Shitateru-hime

Shitateruhime
Drawing in Shinbutsu zue
Major cult centreShitori Shrine,
Kifune Shrine
Personal information
SpouseAme no Wakahiko or takehazuchi
Parents
SiblingsAjisukitakahikone

Shitateru-hime is a Japanese goddess. She is the daughter of Tagori-hime, one of the three sisters worshipped at Munakata Taisha. Some stories say Shitateru-hime is the same as Takehazuchi-no-mikoto, while others say she is his wife.

Shitori Shrine

Shitori Shrine is an ancient shrine. People think it was first the family shrine of the Shitori clan (倭文氏), Kofun-period weavers who called Takehazuchi-no-mikoto their ancestor. However, shrine legends all focus on Shitateru-hime. They say she came by boat from Izumo. She lived on the mountain behind the shrine. After she died, her relatives buried her in a Kofun in the Shrine.

Marriage

The gods once sent Ame no Hohi down to earth, but he sent no news for three years. So they chose Ame no Wakahiko to rule the land.

Some tales say he is Ame no Hohi’s son, sent to look for his father.

Ame no Wakahiko met and married Shitateru-hime when he came to discuss the Kuni-yuzuri (handover of the land).

Death of Ame no Wakahiko

Eight years passed with no report. The gods sent a bird called Nakime to check on him. On a wise woman’s advice, Ame no Wakahiko shot the bird with his bow.

The arrow flew up to heaven, where Takamimusubi threw it back.

It struck Ame no Wakahiko while he was lying in bed and killed him.

Other versions state that Amaterasu was the one who shot the arrow back at him.

Shitateru-hime’s grief was so loud it reached the Plain of High Heaven. During the funeral she sang a song to honor her husband.

Related page

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Encyclopedia of Shinto詳細". 國學院大學デジタルミュージアム (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  2. ↑ Yoshiki, Emi (2007). Zenkoku 'Ichinomiya' tettei gaido (in Japanese). PHP Institute. ISBN 978-4569669304.
  3. 1 2 "Encyclopedia of Shinto - Home: Kami in Classic Texts: Ame no Wakahiko". eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
  4. 1 2 Roberts, Jeremy (2009). Japanese Mythology A to Z. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4381-2802-3.
  5. ↑ Japanese Mythology a to Z. Infobase. 2009. ISBN 9781438128023.
  6. ↑ Ashkenazi, Michael (2008). Handbook of Japanese mythology. Handbooks of world mythology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 114. ISBN 978-0-19-533262-9.
  7. 1 2 Abe, C. (2003). Impurity and Death: A Japanese Perspective. Universal Publishers. p. 38. ISBN 978-1-58112-195-7. Retrieved 2020-09-29.

Further reading