Izanagi
Izanagi and his wife Izanami were given the task of solidifying the earth. Izanagi stood on the floating Bridge of Heaven and churned the sea with his lance. the sea began to thicken and a drop fell from the lance and solidified making the island of Onokoro.
Izanagi and Izanami made Onokoro their home and performed the rites of sexual union which involved them walking in opposite directions around a column until they met. The child that was conceived after their meeting was a monster and they set him adrift on a raft of reeds. Then Izanami gave birth to an island which was also rejected and they sought the advice of the other gods to find out why they were having such strange children.
They were told that they were not performing the ritual correctly and that Izanagi must take the initiative when they met around the column. He must be the first to speak. They performed the ritual in this way and went on to produce many gods. the last of thir offspring was the fire god Ho-Masubi who's birth caused Izanami so much pain that she died.
Izangi followed his wife to hell, but she had already eaten the food which meant that she couldn't return to earth. She said she would try to talk to the god of the Underworld but told Izanagi not to follow her. He followed her anyway into the dark palace of the god of hell, carrying a flaming torch. Izanami was startled and tried to conceal herself but it was too late, her body was already decomposing.
Izanami was furious and sent the demon woman Hisa Me after her husband who only just managed to escape her. Then Izanagi was chased by the soldiers of hell. He reached the slope that leads from the land of the dead and plucked three peaches from a peach tree using them as missiles, he threw them at the army. The peach is the sign of life and hope and the army fled. Izanagi left the Underworld and blocked the entrance with a vast boulder.
Izanagi bathed himself in a river to rid himself of the dirt of hell, each article of clothing became a god as he undressed and his staff became the phallic god of the crossroads (Chimata-No-Kami). The dirt became harmful gods and so Izanagi created good gods to compensate. He also produced all the gods of the sea.
Then Izanagi washed his face. From his left eye came Amaterasu (the sun), from his right eye came Tsuki-Yomi (god of the moon) and Susanoo (god of the seas) came from his nose. The two 'eye' gods went to their domains, the sky and the kingdom of night, but Susanoo immediately started to cause trouble and Izangai had to chase him away.
Adapted from 'A guide to the Gods' by Richard Carlyon
