Amaterasu

(East Asian mythology)

The Japanese sun goddess. Her myths are the most important of the indigenous faith, Shinto, ‘the way of the gods.’ This folk tradition is fundamentally not so much a religion as a set of ancient beliefs and observances which have remained comparatively unchanged over the past millennium, despite the importation of Confucianism and Buddhism. Amaterasu is the East Asian sister of Inanna, the Sumerian goddess of fertility and love.

The chief legend is that of the drawing forth of the radiant goddess from a heavenly rock-dwelling during a critical moment for the world. Her retreat had been brought about by the misbehaviour of her brother Susanowo, the storm god. Although his realm was the sea, the ‘swift, impetuous deity’ neglected his duties there and caused every sort of disturbance and tumult on land, previously ruled by Amaterasu with benevolence and wisdom. In spite of his sister's entreaties Susanowo destroyed rice-fields, uprooted trees, and even tore down sacred buildings. As a final provocation, he broke a hole in the roof of her weaving-hall, frightened to death her ladies, and drove the sun goddess herself into a cave. It was only after Amaterasu had closed the entrance of her sanctuary, making the door fast and immovable, that the gods realized the enormity of Susanowo's arrogance. He was responsible for the permanent disappearance of the sun–without its benign rays the universe was finished. Darkness covered the world, evil spirits ran riot, and panic seized the heavenly host.

On the bed of the tranquil river of heaven,ama-no-yasu-gawara, a conference of the gods decided that they must induce Amaterasu to return. Many things of divine efficacy were produced, such as a mirror, a sword, and cloth offerings. A great tree was set up and decorated with jewels; cocks were placed near the entrance of the cave that they might keep up a perpetual crowing; bonfires were lighted and a dance was performed, with loud musical accompaniment. So amusing and spirited was the dancer, a goddess named Uzume, that ‘the eight million divinities’ present laughed and laughed, till the air was filled with their noise and the great plain of heaven shook.

The sun goddess in the cave heard the merriment and was curious to know what was going on outside. Slightly opening the door of her sanctuary, she asked how it was that the gods could find the heart to laugh in the darkness. With subtle cunning Uzume replied: ‘We rejoice and are glad because there is a more illustrious deity than the sun goddess.’ While she was speaking, two gods carried forward the mirror and respectfully showed it to Amaterasu, who was immediately astonished by her own reflection. As she gazed, a powerful god widened the opening, took her hand, and draw her out. Whereupon another stretched a rope of straw, called the shimenawa, across the cave's entrance, saying: ‘Never shall you enter again.’ So Amaterasu reappeared. The universe was once more brightly illuminated, evil forces shrank away, and order and peace returned to earth. Thereafter the sun was only absent at night, as the shimenawa prevented Amaterasu from disappearing forever.

This triumph of the sun goddess over the storm god secured her rule of the world, and the belief in her as the foremost deity was associated with the tradition that the ruling family descended from the sun goddess. She was the highest manifestation of Kunitokotachi, the unseen, transcendent yet immanent, spirit of the universe. The idea of the sun as a goddess, instead of as a god, is rare and it may be a survival from the most archaic stage of world mythology. In the timidity of Amaterasu, her distress at the depredations of Susanowo, and her flight from his unyielding hostility, we can discern something of the tenderness felt by the original Japanese towards the gift of light. Amaterasu was the beautiful goddess, benign, compassionate, meek; the deity who delighted to pour down on her favourite islands the life-giving rays of the sun.

Japanese print of Amaterasu, the Shinto sun goddess, emerging from the cave