Susanoo
Also: Susa-no-O-no-Mikoto, Susanoo, Susa-no-wo, Susano-wo, Susano or Susa-no-O
Japanese: é ˆä½ä¹‹ç”·å‘½
Translation: Impetuous Male or Swift Impetuous Deity
Susanoo is kami of the sea and storms in Shinto mythology. He was one of Izanagi children born out of Izanagi’s purification after he returned from Yomi. Susanoo was born from Izanagi’s nose. Susanoo is the brother of Amaterasu, and Tsukuyomi. He is the grandfather of Omi-tsu-nu and father in law of Oh-kuni-nushi.
Izanagi gave dominion over the seas and storms to Susanoo. In addition to seas and storms Susanoo has an association with forests and evil. Susanoo is seems to be something of a devil (or at least trickster) character.
After being born Susanoo spent a long time crying and wailing. Eventually Izanagi asked him why he wailed instead of taking up his office as kami of the seas. Susanoo replied that he wished to be with his mother, Izanami. Izanagi became angry and banished Susanoo.
Susanoo ascended to Takamagahara to bid goodbye Amaterasu which ended with her locking herself away in a cave (See Amaterasu’s entry).
As a result of the Amaterasu locking herself away Susanoo was banished from Takamagahara (after Amaterasu emerged from the cave) and went to Izumo, where he planted a forest from his beard hairs (Which is odd because apparently his beard was shaved in punishment for what he did in Takamagahara.
Susanoo is associated with Izumo and is enshrined there in Japan’s oldest shrine.
When Susanoo arrived in Izumo he followed a stream to its head. On the way he met an elderly couple with their daughter, Kushi-inada-hime. The couple had to once a year give on of their daughters to be eaten by the eight headed serpent, Yamata-no-Orochi. Susanoo offered to kill the serpent in exchange to the daughter’s hand in marriage.
Susanoo put out eight bowls of strong sake (one for each head), when the serpent came and drank the sake, becoming drunk Susanoo cut off it’s heads. In the tail of the serpent Susanoo found the sacred sword, Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.
Atsuata Shrine now holds the sword which is as famous and meaningful in Japan as Excalibur is the England. In a rare time of peace with Amaterasu he gave her the sword and she gave him some or her jewels. This exchange added both of these elements the the imperial regalia. On another occasion Amaterasu gave different jewels which he used as hail and lightening in his capacity as storm kami.
Amaterasu wanted her wanted her son, Ninigi to rule the whole archipelago but this was not possible so long as the descendants of Susano ruled in Izumo. Agreement wasn’t made until the children of Oh-kuni-nushi agreed that Ninigi should rule in Izumo. This agreement included a privizo that the visible world would be the domain of Ninigi, and things hidden (Suku-na-biko’s medical knowledge, exorcism, and the occult) would be the province of the children of Susanoo.
According to the Nihongi Susanoo had the domain of the sea, a whole subterranean world, though this is not stressed in the Kojiki.
One story tells of him receiving kindness from a poor man, in compassion Susanoo told him how to protect his home from the plague kami. The man was to hang a plaited straw rope across the entrance to his home. The custom caught on and even today such rope is hung along roads to stop the spread of epidemics.
After many journeys, Susano joined Izanami in the underworld.