacred circumambulation—Izanagi proceeding clockwise from the left, Izanami counterclockwise from the right—as a fertility rite to unite and generate progeny.[13] In their initial union, however, Izanami speaks first, greeting her partner with words of praise ("What a fair and lovely youth!"), inverting the ritual order and resulting in flawed offspring: the leech-child Hiruko, a malformed deity unable to stand on its legs even at age three, who is placed in a reed boat and set adrift on the ocean, and the island of Awaji, deemed imperfect and excluded from the count of true islands.[13] This episode underscores the Kojiki's emphasis on ritual propriety, conveyed through its indigenous, phonetically rich Japanese style, distinct from later Sino-influenced texts, with dialogue that mimics ancient oral chants.[13] Consulting the heavenly deities via divination, the pair learns of the error in the woman's precedence and repeats the circumambulation correctly, with Izanagi now speaking first ("What a fair and lovely maiden!"), leading to a successful union that births the core islands of Japan in sequence.[13] These include the island of Awaji (now properly formed), the two-island realm of Iyo (corresponding to Shikoku), the three-island realm of Oki, the four-island realm of Tsukushi (Kyūshū), the one-island realm of Tsushima, the one-island realm of Iki, and the great eight-island realm of Yamato (encompassing Honshū and surrounding areas like Yamashiro, Kahachi, and others), totaling fourteen islands in all, each described with poetic epithets such as "Long Island" or "Valiant Island" to evoke their mythical vitality.[13] The narrative's ritualistic elements, including the pillar as a cosmic axis and the gendered exchange of greetings, highlight the Kojiki's unique blend of myth and ceremonial language, preserving an indigenous worldview where land emerges as divine progeny through ordered procreation.[13]Nihon Shoki Account
The Nihon Shoki, compiled in 720 CE, recounts the Kuniumi myth through multiple parallel variants, drawing from diverse oral and written traditions to present a more historically oriented narrative than the unified tale in the Kojiki. These accounts emphasize procedural corrections and expansions, reflecting the text's aim to harmonize mythological origins with imperial legitimacy.[14] In one prominent version, the divine pair Izanagi and Izanami descend to the island of Onogoro on the Heavenly Floating Bridge and attempt their union around a central pillar. The initial rite fails when Izanami greets Izanagi first with words of delight, producing only a leech-child, which they place in a reed boat and set adrift, and the island of Awaji, deemed a placental afterbirth and initially discarded. The eight million heavenly deities assemble on the Heavenly Rock Seat to investigate, attributing the flaw to the reversed order of speech, and instruct the pair to retry with Izanagi speaking first. This rationalized correction succeeds, enabling the birth of the Japanese lands and subsequent deities.[14] Subsequent variants detail an expanded creation sequence, where the pair gives birth to 14 provinces or islands, surpassing the eight principal isles of other accounts. These include the central province of Yamato (ancient heartland of the imperial court), Iyo (corresponding to Shikoku), Tsukushi (Kyushu), the twin islands of Oki and Sado, Koshi, Ohoshima, Kibi, Tsushima, Iki, and smaller formations arising from saltwater and freshwater foam coagulating into landmasses. After the islands emerge, Izanagi and Izanami produce additional kami overseeing mountains (such as Mount Kagu), rivers (like the River Wani), winds, trees, and other natural features, thus endowing the archipelago with a structured divine geography.[14] The Nihon Shoki's treatment of Kuniumi exhibits strong Sinicized influences, composed in classical Chinese and structured as annals with chronological notations drawn from the Chinese sexagenary cycle, integrating mythic events into a pseudo-historical timeline that begins in the divine age and transitions seamlessly to human rulers. This framing dates the foundational acts of creation to align with the early imperial era, portraying the birth of the lands—particularly Yamato—as a divine mandate establishing the unbroken sovereignty of the Yamato dynasty, thereby legitimizing the emperor as a descendant of the creative deities.[15]Core Elements
Divine Actors
In the Shinto creation mythology, particularly as recorded in the Kojiki, Izanagi-no-Mikoto and Izanami-no-Mikoto serve as the primordial sibling deities tasked with initiating Kuniumi, the formation of the Japanese archipelago from a chaotic, floating expanse resembling oil on water. As the seventh and final generation of spontaneously emerging kami, this divine pair—where Izanagi translates to "the male who invites" and Izanami to "the female who invites"—embodies complementary principles of creation, with Izanagi representing assertive, initiating masculine energy and Izanami embodying nurturing, receptive feminine energy.[16][17][18] Commissioned by senior deities including Takamimusubi-no-Kami, Amenominakanushi-no-Kami, and Kamimusubi-no-Kami, Izanagi and Izanami were instructed to descend from the heavenly realm and consolidate the formless earth below, marking their preparatory role in transforming primordial disorder into structured land.[6][19] This mandate positioned them as active agents in cosmogony, equipped with a heavenly jeweled spear to stir the briny ocean and initiate solidification.[20] Central to their preparatory dynamics is the ritual of union around the heavenly pillar on the first formed island, where gender roles played a pivotal symbolic function. In the initial attempt, Izanami's greeting preceded Izanagi's, yielding an imperfect result and prompting divine correction to uphold hierarchical harmony; upon reversal, with Izanagi speaking first, their union succeeded, underscoring balanced masculine initiative and feminine response as essential to creative efficacy.[6][16][21] The mythological narrative further contextualizes their roles through subsequent events, including Izanami's death during the birth of the fire deity Kagutsuchi and Izanagi's failed retrieval journey to Yomi-no-kuni, culminating in his ritual purification at the river Awagihara to cleanse defilement from the underworld.[16][18][22] This purification, involving immersion and invocations, not only restored Izanagi's sanctity but also generated additional kami, reinforcing the pair's overarching generative legacy in Shinto cosmology, though their joint Kuniumi efforts preceded these trials.[21][20]Creation Process
In the Kuniumi myth, the initial ritual of land formation involves the divine couple Izanagi and Izanami standing on the Heavenly Floating Bridge and plunging the Heavenly Jeweled Spear into the primordial ocean to stir the brine below.[6] As they withdraw the spear, droplets of brine coagulate and solidify into the first island, Onogoro, which serves as their dwelling and the foundational site for subsequent creation.[14] This act of stirring and coagulation represents a transformative process from fluid chaos to stable earth, enacted through the spear's ritual motion.[6] Following the emergence of Onogoro, the deities engage in a union around a central heavenly pillar, initiating a sequence of births that progressively solidifies the land.[14] Islands are born first in a hierarchical order, starting with the Great Eight Islands (such as Awaji, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu) and extending to smaller ones, symbolizing the initial structuring of the archipelago's core.[6] Subsequent births produce deities governing natural features, including those of mountains, rivers, winds, and provinces, marking the elaboration of the land's topography and administrative divisions through this generative progression.[14] The mythic geography of Kuniumi mirrors the actual configuration of the Japanese archipelago, with Onogoro functioning as a proto-Japan—an archetypal island from which the nation's islands and regions emanate.[23] This symbolic mapping aligns the sequence of island births with real geographic entities, such as the placement of major islands like Honshu and Kyushu, reinforcing a cosmological order that integrates myth with the physical landscape of Japan.[23]Cultural Significance
Religious Role
In Shinto cosmology, Kuniumi forms a pivotal part of the creation cycle, linking the heavenly realm of Takamagahara, the earthly domain of Ashihara no Nakatsukuni shaped through the land-forming process, and the underworld of Yomi into a tripartite worldview that structures the universe's divine order.[24] This integration positions Kuniumi as the terrestrial complement to the celestial Kamiumi (birth of the gods) and the subsequent descent of deities, establishing a harmonious balance among the realms where the kami govern natural and human affairs.[24] The myth underscores Shinto's emphasis on cyclical renewal and purity, with Izanagi and Izanami's actions in Kuniumi symbolizing the generative forces that bridge the divine and material worlds.[25] Worship of Kuniumi centers on shrines dedicated to Izanagi and Izanami, such as Izanagi Jingu on Awaji Island, which commemorates the deities' role in forming the first island, Awaji, and hosts rituals invoking land fertility and marital harmony.[25] These include purification rites like misogi, echoing Izanagi's ablutions after Yomi, and offerings at sacred trees symbolizing fertility, where devotees pray for bountiful harvests and family prosperity.[26] The shrine, which enshrines both deities, also features practices associated with safe childbirth and fertility, reflecting the myth's themes of life-giving union.[27] Such practices reinforce Shinto's animistic reverence for the land as a living entity born from divine labor. Kuniumi also underpins imperial ideology by affirming Japan's divine origins, as the myth culminates in the birth of Amaterasu from Izanagi's purification following the creation process, establishing her as the sun goddess and ancestral deity of the imperial line.[28] This narrative justifies the emperor's sacred descent from Amaterasu, portraying the Yamato rulers as inheritors of heavenly mandate to govern the divinely created archipelago.[28] Through this linkage, Kuniumi integrates into state Shinto rituals, symbolizing national unity and the emperor's role as mediator between the realms.[28]Interpretations and Legacy
In the 18th century, Motoori Norinaga, a prominent scholar of the Kokugaku (National Learning) movement, interpreted the Kuniumi myth as a literal historical account of Japan's divine origins, emphasizing its indigenous purity and rejecting any foreign influences such as Chinese or Buddhist elements that earlier scholars had imposed on the Kojiki narratives.[29] This nativist approach positioned Kuniumi as an authentic expression of Japanese spiritual essence, free from rationalistic or allegorical readings that diluted its sacred character.[30] In contrast, Western comparative mythology has analyzed creation myths through universal patterns of ritual and fertility, viewing them as shared cultural motifs rather than unique truths, which challenged nativist claims by situating Japanese lore within global anthropological patterns.[31] During the Meiji era (1868–1912), the Kuniumi myth contributed to State Shinto's promotion of nationalism by reinforcing the emperor's divine lineage from the kami created in the subsequent Kamiumi phase, portraying Japan as a sacred land ordained by Izanagi and Izanami to foster imperial loyalty and modernization efforts.[32] This revival of ancient myths under government sponsorship helped construct a unified national identity, blending Shinto cosmology with imperial ideology to legitimize Japan's emergence as a modern power.[33] In contemporary media, Kuniumi has influenced adaptations such as the 2006 video game Ōkami, where elements of the creation process by Izanagi and Izanami underpin the game's Shinto-inspired world-building, with the protagonist Amaterasu restoring a corrupted Nippon through celestial brush techniques that echo mythological formation acts.[34] Such depictions extend the myth's legacy into popular culture, blending it with anime and manga narratives to explore themes of harmony and renewal. Additionally, eco-Shinto movements draw on Shinto's portrayal of land and nature as divine gifts from the kami, advocating environmental stewardship by framing nature's sacred interconnectedness as a model for sustainable practices amid modern ecological challenges.[35] Post-World War II reinterpretations demythologized Kuniumi's imperial ties following Emperor Hirohito's 1946 renunciation of divinity, which prompted scholars to reframe the myth as cultural folklore rather than historical justification for the emperor's sacred status, thereby separating Shinto cosmology from state ideology in Japan's pacifist constitution.[36] Feminist readings, meanwhile, critique Izanami's role in Kuniumi for highlighting patriarchal biases, such as her pollution through childbirth and subsequent marginalization after death, interpreting her transformation into a death goddess as a symbol of women's subjugation in male-dominated mythological narratives.[37] Works like Natsuo Kirino's The Goddess Chronicle (2008) offer retellings that empower Izanami, emphasizing her agency and critiquing the gender dynamics embedded in the original accounts.[37]References
- https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Nihongi/Book_I