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28-523: The creature lives under the islands of Japan and is guarded by the god Takemikazuchi enshrined at Kashima , who restrains the catfish with a stone. When the Kashima-god lets his guard fall, Namazu thrashes about, causing violent earthquakes. The legend or myth in Japan is that a gigantic namazu (catfish) lives inside or beneath the earth (or in the mud) which causes earthquakes. The association of

56-458: A "ten-fist sword" ( Totsuka-no-Tsurugi ) upside-down on the crest of the wave, and sat atop it, while demanding the local god Ōkuninushi to relinquish the Izumo province over to them. Ōkuninushi replied he would defer the decision to his child deities, and would follow suit in their counsel. One of them, Kotoshironushi or Yae-Kotoshironushi ("Eight-Fold-Thing-Sign-Master") who had been out fishing,

84-421: A hole through Takakuraji's storehouse, deposited the sword, bidding the man to present it to Emperor Jimmu. That sword bore the names of Futsu-no-mitama  [ ja ] ( 布都御魂 ) , Saji-futsu-no-kami ( 佐士布都神 ) , and Mika-futsu no kami ( 甕布都神 ) . This sword is the main dedication ( goshintai ) kept at Isonokami Shrine . According to Iwao Ōwa in his Jinja to kodai ōken saishi (1989), Takemikazuchi

112-467: A known item in the 19th century, and these broadsides were printed in great quantity following the 1855 earthquake near Edo (modern day Tokyo), one of the Ansei great earthquakes . These namazu-e woodblock-prints encompass a large variety of scenes, typically depicting the god subduing the earthquake-causing catfish under a sword or the kanameishi stone. The creature is sometimes referred to as just

140-524: Is a deity in Japanese mythology , considered a god of thunder and a sword god. He also competed in what is considered the first sumo wrestling match recorded in history. He is otherwise known as "The kami of Kashima" ( Kashima-no-kami ), the chief deity revered in the Kashima Shrine at Kashima, Ibaraki (and all other subsidiary Kashima shrines). In the namazu-e or catfish prints of

168-580: Is a mythological rock that was believed to hold down the Japanese archipelago . It was believed that when it was jostled or disturbed, it caused earthquakes. It is located in Kashima, Ibaraki . Many earthquakes were believed to have been caused by the catfish Namazu which dwelt near it. The catfish was later restrained by Takemikazuchi , protecting against earthquakes. When the Takemikazuchi lets his guard fall, Namazu thrashes about and agitates

196-658: The Edo period , Takemikazuchi/Kashima is depicted attempting to subdue the Namazu , a giant catfish supposedly dwelling at the kaname-ishi ( 要石 , 'pinning rock') of the Japanese landmass and causing its earthquakes . In the Kojiki , the god is known as Takemikazuchi-no-o no kami (建御雷之男神 – "Brave Mighty Thunderbolt Man"). He also bears the alternate names Takefutsu-no-kami ( 建布都神 ) and Toyofutsu-no-kami ( 豊布都神 ) . In

224-603: The Kamiumi ("birth of the gods") episodes of the Kojiki , the god of creation Izanagi severs the head of the fire deity Kagu-tsuchi , whereupon the blood from the sword ( Totsuka-no-Tsurugi ) splattered the rocks and gave birth to several deities. The blood from the sword-tip engendered one triad of deities, and the blood from near the base of the blade produced another triad that included Takemikazuchi (here given as "Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity" by Chamberlain). The name of

252-569: The Yamato kingship expanded control into the easterly dominions, Kashima ( Kashima, Ibaraki ) became a crucial base. Yamato armies and generals often prayed to the Kashima and Katori deities for military success against the intransigents in the east. In these ways, Takemikazuchi became an important deity for the imperial dynasty. Kaname-ishi Kaname-ishi ( 要石 , kaname-ishi , perhaps "foundation stone" but maybe more aptly "cap stone")

280-424: The namazu with earthquake seems to have first occurred in the area around Lake Biwa , around the 16th century. The namazu had been depicted in the Ōtsu-e ("pictures from the city of Otsu") which were manufactured in that area. This earthquake-causing creature became associated with the deity and "foundation stone" in Kashima, Ibaraki . According to myth, the god Takemikazuchi enshrined at Kashima restrains

308-534: The "earthquake fish" ( jishin-no-uo ), and despite the text calling it a catfish, the illustration may be that of a dragon -serpent. Even though the Namazu was held responsible for the disaster, it was also ironically hailed as a yonaoshi daimyōjin (god of "world rectification"), that is to say, a sort of an "avenger of social injustice" which expressed the public's political sentiment at the time. The rich had hoarded their wealth but these were largely disgorged due to

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336-653: The 19th century. Prior to the 1855 Edo earthquake , an eel fisherman reportedly spotted unusually active catfish in a river, which he took as a predictor of an earthquake. Later that night, the earthquake struck. The anecdote, recorded in an 1856 chronicle of journalistic reporting on the earthquake, is the earliest known claim that catfish can naturally predict earthquakes. In the 1930s, Japanese seismologists Shinkishi Hatai and Noboru Abe demonstrated that catfish in aquaria showed increased agitation several hours before earthquakes occurred, and were able to predict quakes with 80% accuracy. Namazu-e ( 鯰絵 , "catfish prints") were

364-409: The catfish underneath a stone ( 要石 , kaname-ishi , perhaps "foundation stone" but maybe more aptly "cap stone"). When the Kashima-god lets his guard fall, Namazu thrashes about, causing violent earthquakes. Widespread connections between catfish and earthquakes in Japan were not present until the late 17th century, and only rose to popularity as symbolically causing or predicting earthquakes during

392-419: The conquest of the terrestrial world known as Middle Country ( Ashihara no Nakatsukuni ), Takemikazuchi is one of the chief delegates sent down to subjugate the terrestrial deities ( kuni-tsu-kami ). In the Kojiki (Conquest of Izumo chapter), the heavenly deities Amaterasu and Takamusubi decreed that either Takemikazuchi or his father Itsu-no-ohabari ("Heaven-Point-Blade-Extended") must be sent down for

420-441: The conquest. Itsu-no-ohabari (who appeared previously as a ten-fist sword) here has the mind and speech of a sentient god, and he volunteered his son Takemikazuchi for the subjugation campaign. Takemikazuchi was accompanied by Ame-no-torifune "Deity Heavenly-Bird-Boat" (which may be a boat as well as being a god) The two deities reached the land of Izumo at a place called "the little shore of Izasa/Inasa" ( 伊耶佐小浜 ) , and stuck

448-542: The earthquake, and redistributed to the world at large: such is the symbolism of the large gold coins ( koban , etc.) scattered by the earthquake depicted in the pictures. A large amount of money went into the rebuilding effort, and the job opportunities resulted in a redistribution of wealth . One picture is printed with a jingle with the refrain " yo-naoshi, yo-naoshi, tate-naoshi " (literally "world-fixing, world-fixing, re-building", which explicitly makes this connection. Takemikazuchi Takemikazuchi ( 建御雷/武甕槌 )

476-512: The end, Ōanamuchi/Ōkuninushi gave sign of his obedience by presenting the broad spear he used to pacify the land with. Jumping to a later passage (after digressing on other matters), the Nihon Shoki retells Takemikazuchi and Futsunushi's landing on the beach, this time stating that Ōanamuchi verbally expressed resistance to relinquish his rule, until the heavenly gods promised him palatial residence to recompense his abdication. Appended to

504-427: The evil deities of Kumano were spontaneously cut down. When Jimmu inquired, Takakuraji explained that he had a vision in a dream where the supreme deities Amaterasu and Takamusubi were about to command Takemikazuchi to descend to earth once again to pacify the lands, this time to assist the emperor. However, Takemizuchi replied that it would be sufficient to send down the sword he used during his campaigns, and, boring

532-556: The sea near Suwa of Shinano ( 科野国之州羽海 , in Kojiki ) , asked for clemency on his life, promising to hold himself in exile in that region (in this way, the defeated Takeminakata became chief deity of the Suwa Grand Shrine in Nagano Prefecture ). The hand-to-hand bout between the two deities is considered the mythical origin of sumo wrestling. The Nihon Shoki names a different partner for Takemikazuchi in

560-399: The stone, causing violent earthquakes In the namazu-e or catfish prints of the Edo period , Takemikazuchi/Kashima is depicted attempting to subdue the catfish, protect the stone, and prevent earthquakes . The paintings are believed to give protection against earthquakes themselves, and had a massive increase in popularity. This article related to the culture of Japan is

588-713: The task of conquering lands of the Middle Country. That partner is Futsunushi (a god who goes unmentioned in the Kojiki in the gods' birth episode as well as this episode). Just as Takemikazuchi was chief deity of Kashima Shrine , this Futsunushi was the chief of the Katori Shrine . In the early centuries, when the Yamato rulers campaigned in the Kantō and Tōhoku regions, they would pray to these two war gods for military success, so that subsidiary shrines of

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616-445: The ten-fist sword wielded by Izanagi is given postscripturally as Ame-no-ohabari , otherwise known as Itsu-no-ohabari. (Accordingly, Takemikazuchi is referred in some passages as the child of Itsu-no-o habari. See next section ). The Nihon Shoki gives the same episode in the same general gist, albeit more vaguely regarding this deity. In the episodes where the gods of the heavenly plains ( Takama-ga-hara ) contemplate and execute

644-460: The two gods are scattered all over these regions. The enshrinement of the deities at Kashima and Katori is mentioned briefly in the Kogo Shūi (807). The Nihon Shoki account has other discrepancies. The beach where the gods stuck the "ten-fist sword" is here called "Itasa". The chief god of Izumo (Ōkuninushi) is called by the name of Ōanamuchi. The wrestling match with Takeminakata is missing. In

672-426: The two passages is the mention of a star deity named Amatsu-Mikaboshi who resisted till the end, and whom Takemikazuchi and Futsunushi were particularly eager to vanquish. The latter passage states that the being who subdued the star god, referred to as Iwai no nushi ( 斎の大人 ) is enshrined at Katori, hinting that it might be Futsunushi. However, the earlier passage says a god named Takehazuchi  [ ja ]

700-402: Was easily persuaded to forfeit his authority and retire into seclusion. The other, Takeminakata would not concede without testing his feats of strength against Takemikazuchi. When the challenger grabbed Takemikazuchi's hand it turned as if into an icicle and then a sword, making him cringe. Takemikazuchi then grabbed Takeminakata's hand, crushing it like a young reed. The challenger, chased to

728-510: Was originally a local god ( kunitsukami ) revered by the Ō clan ( 多氏 , Ō no uji , also written as 大氏 ) , and was a god of maritime travel. However, the Nakatomi clan also has roots in this region, and when they took over control of priestly duties from the Ō clan, they claimed Takemikazuchi as the Nakatomi clan's ujigami (clan deity). Ōwa goes on to theorize that the Ō clan

756-631: Was originally ōmi ( 大忌 , "greater taboo (priesthood)" ) , but was usurped by the Nakatomi who were among the "lesser priesthood" (the latter claims descent from the Inbe clan ( 忌部氏 ) ). The Nakatomi clan, essentially the priestly branch of the Fujiwara clan , also placed the veneration of Takemikazuchi in the Kasuga-taisha in Nara . (The thunder god is one of several gods enshrined.) When

784-492: Was the vanquisher of the star god. Takemikazuchi's sword aided Emperor Jimmu in his subjugation of the east. At Kumano , the Emperor and his troops were either struck unconscious by the appearance of a bear ( Kojiki ) or severely debilitated by the poison fumes spewed out by local gods ( Nihon Shoki ). But a man named Takakuraji presented a gift of a sword, the emperor awoke, and without him hardly brandishing this weapon,

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