Mythology Axis

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Creation of Japan (Izanagi and Izanami)

10000 BCE

Historical illustration: Creation of Japan (Izanagi and Izanami)
Historical illustration: Creation of Japan (Izanagi and Izanami)

Birth of the Japanese islands and the kami.

Historical Context

Before the world's formation, the universe was an amorphous mass. The primordial celestial deities summoned the brother and sister Izanagi and Izanami, handing them a jeweled spear.

The Event

From the 'Floating Bridge of Heaven', they plunged the spear into the chaotic ocean. Upon withdrawal, the dripping salt water coagulated to form the first island of the Japanese archipelago.

Key Figures

Izanagi (He-who-invites), Izanami (She-who-invites), Amaterasu (Sun goddess, born later from Izanagi's eye).

Aftermath

The couple descended to earth, begetting the Japanese islands (Oyashima) and a multitude of Kami (nature spirits), until Izanami's tragic death giving birth to the fire god.

Legacy & Culture

The fundamental bedrock of Shintoism. The myth sanctifies the Japanese land as pure divine essence, and establishes Amaterasu as the direct ancestor of the Imperial lineage.

Historiography

The Kojiki (712 CE), which relates this myth, was primarily a political tool commissioned by the imperial court to legitimize its absolute power and unite clans under a single sacred genealogy.

Sources and References

LITERATURE

Kojiki (Chronique des faits anciens, 712 apr. J.-C.)

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LITERATURE

Nihon Shoki (Chroniques du Japon, 720 apr. J.-C.)

LITERATURE

Kogo Shūi (Glanures historiques réunies par les Imbe)

ARCHEOLOGY

Vestiges du sanctuaire d'Izanagi à Awaji

Reliability index : ★ ★★★★

Semantic cluster

Founding myths cluster

Theogonies and cosmic narratives: Greece, Mesopotamia, North, Egypt, Japan.

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