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 the god Ishi-kori-domé no mikoto and the blacksmith Ama-tsu-mare no mikoto made a mirror in the shape of the sun with iron taken from the mines in heaven. To make the bellows they took the whole skin of a deer. The first two mirrors which they succeeded in making were too small, and did not please the gods, but the third was large and beautiful. “This,” says the legend, “is the august deity in Isé.”

Takami-musu-bi no kami then ordered two of the gods to plant the broussonetia (kôdzu) and hemp (asa), and to prepare the bark of the one and the fibre of the other, while other three gods were appointed to weave the materials so obtained into course striped cloth and into fine cloth for the goddess’ clothing. The gods, who seem to have been the first carpenters, cut down timber in the ravines on Amé-no-kushi-akaru-tama no mikoto to make spades with, erected posts and built a palace. Next he commanded Amé-no-kushi-akaru-tama no mikoto to make a string of magatama, [such as were worn in those days as ornaments in the hair and as bracelets. The magatama is supposed by Motoöri to have been so called from its curved shape and to be identical with the pierced pieces of soapstone answering to that description found in the earth in different parts of Japan. They are generally about two inches in length, but some have been found in Liukiu which are twice as large]. Two other gods made tamagushi from branches of the sakaki (Cleyera japonica) and the suzu (kind of small bamboo). [The tamagushi was originally a wand to which were attached valuable stones, but afterwards pieces of cloth and in modern times paper took the place of the stones. It is a smaller gohei, carried in the hand.]

When these preparations were complete Taka-mi-musu-bi no kami then called before him Amé-no-koya-né no mikoto and Amé-no-futo-dama no mikoto, and instructed them to find out by divination whether the goddess was likely to be induced to reappear. They caught a buck, and having torn the bone out of one of its forelegs, set it free again. They placed the bone in a fire of cherry bark,