Reading Notes: Japanese Mythology, Part A

Japanese Mythology

(Izanagi and Izanami from Web Source.)

Izanagi and Izanami: 

• "Out of her plenteous womb sprang the numberless worlds in commotion." She is literally the mother of everything and I like how she is such in the beginning of the story, hopefully this continues. 
• Gloomy chaos, born in chaos the tiredness. Weary in their bones and the desire for peace is so great they would fight to get it. IDEA.
• The sacred jewel of Izanagi's spear, the water droplets that clutched to the spear as he brought it back up, the water dropped back into the sea and created islands
• Whelp, the equality did not last long!
• eight islands: Yamato (male) , Tsukushi (male?), Iyo (female), Tsushima (gender), Ahaji (gender) , Shikoku (gender) , Oki (gender), Lado (female)?
• two offsprings: one daughter and one son, Amaterasu and Susa-no-wo-no-mikoto 

Izanagi and Izanami (cont.):

• Amaterasu is beautiful and outshone the heavens - this could be really good or really bad for Amaterasu.
• Susa-no-wo, was like the moon: morose, turbulent and sinister
• "seas-chariots" I love it.
• Her children did not like the idea of elevating the Earth children to that of gods, she back so upset and when she had her next child this affected the actual birth and the son: God of Fire and she perished. I think it is very interesting how her emotional state affected the type of child/god she birthed.
• Balance to all gods: Fire and then water
• Izanagi going to find Izanami in the world of the departed reminds me of a Greek myth, but I cannot remember the names.
• Izanagi returned to Earth and dwelt thenceforth upon the isle of Ahaji (grieving island).

The Miraculous Mirror:

• green: life; scarlet: slaughter; silver: peace; red: war
• Now that Izanagi has disappeared, Susa-no-wo has gone after Amaterasu
• Jewel of Heaven 
• ... she deemed her reflection a rival...
• I am confused about the ending.

The Eight-Forked Serpent of Koshi:

• I remember I did my Tech Tip on Reverse Image search and I used this image!
• Of course, he is only helping if he can get the girl for marriage.
• The "hero" gets the girl.

The Heaven-Descended:

• "Thereupon she took the arrow and flung it forth to the earth, saying: 'If this arrow be one shot by Amewaka at the Earth Spirits, let it not attain to him, but if he hath an evil heart, may the heavenly arrow fly straight to that mark.'" - And it did!

The Heaven Descended (cont.):

• Used a pretty girl/goddess to cause a distraction 
• And they get married, very original
• This reminds me of a biblical story where a man wants to marry the youngest daughter, but is tricked into marrying the oldest, and then marries the youngest.
• Marriage is a really prominent theme in the tales

The Fortunate Fish-Hook & Fish-Hook (cont.):

• I recently watch Moana, so when I read Fish-Hook I thought of Maui!
• I find it strange that men immediately fall in love with women at first sight, I also think it is very ironic since western men are not supposed to be so romantic.
• "Then the ever-bountiful Sun Goddess sent Yatagarasu the raven to guide him upon his way, and Jimmu, bearing with him the sacred regalia, necklace, sword, and mirror, sailed through the Sea of Myriad Isles to the flowery land of Yamato."

Bibliography: Japanese Mythology from The Romance of Old Japan by E.W Champney and F. Champney 

Week 5 Storytelling: Patience

Patience

Author's Note: For this week I read Ancient Egyptian folklore from Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie; and I was not disappointed with the tales. There was one issue I was unsure about and wanted to address in my story. Osiris is a great and peaceful ruler who is envied by Set who desires war and chaos. Set deceives Osiris by tricking him into fitting himself in a chest. Which as soon as he is in the chest, Set orders his men to nail it shut and seal it with melted lead. In the unit, it is mentioned Osiris dies almost immediately and I was shocked because how does someone die immediately by having the lid shut on them. So I came up with the conclusion that Ra saw what was taking place and saved Osiris by putting him in a coma-like sleep where he is consciously aware of what is going on around him. This always adds angst to the Osiris and his consort wife Isis. I played with the idea that Osiris had undying faith Isis would come and find him. Ultimately saving him. I'm a romantic that way!

A part of him knew something was wrong the moment he walked to the decorated chest Set had brought to the feast.

A part of him was hesitant, a slight uneasy weight settled itself in his stomach the moment he settled himself in the fitted chest. That uneasiness grew tenfold when Set's eyes, sparked with malicious intent, were the last thing he saw before the lid of the chest was slammed shut. Heard nails hammering and smelled melted lead.

This chest would be his death bed.

The panic creeped up his body: the tightness in his chest made it hard to breathe; sweat beaded on his heads and forehead; his hands started to tremble; and his vision swam.

He could feel his body start to slip into unconsciousness, then he heard a voice. Ra’s voice echoed in his mind, Sleep.

His body slowly went limp. First, the numbness started in his fingers and toes, then his arms and legs until he felt a weightlessness surrounding him. His eyelids drooped, and he sighed a name with his last breath, Isis.

= = =

He knows something is amiss when he awakens and he cannot open his eyes or move his body. His memories come swarming back: the feast, Set and the chest prison, then he is suddenly shaken by a noise of a woman wailing.

He can distinguish his name being cried out.

Isis.

Isis is mourning him and he can do nothing to comfort her.

He comes to the realization that if anyone could break him from his prison, it would be his consort, his wife.

He can be patient.

= = =

Though he is physical trapped in his decorated prison, he is aware of all the ongoings around him.

She is pregnant and he feels the earth rumble with joy when his son enters the world.

Time passes, and he knows the moment his son’s heart stops beating. His heart aches and the need to shed tears is unbearable, but his eyes remain dry and still. He can hear Isis’ cries. He wants to comfort her, but his body remains motionless. He feels the earth shake with relief when Ra revives his son.

He hears water around him, and there are no voices to be heard.

He knows the creatures who live around him in his chest prison, enveloped by a massive tree.

After months of silence, and then he hears her voice. Not from miles away, but next to him. She has found him.

She whispers to him, softly and full of sorrow. He realizes, she believes he is dead. She does not know that he is trapped within his body.

He feels the warmth of sun on his body, and he would breathe a sigh of relief if he could. Suddenly, the touch of Isis’ lips on his is as if he is being kissed by fire. He relishes the feeling until he realizes he feels tears dropping onto his face.

= = =

All he feels is blinding pain. His body cut into pieces, Set's laughter echoing in his ears while Isis' wails and anger resonates in his mind.

All the different senses from his severed body is bewildering: the scorching sun; the freezing coldness of the Nile; and the brush of flesh against his own from an animal.

His faith in his consort, his wife does not waver. He waits.

= = =

Years pass, he hears the murmurs of his son growing into a god. A strong god who is trained in battle to take the throne back from Set, the usurper. He hears nothing of his wife until he hears her weeping with Nepthys.

A voice breaks from the weeping. Ra's voice surrounds him, Awaken.

For the first time in decades, he draws breath into his lungs. His chest heaving with air, until he is crushed with the weight of his consort, his wife.

He holds her tight to him, and thanks Ra for his blessing.

He pushes his face between her neck and shoulder. Breathing in her perfumes from her hair and whispers only for her, “I knew you would find me, I knew all along.”