artemis-maia: -Kazuma Kaneko’s depiction of Izanami and traditional depictions According to Ni
artemis-maia: -Kazuma Kaneko’s depiction of Izanami and traditional depictions According to Nihon shoki the world consisted of Chaos and looked like an egg since Heaven and Earth were not separated yet in the beginning. After Heaven and Earth have been separated fish or quail like creatures appeared on the water and they turned into the first deities. There were six generations before Izanagi and Izanami. Izanagi and Izanami are husband and wife and are also said to be siblings. Izanami (woman who invites) and her husband Izanagi (man who invites) descended from Takamanohara and created land when they stirred the oceans on the Bridge of Heavens with putting the jewel lance (or heavenly spear, Ame-no-nuhoko) into the water. When they put the lance out of the water salt fell down and created the first land, the island Onogoro. They descended down there put a palace and a pillar there and performed a marriage ceremony. Since Izanami spoke first when they met at the pillar she gave birth to the deformed Hiruko/Ebisu and Awashima. They did it again (this time correctly) which created the oyashima (great eight islands). They also created more deities and more islands. Izanami died giving birth to Kagutsuchi (incarnation of fire which is why Izanami is weak to fire in SMTIV). She was then buried on Mt. Hiba, at the border of Izumo and Hoki. Izanagi in anger killed Kagutsuchi, creating dozens of deities. Izanagi didn’t want to accept the death of his wife and went to Yomi the realm of the dead. He asked Izanami to return with him. She however answered that she has already eaten from the food of Yomi and became part of the Underworld. She however wanted to talk to the deities of Yomi and asked Izanagi not to look at her face. He of course didn’t do this and created a torch while she was sleeping and was shocked at the face of his once beautiful wife. Maggots have eaten from her body and snakes possessed her. Izanagi cried out of fear and ran away from Izanami who woke up and chased the Shikome (foul women) after him. He burst out of the entrance and pushed a boulder in the mouth of the Yomotsuhirasaka (entrance of Yomi). Izanami screamed from behind this barricade and told Izanagi that if he left her she would destroy 1,000 residents of the living every day. He furiously replied he would give life to 1,500 which created the cycle of life and death. Interesting read. -- source link