Ajisukitakahikone
| Ajisukitakahikone-no-Kami | |
|---|---|
God of agriculture and thunder | |
 Ajisukitakahikone destroys the hut where Ame-no-Wakahiko's corpse lay with his sword | |
| Other names | Ajishikitakahikone-no-Kami (阿遅志貴高日子根神, 阿遅志貴高日子根神, 阿治志貴高日子根神) Ajisukitakahiko-no-Mikoto (阿遅須枳高日子命) |
| Japanese | 味耜高彦根神 |
| Major cult center | Takakamo Shrine, Asuki Shrine |
| Texts | Kojiki, Nihon Shoki, Sendai Kuji Hongi, Izumo Fudoki, Harima Fudoki |
| Personal information | |
| Consort | Ame-no-Mikajihime |
| Children | Takitsuhiko, Yamuyabiko |
| Parents | Ōkuninushi and Takiribime |
| Siblings | Shitateruhime Kotoshironushi, Takeminakata and others (half-siblings) |
Ajisukitakahikone (also Ajishikitakahikone or Ajisukitakahiko) is a kami in Japanese mythology.
Mythology[change | change source]
Parentage[change | change source]
According to the Kojiki, Ajisukitakahikone is one of the two offspring of the deity Ōkuninushi and Takiribime, one of the three Munakata goddesses. The other offspring is Shitateruhime, who is also known as Takahime..[1]
As a baby, Ajisukitakahikone's cries were so loud that he was put on a boat and sailed around Japan until he stopped crying. When he grew up, he became the father of Takitsuhiko, a god of rain.
Ajisukitakahikone and Ame-no-Wakahiko[change | change source]
Amaterasu and Takamimusubi, the rulers of Takamagahara, wanted their descendants to rule over the earth. They sent messengers to Ōkuninushi, the ruler of Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni, to tell him to give up his power. One of the messengers, Ame-no-Wakahiko, married one of Ōkuninushi's daughters, Shitateruhime, and tried to take over the land himself. Eight years later, a pheasant sent by the heavenly gods came to Ame-no-Wakahiko and scolded him. Ame-no-Wakahiko shot and killed the bird, but the arrow he used was thrown back down to earth by the gods and struck Ame-no-Wakahiko in the chest, killing him in his sleep.
At Ame-no-Wakahiko's funeral, Ajisukitakahikone visited to pay his respects. He resembled Ame-no-Wakahiko, so the family mistook him for Ame-no-Wakahiko, who had come back to life. Ajisukitakahikone was angry about being mistaken for his friend because corpses were considered unclean. So, he drew his sword and destroyed the funeral hut where Ame-no-Wakahiko's corpse was kept and then kicked it away. The ruined hut landed in the land of Mino and became a mountain called Moyama (mourning mountain)..[a]
Ajishikitakahikone was very angry and flew away. His radiance was so bright that it illuminated the space of two hills and two valleys. Shitateruhime wanted to let everyone know that it was her brother who came to pay respects, so she composed a song to honor him.:[5]
Kamo Wake-ikazuchi[change | change source]
Kamo Wake-ikazuchi is the deity enshrined at Kamo Wake-ikazuchi-jinja Shrine (also known as Kamigamo-jinja Shrine), and is worshipped at Kamo-jinja Shrines located in different areas. Kamo Wake-ikazuchi is not mentioned in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, the oldest known historical chronicles of Japan. However, in the "Kamo no Honchi" document from the Muromachi period, Kamo Wake-ikazuchi is identified with Ajisukitakahikone no kami, who is mentioned in the Kojiki and Nihonshoki.
According to a passage from the "Yamashiro no Kuni Fudoki," Kamo Wake-ikazuchi is described as follows: Tamayori-hime, who is also worshipped at Shimogamo Shrine, was the daughter of Kamo Takekakumi no Mikoto, who is the enshrined deity at Kamo-mioya-jinja Shrine. One day, Tamayori-hime was playing in the Semi no Ogawa (Kamo River) in Ishikawa when she saw a tannuri arrow floating down the river.
Tamayori-hime found a tannuri arrow while playing in the Kamo River. She took it home and placed it near her bed, which resulted in her becoming pregnant and giving birth to Kamo Wake-ikazuchi. As an adult, at a party, Kamo Wake-ikazuchi no Mikoto's grandfather, Kamo Takekakumi no Mikoto, gave him some sake and asked him to give some to his father. Kamo Wake-ikazuchi then passed through the roof and ascended to heaven, leading to the belief that his father was a god. The true identity of the tannuri arrow was believed to be the god of fire and thunder at Otokuni Shrine.
Related pages[change | change source]
- Ōkuninushi
- Takemikazuchi
- Ame-no-wakahiko
Notes[change | change source]
- ↑ Two locations in Gifu Prefecture (the southern part of which is the historical province of Mino) have been suggested as possible candidates for this mountain or hill: a tumulus known as Moyama Kofun (喪山古墳) in Tarui, Fuwa District,[2] and Moyama Tenjin Shrine (喪山天神社, Moyama-Tenjinja) in Ōyada, Mino City.[3][4]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ Philippi, Donald L. (2015). Kojiki. Princeton University Press. p. 113. ISBN 978-1400878000.
- ↑ "喪山（その2）". 古事記学センター. Kokugakuin University. Retrieved 2020-10-27.
- ↑ "喪山（その1）". 古事記学センター. Kokugakuin University. Retrieved 2020-10-27.
- ↑ Yamamoto, Akira (2012). Ichiban yasashii Kojiki no hon (いちばんやさしい古事記の本). Seitōsha. p. 85. ISBN 9784791620609.
- ↑ Philippi, Donald L. (2015). Kojiki. Princeton University Press. pp. 123–128. ISBN 978-1400878000.