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Kojiki: Hoori-no-Mikoto

(See "Yamasachi and Umisachih *1)

(translation by Arinwald)

     Hoderi-no-Mikoto was called Umi-Sachi-biko, which means "wealth of the sea", because he was a fisherman. Hoori-no-Mikoto, who was a hunter, was called Yama-Sachi-biko, which means "wealth of the mountains". One day Hoori asked his elder brother Hoderi: "Let's change jobs for a day." He asked three times, but was continually denied by his brother. At last, Hoderi did agree to change jobs. Thus, Hoori fished all day long, with his brother's hook, but he couldn't catch a single fish. What was worse, he lost his brother's hook in the sea. When Hoderi returned from hunting he said: "After all, I'm a man of the sea, and you're a man of the mountains. Let's return to our normal business." Hoori confessed: "I couldn't catch a single fish, and lost your hook in the sea." His brother was angered about this, and asked that his hook be returned. So Hoori made 500 hooks, from his long sword, but his brother wouldn't accept them. He insisted on being returned his original hook from the sea.

    So Hoori got worried, and wept by the seaside. Shiotsuchi-no-Kami, the God who controls the tides, came along and asked: "Why, Prince, are you troubled and crying?" Hoori explained: "I exchanged my bow and arrows for my brother's fish-hook, but lost his hook. And even though I made many hooks, to compensate for his one hook, he refused to accept them, and insisted that I get his original hook back! That's why I'm weeping." Shiotsuchi-no-Kami answered: "I have a good plan for you." He made a small boat, put Hoori in it, and said: "I'll push this boat offshore, and soon you'll be sailing on a good tide, which will bring you to the beautiful palace of the Sea God, Watatsumi-no-Kami. When you arrive at the gate of the palace, hide yourself in the sacred cassia tree beside the well. There the daughter of Watatsumi will meet you, and will plan what to do for you next."

    So he sailed from shore and arrived at the palace, just as Shiotuchi had told him. While he was hiding in the tree, one of the maids working for Toyotama-Hime, the daughter of Watatsumi, came to get water from the well. She saw sunshine reflecting on the surface of well, and looked up to find an exceptionally handsome man up in the tree. She wondered who the fellow could be. He asked her if she would give him some water. The maid served him water from a beautiful cup that she had brought along for the purpose of drinking. But he didn't drink the water. Instead, he removed his jade necklace, put one piece of jade into his mouth, then spat it into the water cup. The jade stuck to the cup and the maid was not able to detach it. So the maid brought the cup to Toyotama-Hime, who asked the girl: "Is there anybody waiting outside the gate?" The maid answered: "There's a man there, sitting in the tree beside the well. He looks very handsome, and strong. He appears even more glorious than our Sea God. I served him water, after he requested it, but he wouldn't drink a drop, then he spat this piece of jade into the cup. I couldn't detach it."

    Toyotama felt strange, and went to see this man for herself, and when she did she fell in love with him at first sight, then stated to her father: "A most handsome man is at our gate!" Watatsumi himself then went to the gate and said: "This is the son of the Prince!" Thus, he welcomed Hoori into the palace. He prepared eight layers of sealskin, then eight layers of silk carpet, then put Hoori upon all of them. He presented Hoori with many wedding gifts, and a banquet for his marriage to Toyotama. Hoori lived there for three whole years. 

    One day, Hoori remembered why he had come all the way to the palace, and sighed quite loudly. Toyotama began to get worried, and consulted her father: "For the first time in three years, he seems terribly preoccupied with something. I wonder what it is that's causing his concern?" So Watatsumi asked his son-in-law: "My daughter is wondering what is worrying you? What is the cause of your anxiety? Why did you come here, in the first place, to meet us?"

     So Hoori told his story about the hook. Watatsumi then gathered all fish in the sea and asked them: "Do any of you know about this hook?" They answered that a sea bream was suffering from some thorn in his throat and wasn't able to eat. He must have swallowed the hook." Watatsumi then did find the hook in the fish's throat.

     He washed the hook clean, gave it to Hoori, then said: "When you return this hook to your brother, hand it to him but with your back turned, and say a curse with the following words: 'This hook makes people absent-minded, unlucky, poor and foolish.' If your brother cultivates rice fields, in high places, you should cultivate yours in low places. I have command of water, and state that your brother will be poor in three years. If he makes war upon you, drown his troops with Shiomitsu-Tama. When he surrenders, save his forces with Shiohuru-Tama".

    Then Watatsumi presented him with the sacred treasures, Shiomitsu-Tama which can invoke floods, and Shiohuru-Tama which can revoke floods. Then Watatsumi called together all Wani (Sharks or Crocodiles *2) and asked: "Here is the Prince of the God, who wants to go back to his homeland. How many days will it take you to escort him back?" One of the Wani answered: "I can escort him back to his place on the Earth and return to this palace in a single day." So Hoori rode on the neck of the Wani, and returned to his home.

     Hoori gave the hook back to his brother, as he was told. Thus, his brother Hoderi did become poor and did make war upon Hoori. Then Hoori did invoke a flood upon the enemy armies, with Shiomitsu-Tama. But after his brother apologized, he did revoke the flood, with Shiohuru-Tama. Finally, his brother Hoderi promised him: "From now on, whether it be night or day, I shall forever be your guardian.h(*3)

Notes:

*1. This part of Kojiki is well known as the folk tale, "Yamasachi and Umisachih.

*2. Wani means "crocodileh, in the present day, but in ancient times there was an additional meaning, "sharkh.

Names are in short form. Names in red indicate females.

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