Deity Brave-August-Name-Firm came up, bearing on the tips of his fingers a thousand-draught rock, and said: “Who it is that has come to our land, and thus secretly talks? If that be so, I should like to have a trial of strength. So I should like to begin by taking thine august hand.” So on his letting him take his august hand, his touch at once turned it into an icicle, and again his touch turned it into a sword-blade. So then he was frightened and drew back. Then on the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity wishing to take the hand of the Deity Brave-August-Name-Firm, and asking permission to take it in return, he grasped and crushed it as if it were taking a young reed, and cast it aside, upon which [the Deity Brave-August-Name-Firm] fled away. So when [the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity] pursuing after him, came up with him at the Sea of Suha in the land of Shinanu, and was about to slay him, the Deity Brave-August-Name-Firm said: “I will obey. Slay me not. I will go to no other place but this, neither will I go against the command of my father the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land. I will not go against the words of the Deity Eight-Fold-Thing-Sign-Master. I will yield up this Central Land of Reed-Plains according to the command of the august child of the Heavenly Deities.” So they returned again, and asked the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land [saying]: “Thy children the two Deities the Deity Thing-Sign-Master and the Deity Brave-August-Name-Firm have said that they will follow and not go against the commands of the august child of the Heavenly Deities. So how is thy heart?” Then he replied, saying: “According as the two Deities my children have said, I too will not go against them. In accordance with the [heavenly] command, I will at once yield up this Central Land of Reed-Plains. But as to my place of residence, if ye will make stout the temple-pillars on the nethermost rock-bottom, and make high the cross-beams to the Plain of High Heaven like the rich and perfect august nest where the august child of the Heavenly Deities rules the succession of Heaven’s sun, and will deign to establish me, I will hide in the eighty (less than a hundred) road-windings, and wait on him. Again, as for my children the hundred and eighty Deities, if the Deity Eight-Fold-Thing-Sign-Master will be the Deities’ august rear and van and will respectfully serve them, there will be no disobedient Deities.” Having thus spoken [he hid himself. So in accordance with his word,] they built a heavenly august abode on the shore of Tagishi in the land of Idzumo; and the Deity Wondrous-Eight-Spirits, grandson of the Deity of Water-Gates, was made butler to offer up the heavenly august banquet, when, having said prayers, the Deity Wondrous-Eight-Spirits turned into a cormorant, went down to the bottom of the sea, took in his mouth red earth from the bottom, made eighty heavenly platters, and, cutting sea-weed stalks, made a fire-drill mortar, and made a fire-drill pestle out of stalks of komo, and drilled out fire, saying: “This fire which I have drilled will I burn until, in the Plain of High Heaven, the soot on the heavenly new lattice of the gable of His Augustness the Wondrous-Divine-Producer-the-August-Ancestor hang down eight hand-breadths; and as for what is below the earth, I will bake down to the nethermost rock-bottom, and,—the fishing sailors, who spread their thousand-fathom ropes of paper-mulberry and angle, having with many shouts drawn in and landed the large-mouthed small-finned perch,—I will offer up the heavenly true fish-food so that the split bamboos bend.” So the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity re-ascended [to Heaven], and reported how he had subdued and pacified the Central Land of Reed-Plains.
[Sect. XXXIII.—The August Descent from Heaven of his Augustness the August Grandchild.]
Then the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity and the High-Integrating-Deity commanded and charged the Heir Apparent His Augustness Truly-Conqueror-I-Conquer-Swift-Heavenly-Great-Great-Ears [saying: “The Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity] says that he has now finished pacifying the Central Land of Reed-Plains. So do thou, in accordance with our gracious charge, descend to and dwell in and rule over it.” Then the Heir Apparent His Augustness Truly-Conqueror-I-Conquer-Conquering-Swift-Heavenly-Great-Great-Ears replied, saying: “While I have been getting ready to descend, there has been born [to me] a child whose name is His Augustness Heaven-Plenty-Earth-Plenty-Heaven’s-Sun-Height-Prince-Rice-ear-Ruddy-Plenty. This child should be sent down.” [As for this august child, he was augustly joined to Her Augustness Myriad-Looms-Luxuriant-Dragon-fly-Island-Princess, daughter of the High-Integrating-Deity, and begot children: His Augustness-Heavenly Rice-ear-Ruddy, and next His Augustness Prince-Rice-ear-Ruddy-Plenty.] Therefore, in accordance with these words, they laid their command on His Augustness Prince Rice-ear-Ruddy-Plenty, deigning to charge him with these words: “This Luxuriant Reed-Plain-Land-of-Fresh-Rice-ears is the land over which thou shalt rule.” So [he replied]: I “will descend from Heaven according to your commands.” So when His Augustness Prince-ear-Ruddy-Plenty was about to descend from Heaven, there was at the eight-forking road of Heaven a Deity whose refulgence reached upwards to the Plain of High Heaven and downwards to the Central Land of Reed-Plains. So then the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity and the High-Integrating Deity commanded and charged the Heavenly-Alarming-Female-Deity [, saying]: “Though thou art but a delicate female, thou art a Deity who conquers in facing Deities. So be thou the one to go and ask thus: ‘This being the road by which our august child is about to descend from Heaven, who is it that is thus there?’ ” So to this gracious question he replied, saying “I am an Earthly Deity named the Deity Prince of Saruta. The reason for my coming here is that, having heard of the [intended] descent of the august child of the Heavenly Deities, I have come humbly to meet him and respectfully offer myself as His Augustness’s vanguard.” Then joining to him His Augustness Heavenly-Beckoning-Ancestor-Lord, His Augustness Grand-Jewel, Her Augustness Heavenly-Alarming-Female, Her Augustness I-shi-ko-ri-do-me, and His Augustness Jewel-Ancestor, in all five chiefs of companies, they sent him down from Heaven. Thereupon they joined to him the eight-feet [long] curved jewels and mirror that had allured [the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity from the Rock-Dwelling,] and also the Herb-Quelling-Great-Sword, and likewise the Deity Thought-Includer, the Hand-Strength-Male-Deity, and the Deity Heavenly-Rock-Door-Opener of Eternal Night, and charged him thus: “Regard this mirror exactly as if it were our august spirit, and reverence it as if reverencing us”. Next did they say: “Let the Deity Thought-Includer take in hand our affairs, and carry on the government.” These two Deities are worshipped at the temple of Isuzu. The next, the Deity of Luxuriant-Food, is the Deity dwelling in the outer temple of Watarahi. The next, the Deity Heavenly-Rock-Door-Opener, another name for whom is the Wondrous-Rock-True-Gate-Deity, and another name for whom is the Luxuriant-Rock-True-Gate-Deity,—this Deity is the Deity of the August Gate. The next, the Deity Hand-Strength-Male, dwells in Sanagata. Now His Augustness the Heavenly-Beckoning-Ancestor-Lord (is the ancestor of the Nakatomi Chieftains); His Augustness Grand Jewel (is the ancestor of the Imibe Headmen); Her Augustness the Heavenly-Alarming-Female (is the ancestress of the Duchesses of Saru); Her Augustness I-shi-ko-ri-do-me (is the ancestress of the Mirror-Making Chieftains); His Augustness-Jewel-Ancestor (is the ancestor of the Jewel-Ancestor Chieftains).
[Sect. XXXIV.—The August Reign in Himuka of His Augustness Prince Rice-ear-Ruddy-Plenty.]
So then [the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity and the High-Integrating-Deity] commanded His Augustness Heaven’s-Prince-Rice-ear-Ruddy-Plenty; and he, leaving the Heavenly Rock-Seat, pushing asunder the eight-fold heavenly spreading clouds, and dividing a road with a mighty road-dividing, set off floating shut up in the Floating Bridge of Heaven, and descended from Heaven onto the peak of Kuzhifuru which is Takachiho in Tsukushi. So His Heavenly Great Wondrous Augustness and His Augustness Heaven’s-Round-Eyes, both taking on their backs the Heavenly rock-quivers, taking at their side the large mallet-headed swords, taking in their hands the Heavenly vegetable-wax-tree bow, and clasping under their arms the Heavenly true deer-arrows, stood in his august van in respectful attendance. So His Heavenly-Great-Wondrous-Augustness (is the ancestor of the Ohotomo Chieftains); His Augustness Heaven’s-Round-Eyes (is the ancestor of the Kume Lords). Thereupon he said: “This place is opposite to the land of Kara. One comes straight across to the august Cape of Kasasa; and it is a land whereon the morning sun shines straight, a land which the evening sun’s sunlight illumines. So this place is an exceedingly good place.” Having thus spoken, he made stout the temple-pillars on the nethermost rock-bottom, and made high the cross-beams to the Plain of High Heaven, and dwelt there.
[Sect. XXXV.—The Duchess of Saru.]
So then he charged Her Augustness the Heavenly-Alarming-Female [saying]: “Do thou, who wast the one to make known this Great Deity Prince of Saruta who respectfully served as my august vanguard, respectfully escort him [back]; and do thou likewise bear the august name of that Deity, and respectfully serve me.” Wherefore the Duchesses of Saru bear the name of the Male Deity the Prince of Saruta, and the women are Duchesses of Saru.
[Sect. XXXVI.—The Deity Prince of Saruta at Azaka.]
Now when this Deity Prince of Saruta dwelt at Azaka, he went out fishing, and had his hand caught by a hirabu shell-fish, and was drowned in the brine of the sea. So the name by which he was called when he sank to the bottom was the Bottom-Touching-August-Spirit; the name by which he was called when the sea-water gurgled up was the Gurgling-Up-August-Spirit; the name by which he was called when the bubbles formed was the Bubble-Bursting-August-Spirit. Thereupon [Her Augustness the Heavenly-Alarming-Female], having escorted [back] the Deity Prince of Saruta, came back, and at once drove together all the things broad of fin and the things narrow of fin, and asked them, saying: “Will ye respectfully serve the august son of the Heavenly Deities?”—upon which all the fishes declared that they would respectfully serve him. Only the bèche-de-mer said nothing. Then Her Augustness the Heavenly-Alarming-Female spoke to the bèche-de-mer, saying: “Ah! this mouth is a mouth that gives no reply!”—and [with these words] slit the mouth with her stiletto. So at the present day the bèche-de-mer has a slit mouth. Wherefore [from august reign to] august reign, when the offerings of the first-fruits of Shima are presented [to the Emperor, a portion of them] is granted to the Duchesses of Saru.
[Sect. XXXVII.—The Curse of the Deity Great-Mountain-Possessor.]
Hereupon His Augustness Heaven’s-Sun-Height-Prince-Rice-ear-Ruddy-Plenty met a beautiful person at the august cape of Kasasa, and asked her whose daughter she was. She replied, saying: “I am a daughter of the Deity Great-Mountain-Possessor, and my name is the Divine-Princess-of-Ata, another name by which I am called being Princess-Blossoming-Brilliantly-Like-the-Flowers-of-the-Trees.” Again he asked: “Hast thou any brethren?” She replied, saying: “There is my elder sister, Princess-Long-as-the-Rocks.” Then he charged her [,saying]: “Ego sun cupidus soiendi tecum. Tibi quomodo videtur?” She replied, saying: “I am not able to say. My father the Deity Great-Mountain-Possessor will say.” So he sent a request [for her] to her father the Deity Great-Mountain-Possessor, who, greatly delighted, respectfully sent her off, joining to her her elder sister Princess Long-as-the-Rocks, and causing merchandise to be carried on tables holding an hundred. So then, owing to the elder sister being very hideous, [His Augustness Prince-Rice-ear-Ruddy-Plenty] was alarmed at the sight of her, and sent her back, only keeping the younger sister Princess-Blossoming-Brilliantly-Like-the-Flowers-of-the-Trees, whom he wedded for one night. Then the Deity-Great-Mountain-Possessor was covered with shame at Princess Long-as-the-Rocks being sent back, and sent a message [to His Augustness Prince-Rice-ear-Ruddy-Plenty], saying: “My reason for respectfully presenting both my daughters together was that, by sending Princess-Long-as-the-Rocks, the august offspring of the Heavenly Deity, though the snow fall and the wind blow, might live eternally immovable like unto the enduring rocks, and again that by sending Princess-Blossoming-Brilliantly-Like-the-Flowers-of-the-Trees, [they] might live flourishingly like unto the flowering of the blossoms of the trees: to insure this, I offered them. But owing to thy thus sending back Princess Long-as-the-Rocks, and keeping only Princess-Blossoming-Brilliantly-Like-the-Flowers-of-the-Trees, the august offspring of the Heavenly Deity shall be but as frail as the flowers of the trees.” So it is for this reason that down to the present day the august lives of Their Augustnesses the Heavenly Sovereigns are not long.
So later on Princess-Blossoming-Brilliantly-Like-the-Flowers-of-the-Trees waited on [His Augustness Prince Rice-ear-Ruddy-Plenty, and said: “I am pregnant, and now the time for my delivery approaches. It is not fit for me to be delivered of the august offspring of Heaven privately; so I tell thee.” Then [His Augustness Prince-Rice-ear-Ruddy-Plenty] said: “Princess-Blossoming-Brilliantly! what! pregnant after one night! It cannot be my child. It must surely be the child of an Earthly Deity.” Then she replied, saying: “If the child with which I am pregnant be the child of an Earthly Deity, my delivery will not be fortunate. If it be the august child of the Heavenly Deity, it will be fortunate;”—and thereupon she built a hall eight fathoms [long] without doors, went inside the hall and plastered up [the entrance] with earth; and when the time came for her delivery, she set fire to the hall and was delivered. So the name of the child that was born when the fire was burning most fiercely was His Augustness Fire-Shine (this is the ancestor of the Hayabito, Dukes of Ata); the name of the child born next was His Augustness Fire-Climax; the august name of the child born next was His Augustness Fire-Subside, another name for whom is His Augustness Heaven’s-Sun-Height-Prince-Great-Rice-ears-Lord-Ears (three Deities [in all]).
[Sect. XXXIX.—The August Exchange of Luck.]
So His Augustness Fire-Shine was a prince who got his luck on the sea, and caught things broad of fin and things narrow of fin. His Augustness Fire-Subside was a prince who got his luck on the mountains, and caught things rough of hair and things soft of hair. Then His Augustness Fire-Subside said to his elder brother His Augustness Fire-Shine: “Let us mutually exchange, and use each other’s luck.” [Nevertheless,] though he thrice made the request, [his elder brother] would not accede [to it]; but at last with difficulty the mutual exchange was obtained. Then His Augustness Fire-Subside, undertaking the sea-luck, angled for fish, but never got a single fish; and moreover he lost the fish-hook in the sea. Thereupon his elder brother His Augustness Fire-Shine asked him for the fish-hook, saying: “A mountain-luck is a luck of its own, and a sea-luck is a luck of its own. Let each of us now restore [to the other] his luck.” To which the younger brother His Augustness Fire-Subside replied, saying: “As for thy fish-hook, I did not get a single fish by angling with it; and at last I lost it in the sea.” But the elder brother required it of him [the more] urgently. So the younger brother, breaking his ten grasp sabre that was augustly girded on him, made [of the fragments] five hundred fish hooks as compensation; but he would not take them. Again he made a thousand fish-hooks as compensation; but he would not receive them, saying: “I still want the real original fish-hook.”
[Sect. XL.—The Palace of the Ocean-Possessor.]
Hereupon, as the younger brother was weeping and lamenting by the sea-shore, the Deity Salt-Possessor came and asked him, saying: “What is the cause of the Sky’s-Sun-Height’s weeping and lamentation?” He replied, saying: “I had exchanged a fish-hook with my elder brother, and have lost that fish-hook; and as he asks me for it, I have given him many fish-hooks as compensation; but he will not receive them, saying, ‘I still want the original fish-hook.’ So I weep and lament for this.” Then the Deity Salt-Possessor said: “I will give good counsel to Thine Augustness;”—and therewith built a stout little boat without interstices, and set him in the boat, and instructed him, saying: “When I shall have pushed the boat off, go on for some time. There will be a savoury august road; and if thou goest in the boat along that road, there will appear a palace built like fishes’ scales,—which is the palace of the Deity-Ocean-Possessor. When thou reachest the august gate of that deity [’s palace], there will be a multitudinous [-ly branching] cassia-tree above the well at its side. So if thou sit on the top of that tree, the Sea-Deity’s daughter will see thee, and counsel thee.” So following [these] instructions, [His Augustness Fire-Subside] went a little [way], and everything happened as [the Deity Salt-Possessor] had said; and he forthwith climbed the cassia-tree, and sat [there]. Then when the handmaidens of the Sea-Deity’s daughter Luxuriant-Jewel-Princess, bearing jewelled vessels, were about to draw water, there was a light in the well. On looking up, there was a beautiful young man. They thought it very strange. Then His Augustness Fire-Subside saw the handmaidens, and begged to be given some water. The handmaidens at once drew some water, put it into a jewelled vessel, and respectfully presented it to him. Then, without drinking the water, he loosened the jewel at his august neck, took it in his mouth, and spat it into the jewelled vessel. Thereupon the jewel adhered to the vessel, and the handmaidens could not separate the jewel [from the vessel]. So they took it with the jewel adhering to it, and presented it to Her Augustness Luxuriant-Jewel-Princess. Then, seeing the jewel, she asked her handmaidens, saying: “Is there perhaps some one outside the gate?” They replied, saying: “There is some one sitting on the top of the cassia-tree above our well. It is a very beautiful young man. He is more illustrious even than our king. So, as he begged for water, we respectfully gave him water; but, without drinking the water, he spat this jewel into [the vessel]. As we were not able to separate this [from the other], we have brought [the vessel] with [the jewel] in it to present to thee.” Then Her Augustness Luxuriant-Jewel-Princess, thinking it strange, went out to look, and was forthwith delighted at the sight. They exchanged glances, after which she spoke to her father, saying: “There is a beautiful person at our gate.” Then the Sea-Deity himself went out to look, and saying, “This person is the Sky’s-Sun-Height, the august child of the Heaven’s-Sun-Height,” led him into the interior [of the palace], and spreading eight layers of rugs of sea-asses’ skins, and spreading on the top other eight layers of silk rugs, and setting him on the top of them, arranged merchandise on tables holding an hundred, made an august banquet, and forthwith gave him his daughter Luxuriant-Jewel-Princess in marriage. So he dwelt in that land for three years. Hereupon His Augustness Fire-Subside thought of what had gone before, and heaved one deep sigh. So Her Augustness Luxuriant-Jewel-Princess, hearing the sigh, informed her father, saying: “Though he has dwelt three years [with us], he had never sighed; but this night he heaved one deep sigh. What may be the cause of it?” The Great Deity her father asked his son-in-law, saying: “This morning I hear my daughter speak, saying: ‘Though he has dwelt three years [with us], he had never sighed; but this he heaved one deep sigh.’ What may the cause be? Moreover what was the cause of thy coming here?” Then [His Augustness Fire-Subside] told the Great Deity exactly how his elder brother had pressed him for the lost fish-hook. Thereupon the Sea-Deity summoned together all the fishes of the sea, great and small, and asked them, saying: “Is there perchance any fish that has taken this fish-hook?” So all the fishes replied: “Lately the tahi has complained of something sticking in its throat preventing it from eating; so it doubtless has taken [the hook].” On the throat of the tahi being thereupon examined, there was the fish-hook [in it]. Being forthwith taken, it was washed and respectfully presented to His Augustness Fire-Subside, whom the Deity Great-Ocean-Possessor then instructed, saying: “What thou shalt say when thou grantest this fish-hook to thine elder brother [is as follows]: ‘This fish-hook is a big hook, an eager hook, a poor hook, a silly hook.’ Having [thus] spoken, bestow it with thy back hand. Having done thus,—if thine elder brother make high fields, do Thine Augustness make low fields; and if thine elder brother make low fields, do Thine Augustness make high fields. If thou do thus, thine elder brother will certainly be impoverished in the space of three years, owing to my ruling the water. If thine elder brother, incensed at thy doing thus, should attack thee, put forth the tide-flowing jewel to drown him. If he express grief, put forth the tide-ebbing jewel to let him live. Thus shalt thou harrass him.” With these words, [the Sea-Deity] gave [to His Augustness Fire-Subside] the tide-flowing jewel and the tide-ebbing jewel,—two in all,—and forthwith summoned together all the crocodiles, and asked them, saying: “The Sky’s-Sun-Height, august child of the Heaven’s-Sun-Height, is now about to proceed out to the Upper-Land. Who will in how many days respectfully escort him, and bring back a report.” So each according to the length of his body in fathoms spoke, fixing [a certain number of] days,—one of them, a crocodile one fathom [long], saying: “I will escort him, and come back in one day.” So then [the Sea-Deity] said to the crocodile one fathom [long]: “If that be so, do thou respectfully escort him. While crossing the middle of the sea, do not alarm him.” Forthwith he seated him upon the crocodile’s head, and saw him off. So [the crocodile] respectfully escorted him home in one day, as he had promised. When the crocodile was about to return, [His Augustness Fire-Subside] untied the stiletto which was girded on him, and, setting it on the crocodile’s neck, sent [the latter] back. So the crocodile one fathom [long] is now called the Deity Blade-Possessor.
[Sect. XLI.—Submission of His Augustness Fire-Shine.]
Hereupon [His Augustness Fire-Subside] gave the fish-hook [to his elder brother], exactly according to the Sea-Deity’s words of instruction. So thenceforward [the elder brother] became poorer and poorer, and, with renewed savage intentions, came to attack him. When he was about to attack [His Augustness Fire-Subside, the latter] put forth the tide-flowing jewel to drown him; on his expressing grief, he put forth the tide-ebbing jewel to save him. When he had thus been harrassed, he bowed his head, saying: “I henceforward will be Thine Augustness’s guard by day and night, and respectfully serve thee.” So down to the present day his various posturings when drowning are ceaselessly served up.
[Sect. XLII.—The Parturition-House of Cormorants’ Feathers.]
Hereupon the Sea-Deity’s daughter Her Augustness Luxuriant-Jewel-Princess herself waited on [His Augustness Fire-Subside], and said: “I am already with child, and the time for my delivery now approaches. But methought that the august child of an Heavenly Deity ought not to be born in the Sea-Plain. So I have waited on thee here.” Then forthwith on the limit of the waves upon the sea-shore she built a parturition-hall, using cormorants’ feathers for thatch. Hereupon, before the thatch was completed, she was unable to restrain the urgency of her august womb. So she entered the parturition-hall. Then, when she was about to be delivered, she spoke to her husband [,saying]: “Whenever a foreigner is about to be delivered, she takes the shape of her native land to be delivered. So I now will take my native shape to be delivered. Pray look not upon me!” Hereupon [His Augustness Fire-Subside], thinking these words strange, stealthily peeped at the very moment of delivery, when she turned into a crocodile eight fathoms [long], and crawled and writhed about; and he forthwith, terrified at the sight, fled away. Then Her Augustness Luxuriant-Jewel-Princess knew that he had peeped; and she felt ashamed, and, straightway leaving the august child which she had borne, she said: “I had wished always to come and go across the sea-path. But thy having peeped at my [real] shape [makes me] very shame-faced,”—and she forthwith closed the sea-boundary, and went down again. Therefore the name by which the august child whom she had borne was called was His Augustness Heaven’s-Sun-Height-Prince-Wave-limit-Brave-Cormorant-Thatch-Meeting-Incompletely. Nevertheless afterwards, although angry at his having wished to peep, she could not restrain her loving heart, and she entrusted to her younger sister Jewel-Good-Princess, on the occasion of her nursing the august child, a Song to be presented [to His Augustness Fire-Subside]. The Song said: “As for red jewels, though even the string [they are strung on] shines, the aspect of [my] lord [who is] like unto white jewels is [more] illustrious.”
Then her husband replied by a Song, which said: “As for my younger sister, whom I took to sleep [with me] on the island where light the wild-duck, the birds of the offing, I shall not forget her till the end of my life.”
So His Augustness-Prince-Great-Rice-ears-Lord-Ears dwelt in the palace of Takachiho for five hundred and eighty years. His august mausoleum is likewise on the west of Mount Takachiho.
[Sect. XLIII.—The August Children of His Augustness Cormorant-Thatch-Meeting-Incompletely.]
His Augustness Heaven’s-Sun-Height-Prince-Wave-limit-Brave-Cormorant-Thatch-Meeting-Incompletely wedded his maternal aunt Her Augustness Jewel-Good-Princess, and begot august children named: His Augustness Five-Reaches; next His Augustness Boiled-Rice; next His Augustness August-Food-Master; next His Augustness Young-August-Food-Master, another name for whom is His Augustness Luxuriant-August-Food-Master, and another name is His Augustness Divine-Yamato-Ihare-Prince. So His Augustness August-Food-Master, treading on the crest of the waves, crossed over to the Eternal Land. His Augustness Boiled-Rice went into the Sea-Plain, it being his deceased mother’s land.
Vol. II.
[Sect. XLIV.—Reign of the Emperor Jim-mu (Part I.—His Progress Eastward, and Death of His Elder Brother).]
The two Deities His Augustness Kamu-yamato-ihare-biko and his elder brother His Augustness Itsu-se, dwelling in the palace of Takachiho, took counsel, saying: “By dwelling in what place shall we [most] quietly carry on the government of the Empire? It were probably best to go east.” Forthwith they left Himuka on their progress to Tsukushi. So when they arrived at Usa in the land of Toyo, two of the natives, whose names were Usa-tsu-hiko and Usa-tsu-hime built a palace raised on one foot, and offered them a great august banquet. Removing thence, they dwelt for one year at the palace of Wokada in Tsukushi. Again making a progress up from that land, they dwelt seven years at the palace of Takeri in the land of Agi. Again removing, and making a progress up from that land, they dwelt eight years at the palace of Takashima in Kibi. So when they made their progress up from that land, they met in the Hayasuhi Channel a person riding towards them on the carapace of a tortoise, and raising his wings as he angled. Then they called to him to approach, and asked him, saying: “Who art thou?” He replied, saying: “I am an Earthly Deity.” Again they asked him, saying: “Knowest thou the sea-path?” He replied, saying: “I know it well.” Again they asked him, saying: “Wilt thou follow and respectfully serve us?” He replied, saying: “I will respectfully serve you.” So they pushed a pole across to him, drew him into the august vessel, and forthwith conferred on him the designation of Sawo-ne-tsu-hiko. (This is the ancestor of the Rulers of the land of Yamato). So when they went up from that land they passed the Namihaya Crossing, and brought up at the haven of Shirakata. At this time Nagasune-biko of Tomi raised an army, and waited to go out to fight [against them]. Then they took the shields that had been put in the august vessel, and disembarked. So they called that place by the name of Tate-dzu. It is what is now called the Tadetsu of Kusaka. Therefore when fighting with the Prince of Tomi, His Augustness Itsu-se was pierced in his august hand by the Prince of Tomi’s hurtful arrow. So then he said: “It is not right for me, an august child of the Sun-Deity, to fight facing the sun. It is for this reason that I am stricken by the wretched villain’s hurtful hand. I will henceforward turn round, and smite him with my back to the sun.” Having [thus] decided, he, on making a progress round from the southern side, reached the sea of Chinu, and washed the blood on his august hand: so it is called the sea of Chinu. Making a progress round from thence, and arriving at the river-mouth of Wo in the land of Ki, he said: “Ah! that I should die stricken by the wretched villain’s hand!” and expired as a valiant man. So that river-mouth was called the river-mouth of Wo. The mausoleum, too, is on Mount Kama in the land of Ki.