Amaterasu (an excerpt)

Japanese Mythology
Amaterasu (Also known as Ama) was the Sun goddess. Her gentle
beauty and warmth radiated life force and hope throughout the
blessed land of Japan, and far beyond. Amaterasu was the one who
showed the people their beauty and potential. Susano-O was the
Storm God of Japan.
Susano-O (also known as Susa) went up to the heavenly realm to
visit his sister. He was about to make the long journey to the
underworld to be reunited with their long-dead mother, and he was
a little afraid of making the trip. He had heard terrible tales
of the horrors he would find there and wondered if he would be
changed forever, or even if he would return at all. To strengthen
himself for this journey, Susa decided to spend a season basking
in his sisters light and wisdom. He knew, better than anyone,
that her light could be a soul-warming comfort.
In his haste to see Amaterasu, Susa moved through the sky with a
crackling thunder, shaking mountains and rivers and sending all
living beings into hiding. The night seemed to fill with dancing
furies as an inky velvet spread across the sky."Why do you
disturb the peace of our kingdom, Susa? Surely, you have more
than enough activity in your own kingdom!" Ama looked at Susa a
little disdainfully through her bowstrings. She had not forgotten
their last quarrel and hoped to hold him off with a strong
facade.
This was not exactly the picture of love and devotion he was
hoping to find.
Susa replied in his most courtly manner, "O,
radiant, fair sister, I wish you no harm. My only desire is your
warm company, a glimpse of your lovely face, and a few pleasant
words before I descend to the underworld to find our most
esteemed mother."
His answer pleased her, but Ama knew her brother well and decided
to ask for more proof of his good intentions. Susa then proposed
that they should create children who would rule the blessed land
wisely. Ama agreed. She took her brothers sword, broke it into
three pieces, and after chewing the pieces for many days and
nights, blew a light mist from her mouth, which gave birth to
three goddesses who were more beautiful than any other goddesses
then living... except Ama herself. Susano-O then asked his sister
for the five jewels she was wearing, and after cracking them
between his teeth, blew a light mist from his mouth and gave

birth to five masculine deities who were more powerful than any
other deities then living...except Susa himself.
Although he had created the five gods from Amas jewels, Susa was
altogether too pleased with himself and began jumping around
boasting of his omnipotence, rarely a wise move even for a god.
When Ama reminded him that the gods had been created from her
jewels, Susa became enraged. Why didnt she appreciate him?!
Losing all self-control, he released the wind and rain he held
under his waving arms. He destroyed Amas carefully tended rice
fields, filled in her precious irrigation ditches, and even
deposited mud and excrement in her temples!It was as if some
inner demon drove Susa to worse and worse deeds, just to see how
far he could push the radiant, oh so self-contained goddess.
Ama, for her part, was beginning to lose patience with Susa, too.
Resentment had taken residence in her heart. If only she could be
rid of him once and for all! He was all bad, the devil himself...
she could no longer remember his good points or their happy times
together.

This frightening event caused one of Amaterasus oldest friends

to fall dead at her feet, and Ama, worn out by all the recent
tempests, could only think of running away. She ran as far as she
could to a rocky cave in a quiet corner of Heaven and she blocked
the
entrance
with
a
boulder.
No
more
strife!
When things had begun to look blacker than the very night
itself, the eight hundred myriad of gods gathered together in the
dry bed of a river to decide how to get Amaterasu back. They
begged one of the gods to help them. The gods, who wanted to take
no more chances with their mother goddess, had made a little
plan. They had asked the god of Force to hide near the entrance
to the cave and to seize Amas hand and drag her all the way out
when she appeared, but, as it turned out, Force really wasnt
necessary after all. Catching a glimpse of something in the
mirror hanging in front of her, just for a moment Ama forgot her
fear and pain and stood transfixed by a clear light.
Amaterasu was seeing herself for the first time in a very long
time, and it gave her a stronger determination to carry on her
duties in heaven. She immediately returned to her palace and

vowed never again to be so frightened by any storm. Mirrors were

hung in the doorways to her temples, so that all who passed in or
out might look deeply into it. The elders say that the people of
Japan, and the gods themselves, carried on their lives with
renewed courage and joy.