Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 10, 1899.djvu/346

306 seclusion. By the advice of Omoi-kane no Mikoto (the Thought-combiner or Counsellor-deity) the long-singing birds of the Eternal Land (cocks) were made to utter their prolonged cry before the door of the cave. Ame no Koyane no Mikoto, ancestor of the Nakatomi (a priestly tribe) and Futo-dama no Mikoto, ancestor of the Imbe, dug up by the roots a five-hundred branched true Sakaki tree of Heaven, and hung on its higher branches strings of jewels, on its middle branches a mirror, and on its lower branches pieces of cloth. Then they recited their liturgy in her honour. Moreover, Ame no Uzume (the Dread Female of Heaven) arrayed herself in a fantastic manner and standing on a tub which resounded when she stamped upon it, performed a (not very decent) mimic dance and gave forth an inspired utterance. The Sun-Goddess wondered how Ame no Uzume and the other gods could be so jolly while the world was wrapped in complete darkness, and peeped out from the half-opened door of the cave. She was at once seized by Ta-jikara no wo (Male of Great Strength) and prevented by main force from re-entering, to the great joy of all the deities.

Susa no wo was then tried by a council of Gods, who mulcted him in a fine of a thousand tables of purification- offerings. They also pulled out the nails of his fingers and toes, and banished him to the land of Yomi. Finally Ame no Kogane, the ancestor of the Nakatomi, recited his Oharai or great purification liturgy.

The above episode is the pith and kernel of the mythical lore of Japan. Belonging to the class of night and day myths, it is ostensibly an attempt to trace the origin of some of the principal ceremonies of the Shinto religion as they were practised in the Mikado's court at the time. The Nakatomi long held office as the representatives of the Mikado in his priestly capacity, and in some versions of the narrative the Sun-Goddess is surrounded by other officials, such as mirror-makers, jewel-makers, &c., obviously