About the god Susanoo-no-mikoto and my kamon. Online reading of the book Susanoo no Mikoto Susanoo no mikoto Susanoo no Mikoto

About the god Susanoo-no-Mikoto and my kamon

The god Susanoo, expelled from the High Sky Plain, descended to Earth and ended up in the country of Izumo. He went out to the bank of the Khi River and saw chopsticks floating on the water. “There must be people living nearby,” Susanoo thought and headed up the river. Soon he met an old man and an old woman. They cried bitterly, hugging the young girl to them.

Who you are? - asked the god Susanoo. And the old man answered:

I am considered to be the son of the patron god of this region, and my name is Ashinazuchi. My wife's name is Tenazuchi. And this is our beloved daughter named Kushinada-hime, the Wonderful Guardian Maiden of the Rice Fields.

Why are you crying? - asked the god Susanoo. And the old man said in response:

We had eight daughters. But a terrible monster came here. Every year it kidnapped one daughter. Soon it will come here again and take our last daughter. That's why we grieve and cry.

Susanoo no Mikoto

What does this monster look like? - asked the god Susanoo

The old man explained:

His eyes are red, like bladderwrack. The appearance resembles a snake with eight heads and eight tails. Its body is covered with moss, and cypresses and cryptomerias grow on it. And this monster is so huge, it has eight valleys and eight mountain ranges. And on his belly there is a wound from which blood is constantly oozing.

After listening to the old man, the god Susanoo said:

Give me your daughter as my wife.

“Okay,” said the old man. - But I don't know who you are.

I am the younger brother of the Great Goddess Amaterasu, Illuminating the Sky. Only now have I arrived from her from the Heavenly Country.

Well, - answered the old man, - I will gladly give my daughter to you as a wife,

Before the old man had time to say these words, the god Susanoo turned the girl into a comb and stuck it in his hair, after which he commanded the old man and the old woman:

Prepare strong rice vodka and build a fence. Make eight gates in this fence, place eight platforms opposite them, place a barrel on each of the eight platforms, fill each of the eight barrels with rice vodka to the brim and wait.

The old man and the old woman did as they were told and waited with bated breath. And indeed, soon a monster appeared at the fence - a huge Eight-Headed Serpent. He saw barrels of rice vodka standing at the gate, plunged eight of his heads into them, drank it all, got drunk and fell asleep. And the god Susanoo grabbed the sword hanging from his belt and, one after another, cut off all eight heads of the monster. When the god Susanoo began to cut off the snake's tail, the blade of his sword cracked. Susanoo was surprised, made an incision on the tail and pulled out a huge sword of unprecedented sharpness. He gave this sword the name “Kusanagi” - “Mowing Grass” and brought it as a gift to the goddess Amaterasu. Having defeated the Eight-Headed Serpent, the god Susanoo decided to build a palace in order to settle in it with his young wife, the maiden Kushinada-hyame, who was saved by him. In search of a suitable place, he walked around the entire region of Izumo and finally found himself in the land of Suga. He looked around and exclaimed:

Good here! My heart was cleansed.

Since then, this area has been called Suga, which means “Pure”. When the god Susanoo began to build the palace, ridges of white clouds appeared in the sky. Looking at them, he composed a song:

Eight banks of clouds
They stretch over Izumo,
Where do I build for my dear
Chambers in eight fences
These chambers have eight fences!

This song is considered the beginning of all Japanese poetry. The god Susanoo took Kushinada-hime as his wife, and many god-children were born to them, and they gave birth to their own children. So, after several generations, the god Okuninushi, the Great Master of the Country, was born. He also had another name - Onamuji, which means “Great Name”. And his name was Asiharasikoo - the Ugly God of the Reed Plains. And he had one more name: Utsushiku-nptama - Guardian Spirit of the Earthly Country. As for the god Susanoo, over time he realized his intention and retired to the Underground Country, where his mother lived.

The myth of snakes is often found in Shinto beliefs in Japan. The storm god Susanoo, after a fierce struggle, defeated the huge eight-headed snake Yamata no Orochi, found a sacred sword in its tail and freed the princess captured by the monster, whom he married. Although Susanoo was able to act as the winner of the snake, this does not mean that the Japanese have a negative connotation with the snake. In Japanese mythology, snake and dragon are often used interchangeably; no distinction is made between them. The symbolic meaning of the snake among the Japanese is positive; the snake was considered the personification and symbol of wisdom and knowledge, and the Snake Eye is the Eye of Wisdom. In Japan, the snake is also an attribute of the god of thunder and thunderstorms.

In Japan, snakes are regarded as animals of sorcerers and witches. They obey their commands, attacking the victims of sorcerers, whom they can inflict madness and pain. But the snake not only brings death. She, periodically changing her skin, symbolizes life and resurrection. A coiled snake is identified with the cycle of phenomena. This is both the solar principle and the lunar principle, life and death, light and darkness, good and evil, wisdom and blind passion, healing and poison, preserver and destroyer, spiritual and physical rebirth.

The snake motif has also found application in Japanese family heraldry. The snake is often depicted on Japanese monk family crests. It is an extremely complex and universal symbol. Today I made my mon, and as you can tell, the motif is a snake. I have long suspected that I have samurai roots going back to the god Susanoo, and that blue blood flows in my veins, but out of modesty I will not develop this topic.

High Sky Country High Sky Country- according to Shinto mythology - the seat of deities. spring came.

The snow has melted everywhere on the mountain peaks. The meadow, where herds of cows and horses grazed, became covered with vague greenery. The quiet heavenly river flowing at its edge radiated a welcoming warmth. The swallows returned to the village, which lay in the lower reaches of the river, and the camellias at the well, where the women went to fetch water with jugs on their heads, had long since showered white flowers on the wet stones. On a fine spring day, a crowd of guys gathered in a meadow near the Quiet Heavenly River - they enthusiastically competed in strength and dexterity.

First, they shot arrows from a bow into the sky. Humming like powerful gusts of wind and their plumage sparkling in the sun, the arrows flew away like a cloud of locusts into the light haze of heaven. But only one arrow with white falcon feathers soared higher than the others - so that it was not visible at all. It was a combat arrow, which was fired from time to time from a thick light bow by an ugly guy dressed in shizuri Shizuri - linen kimono. with a black and white checkered pattern.

Every time an arrow soared into the sky, the guys unanimously praised his skill, but his arrow always flew farther than the others, so they gradually lost interest in him and now deliberately encouraged the less skilled shooters with loud exclamations.

The ugly guy continued to stubbornly shoot from his bow, while others began to gradually move away from him, and the chaotic rain of arrows gradually subsided. Finally, only one of his arrows with white plumage began to sparkle in the sky, like a star flying in broad daylight.

Then he lowered his bow and looked around with a proud look, but there was no one nearby with whom he could share his joy. The guys went to the shore and there they began jumping over the beautiful river with enthusiasm.

They persuaded each other to jump over it at the widest point. Sometimes some unlucky person would fall straight into the river, shining in the sun like a sword, and then a sparkling cloud of spray would rise above the water.

The ugly guy, seduced by the new fun, immediately threw his bow onto the sand and easily jumped to the other side. This was the widest part of the river. But no one approached him. Apparently, they preferred the tall, handsome young man who gracefully jumped over the narrower place. This young man was also dressed in checkered shizuri, only the jasper necklace on his neck and the hoop on his left hand, decorated with small jasper and bells, looked more elegant than the others. The ugly guy looked at him with some envy, standing with his hands folded on his chest, and, moving away from the crowd, walked in the hot haze to the lower reaches of the river.

2

Soon he stopped where no one had ever jumped over the river. The width of the stream here reached three jo Jo - a measure of length, 3.03 m.. The water, having lost its flow speed, stood calmly on the banks, between rocks and sand. He thought for a moment, looking at the water, then retreated a few steps and, taking a running start, flew across the river like a stone from a sling. This time luck was not on his side - he fell into the water, raising a cloud of splashes.

It happened not far from where the crowd was standing, and his fall was immediately noticed. "It serves him right!" - Some laughed maliciously. Others also mocked him, but their cries still sounded more sympathetic; and among them was that young man who was proud of the beauty of his exquisite jasper necklace and precious hoop. All of them could show sympathy to the loser, as they often show it to the weak. But a moment later they fell silent again - silent, harboring hostility.

Because, wet as a mouse, he crawled ashore and stubbornly intended to jump over the river in the same place. And not only did he intend to. Without any difficulty, he flew over the clear water and splashed noisily onto the shore, raising a cloud of sand. It was too sad to make them laugh. And, of course, there was no clapping or cheers of approval from them.

Shaking sand from his feet and hands, he stood up, all wet, and looked in their direction. And they were already happily hurrying to the upper reaches of the river - apparently, they were tired of jumping over the river, and now they were rushing to some new entertainment. But he did not lose his joyful mood. And I shouldn't have lost it. Because I still haven’t figured out what they don’t like. He was not of this world, one of those strong people upon whom heavenly blessing descended. And therefore, seeing that his friends were going to the upper reaches of the river, he, shielding himself from the scorching sun with his palm, stubbornly walked after them, and water dripped from his clothes onto the sand.

Meanwhile, the guys started a new game: they picked up and threw stones scattered in the hot haze on the river bank. The stones were different: both the size of a bull and the size of a ram. Everyone, boasting of their strength, tried to grab a larger stone. But only some of them, the strongest, could easily lift such a block from the sand. And it all came down, naturally, to a competition between these two strongmen. They easily wielded large stones. Particularly distinguished was a short guy with a boar's neck and a face overgrown with hair, dressed in shizuri painted with red and white triangles. Rolling up his sleeves, he easily lifted boulders that no one could budge. Having surrounded him, everyone never ceased to loudly admire his remarkable strength, but in response to their praise, he tried to lift a larger block.

The ugly youth walked straight towards those who were competing in strength.

3

For some time he silently watched the efforts of the strongmen. Then, rolling up his wet sleeves and straightening his broad shoulders, he waddled, like a bear from a den, straight towards them - apparently, he wanted to boast of his strength - he wrapped his arms around a huge boulder and, without any effort, heaved it onto his shoulder.

However, everyone, as before, was indifferent to him. Only the short guy with the boar's neck, seeing a strong opponent, cast envious glances sideways at him. Meanwhile, Susanoo, throwing a stone on his shoulder, immediately threw it onto the sand, where there were no people. Then the guy with the boar's neck, with the speed of a hungry tiger, jumped up to the thrown stone, instantly picked it up and raised it over his shoulder as easily and quickly as his opponent.

It was clear that these two were much stronger than everyone else, and the guys who had until now boasted of their strength, looking at each other sadly, were forced to retreat to the onlookers crowding around. And these two, although they did not harbor any particular enmity towards each other, had to measure their strength until one surrendered. Realizing this, the spectators began to cheer even louder for the guy with the boar's neck when he threw the stone he had picked up from the ground to the ground, and turned to the wet guy - they were not interested in who would win, only hatred could be read in their evil eyes. And he still calmly spat on his palms and headed towards an even larger stone. He wrapped his arms around him, took a deep breath and lifted him to his stomach with one jerk. Then, just as quickly, he threw it onto his shoulder. But he didn’t give up, but called the guy with the boar’s neck with his eyes and, smiling softly, said:

The guy with the boar's neck stood at a distance, biting his mustache and looking mockingly at Susanoo.

“Okay,” he answered and, jumping up to his opponent, took the stone onto his shoulder, steep as a hill. Then he took a few steps, brought the stone to eye level and threw it to the ground with all his might. The stone fell heavily, raising a cloud of silvery sand. The onlookers, as before, shouted approvingly, but before their voices had time to subside, the guy with the boar's neck grabbed an even larger stone lying in the coastal sand - he longed for victory.

4

They showed their strength several more times, but it was felt that both were very tired. Sweat poured from their faces, arms and legs. And it was impossible to distinguish either red or black on the clothes - they were all covered with sand. However, breathing heavily, the guys lifted stone after stone, and everyone understood that they would not stop competing until one of them fell exhausted.

As their fatigue grew, so did the onlookers' interest in the competition. They were as ruthless and cruel as at a cock or dog fight. From intense excitement they forgot about their sympathy for the guy with the boar's neck. They encouraged both rivals with a roar of approval, a roar that could deprive any creature of reason, a roar that prompted countless numbers of roosters, dogs and people to senseless bloodshed.

And, of course, this roar affected the opponents. They looked at each other angrily with bloodshot eyes. And the guy with the boar's neck didn't even hide his hatred of his opponent. The stones he threw fell so often right at the feet of the ugly young man that it could hardly be considered an accident, but he, forgetting about the danger, was completely absorbed in the approaching denouement.

Dodging a stone thrown by his enemy, he began to swing a huge boulder like a bull. She lay diagonally across the river, and the spring seething stream washed her thousand-year-old moss. Such a boulder would not have been easy to lift even for the very first strongman in the Land of High Sky - Tajikarao no Mikoto Tajikarao no Mikoto- In Japanese mythology, a god with enormous power who collapsed the rock that blocked the entrance to the Heavenly Grotto, where the sun goddess Amaterasu hid, angry at Susanoo’s actions., however, the ugly young man grabbed a stone sitting deep in the river with both hands and, resting his knee on the sand, pulled it out of the water.

Seeing such his strength, the onlookers crowding around seemed taken aback. They did not take their eyes off the man standing on one knee. His hands clasped a huge stone - such a stone could only be moved by a thousand people. For some time the strong man remained motionless. But from the way the sweat rolled off his legs and arms, it was clear how much effort it took him. Then a cry broke out again from the hushed crowd. No, not a cry of encouragement, but a cry of amazement that involuntarily escaped from the throat. Because the strong man, placing his shoulder under the block, began to slowly rise from his knees, and the block began to slowly separate from the sand. And when a cry of approval broke out from the crowd, he was already standing majestically among the stones scattered across the river meadow, like the god of the rumbling bowels of Tsuchikazuchi, emerging from the opening of the earth. Tangled hair that has escaped from the mizura hairstyle "Mizura" - a hairstyle for adult men in ancient times, with a parting in the middle and buns tied at the ears so that they hung in two rings., fell on his forehead, and he held a huge boulder on his shoulder.

5

With a boulder on his shoulder, he stepped back a few steps from the shore and croaked through clenched teeth:

Come on, now take it!

The guy with the boar's neck stood there undecided. For a moment his menacing figure sank. But depression immediately gave way to desperate determination.

Okay,” he snapped and, spreading his huge hands, prepared to take the stone onto his shoulders.

The stone began to move onto the shoulders of the guy with the boar's neck, he rolled over slowly, like a bank of clouds moving, and with the same inexorable cruelty. Purple from exertion, baring his fangs like a wolf, the guy tried to hold the boulder that had fallen on him on his shoulders. But under its weight it bent like the staff of a flag under a strong wind, and it immediately became clear that the face, except for the half that was overgrown with hair, was covered with deathly pallor. And frequent drops of sweat began to fall from his pale face to his feet, onto the dazzling sand. Now the block of stone was slowly and persistently bringing him down to the ground. Holding the stone with both hands, he tried his best to stay on his feet. But the stone pressed inexorably on him, like fate. His body bent, his head hung, and he looked like a crab crushed by a pebble. People watched this tragedy gloomily. It was difficult to save him. And the ugly guy would hardly be able to remove the huge stone from his opponent’s back now. His homely face reflected either fear or confusion, but he could do nothing but silently look at his opponent with empty eyes.

The rock finally got the better of the boar-necked guy and he fell to his knees in the sand. In this position, he could not utter a cry or scream. There was only a quiet groan. Hearing him, the ugly young man rushed to his opponent, as if waking up from a dream, and tried to push the stone that had fallen on him, but before he even had time to touch the stone with his hands, the guy with the boar’s neck was already lying face down on the sand, the crunch of crushed bones was heard from his eyes and mouth Scarlet blood gushed out. This was the end of the unfortunate strongman.

The ugly guy silently looked at his dead opponent, then fixed a pained gaze on the onlookers frozen in fear, as if demanding a silent answer. But they stood under the bright sunlight, eyes downcast, and were silent - not one raised their eyes to his ugly face.

6

The people of the Country of High Sky could no longer be indifferent to the ugly young man. Some openly envied his remarkable strength, others resignedly, like dogs, obeyed him, others cruelly mocked his rudeness and simplicity. And only a few people sincerely trusted him. However, it was clear that both enemies and friends were experiencing his power.

And he himself, of course, could not help but notice such a change in himself. But in the depths of his soul there were still painful memories of the guy with the boar's neck, who died so horribly because of him. And both the goodwill of his friends and the hatred of his enemies were painful to him.

He avoided people and usually wandered alone in the mountains surrounding the village. Nature was kind to him: the forest did not forget to delight his ears, yearning from loneliness, with the pleasant cooing of wild pigeons; the marsh, overgrown with reeds to comfort him, reflected the warm spring clouds in the still water. Admiring the pheasants flying out of the thorny bushes or thickets of small bamboo, the trout frolicking in a deep mountain river, he found peace and tranquility that he did not feel while being among people. There was neither love nor hatred here - everyone equally enjoyed the light of the sun and the blow of the wind. But... but he was human.

Sometimes, when he, sitting on a stone by a mountain river, watched the flight of swallows sliding their wings across the water, or under a magnolia tree in a mountain gorge, listened to the buzzing of bees that flew lazily, intoxicated with honey, he was suddenly overcome by an inexpressible melancholy. He didn't understand where she was coming from, he only knew that his feeling was different from the sadness he experienced when he lost his mother several years ago. If he did not find his mother where he was usually used to seeing her, he was overcome by a feeling of melancholy emptiness. However, his current feeling was stronger than longing for his mother, although he himself did not feel it. Therefore, wandering through the spring mountains, like a bird or an animal, he experienced both happiness and suffering at the same time.

Tormented by melancholy, he often climbed to the top of a tall oak tree that spread its branches on the mountainside, and absentmindedly admired the view of the valley that lay far below. In the valley, not far from the Quiet Heavenly River, there was his village, and there, similar to Go checkers Go is a Japanese checkers-type game., there were rows of thatched roofs. Barely noticeable smoke from home fires flowed over the roofs. Sitting astride a thick oak branch, he surrendered himself for a long time to the blow of the wind flying from the village. The wind moved the small branches of the oak tree, the aroma of young leaves lingered in the sunny haze, and every time a gust of wind reached his ears, he heard a whisper in the rustle of the leaves:

Susanoo! What are you still looking for? Don’t you know that neither above the mountains nor in the village is there what you crave? Come after me! Come after me! Why are you delaying, Susanoo?

7

But Susanoo did not want to follow the wind. This means that something tied him, lonely, to the Land of the High Sky. When he asked himself about this, his face became flushed with shame: in the village there was a girl whom he secretly loved, but at the same time he understood that it was not for him, a savage, to love her.

Susanoo first saw this girl when he was sitting on the top of an oak tree on the mountainside. He absentmindedly admired the winding white river below and suddenly heard a bright female laugh under the branches of an oak tree. This laughter scattered scattered throughout the forest, like small pebbles thrown onto ice, and instantly disturbed his sad sleep in broad daylight. He became angry, as if his eye had been knocked out, and looked down at the clearing covered with grass - three girls, apparently not noticing him, were laughing in the rays of the bright sun.

They had bamboo baskets hanging on their hands - they probably came for flowers or tree buds, or maybe for aralia. Susanoo did not know any of them, but from the beautiful white blankets that fell over their shoulders, it was clear that they were not from ordinary families. The girls were chasing a mountain pigeon, which could not rise high enough above the young grass, and their clothes fluttered in the light breeze. The dove, escaping from them, flapped its wounded wing with all its might, but was unable to take off.

Susanoo looked at this rush from a tall oak tree. One of the girls threw a bamboo basket and tried to grab the dove, but it, constantly flying up and dropping soft feathers as white as snow, did not fall into her hands. Susanoo instantly hung on a thick branch and jumped heavily onto the grass under the oak tree, but while jumping, he slipped and slid on his back right under the feet of the dumbfounded girls.

For a moment the girls looked at each other silently, as if mute, and then laughed merrily. Jumping up from the grass, he looked at them guiltily and at the same time arrogantly. Meanwhile, the bird, furrowing the grass with its wing, ran into the depths of the grove, rustling with young leaves.

Where did you come from? - one of the girls asked arrogantly, staring at him. There was surprise in her voice.

“Over that branch,” Susanoo answered casually.

8

Hearing his answer, the girls looked at each other again and laughed. This made Susanoo no Mikoto angry, and at the same time he felt happy for some reason. Frowning his ugly face, he looked even more sternly at the girls in order to scare them.

What's so funny? - he asked.

But his severity did not make any impression on the girls. Having laughed enough, they stared at him again. Now another girl, playing with her blanket, asked:

Why did you jump?

I wanted to help the bird.

But it was we who wanted to help her! - the third girl said with a laugh.

Almost a teenager. The most beautiful of her friends, well-built, lively. It was probably she who threw the basket and chased the bird. It's immediately obvious that she's smart. Having met her eyes, Susanoo was confused, but did not show it.

Do not lie! - he barked rudely, although he knew better than the girl that it was true.

Why should we lie? “We really wanted to help her,” she assured him, and the other two girls, watching his confusion with interest, chirped like birds:

Is it true! Is it true!

Why do you think we're lying?

Are you the only one who feels sorry for the bird?

Forgetting to answer them, he listened in amazement to the girls who surrounded him on all sides, like bees from a ruined hive, but then he plucked up courage and, as if he wanted to scare them away, roared:

OK! So be it, you’re not lying, but get out of here, or else...

The girls, apparently, were really scared, jumped away from the young man, but immediately laughed again and, picking up wild asters growing under their feet, threw them at him. The pale purple flowers hit Susanoo directly. He froze in confusion under their fragrant rain, but, remembering that he had just scolded the girls, he decisively stepped towards the mischievous girls, spreading his big hands.

At that same moment they quickly disappeared into the forest thicket. He stood in confusion and looked after the light blankets that were moving away. Then he turned his gaze to the tender asters scattered on the grass, and for some reason a slight smile touched his lips. He collapsed on the grass and began to look at the bright spring sky above the tops of the trees smoking with fresh leaves. And from behind the forest, barely audible girlish voices could still be heard. Soon they completely quieted down, and he was surrounded by a bright silence, filled with the aroma of herbs and trees.

A few minutes later, a wild pigeon with a wounded wing, looking around fearfully, returned to the clearing. Susanoo was sleeping quietly on the grass. On his face, illuminated by the rays of the sun filtering through the branches of the oak tree, there was still the shadow of a slight smile. A wild pigeon, crushing the asters, carefully approached him and, stretching its neck, stared at his sleeping face, as if wondering why he was smiling.

9

Since then, the image of that cheerful girl sometimes appeared to him, but, as I already said, Susanoo was ashamed to admit it even to himself. And of course he didn't say a word to his friends. And they had no idea about his secret - the simple-minded Susanoo was too rude and far from love pleasures.

He still avoided people and loved the mountains. No, not even a night passed without him going far into the forest, looking for some adventure. It happened that he killed a lion or a large bear. Or, having crossed the mountain peaks that did not know spring, he hunted eagles living among the rocks. But he has not yet met a worthy opponent to whom he could direct his remarkable strength. He even fought the pygmies - the inhabitants of mountain caves, nicknamed the furious ones, every time he met them. And he often came to the village with their weapons or with birds and animals impaled on the spears of his arrows.

Meanwhile, his courage found him many enemies and many friends in the village, and they openly quarreled when the opportunity presented itself. He tried, of course, to extinguish the quarrels that broke out. But the opponents, not paying attention to him, fought over any reason. It was as if they were being pushed by some unknown force. Not approving of their enmity, he nevertheless, against his will, was drawn into it.

One bright spring day, carrying arrows and a bow under his arm, Susanoo was descending from a grass-covered mountain located behind the village. He thought with annoyance that he had missed when shooting at a deer, and the motley back of a deer kept appearing before his eyes. When he approached a lone elm tree, buried in the foam of young foliage at the top of the slope, from where the roofs of the village were already visible in the rays of the setting sun, he noticed several guys arguing with a young shepherd. And cows chewing grass. It was clear that the guys were grazing their cattle on this green slope. The shepherd with whom the boys were arguing was one of Susanoo’s admirers. He was devoted to Susanoo like a slave, but thereby only aroused his enmity.

Seeing them, Susanoo immediately realized that trouble was coming. But since he approached them, he could not listen to their squabble without interfering. And he asked the shepherd:

What's going on here?

When the shepherd saw Susanoo, his eyes shone with joy, as if he had met a friend, and he immediately began to complain about his evil enemies. That they, they say, hating him, torment his cattle, inflicting wounds on them. While talking about this, he kept throwing angry glances at the guys.

“Well, now we will settle accounts with you,” he said boastfully, hoping for Susanoo’s protection.

10

Having ignored his words, Susanoo turned to the guys and wanted to speak to them affectionately, which was not at all befitting of him, a savage, but at that moment his admirer quickly jumped up to one of the guys and hit him on the cheek with a flourish - apparently he I'm tired of admonishing him with words. The shepherd staggered and rushed at him with his fists.

Wait! They tell you, wait! - Susanoo barked, trying to separate the fighting, but when he grabbed the shepherd’s hand, he grabbed him with bloodshot eyes. Susanoo's friend grabbed a whip from his belt and rushed like crazy at his enemies. But he didn’t manage to get everyone with his whip. They managed to split into two groups. One surrounded the shepherd, and the other rushed with fists at Susanoo, who had lost his composure due to an unforeseen event. Now Susanoo had no choice but to get into the fight himself. Besides, when he was hit on the head with a fist, he became so furious that he didn’t care who was right or who was wrong.

They grappled and began to hit each other. The cows and horses grazing on the slope ran away in fright. But the shepherds fought so fiercely that they did not notice this.

Soon, those who fought with Susanoo found themselves with broken arms, dislocated legs, and rushed scattered down the slope without looking back.

Having dispersed the opponents, Susanoo began to reason with his incensed friend, who intended to pursue them.

Do not be noisy! Do not be noisy! “Let them run away,” said Susanoo.

Freeing himself from Susanoo's hands, the shepherd sank heavily onto the grass. He was hit hard, you could see it in his swollen face. Looking at him, the angry Susanoo involuntarily cheered up.

Weren't you hurt?

No. But even if they were wounded, what a disaster! But we gave them a good beating. Aren't you injured?

No. Just the bump jumped up.

Having expressed his annoyance, Susanoo sat down under an elm tree. Below, in the rays of the evening sun, illuminating the mountainside, the roofs of the village turned red. Their appearance was quiet and calm, and it even seemed to Susanoo that the battle that had just unfolded here was a dream.

Sitting on the grass, they silently looked at the quiet village shrouded in twilight.

Does the lump hurt?

No, not particularly.

You need to add chewed rice. They say it helps.

That's how! Thanks for the advice.

11

Susanoo had to collide with other villagers, and not just a few guys, but almost all of them. Just as Susanoo's supporters considered him their leader, so the other guys revered two older men: Omoikane no Mikoto Omoikane no Mikoto- god of talent and virtue. and Tajikarao no Mikoto. And these people, apparently, did not have any particular hostility towards Susanoo.

And Omoikane no Mikoto even liked Susanoo’s unbridled temper. Three days after the fight in the Susanoo pasture, as always, he went alone to the mountains, to an old swamp, to fish. Omoikane no Mikoto also came there quite by accident. They chatted amicably, sitting on the trunk of a rotten tree. Omoikane no Mikoto, an old man with a gray beard and gray hair, bore the honorary title of first scientist and first poet in the village. Women, in addition, considered him a very skilled sorcerer, because he loved to wander in the mountains, looking for medicinal herbs.

Susanoo had no reason to harbor enmity towards Omoikane no Mikoto. Therefore, he willingly talked with him, throwing his fishing rod into the water. They talked for a long time, sitting on the bank of a swamp under a willow tree hung with silver earrings.

“Lately, everyone has been talking about your strength,” Omoikane no Mikoto said, hesitating, and smiled.

Empty talk.

It's good what they say. And what's the use of what they don't talk about.

Susanoo was perplexed.

That's how! So, if there were no conversations, there would be no...

There would be no power.

But golden sand, even if it is not taken out of the water, will remain golden.

However, you can only determine whether it is gold or not by taking it out of the water.

It turns out that if a person takes out simple sand, but thinks that it is gold...

Then even simple sand will turn golden.

Susanoo believed that Omoikane no Mikoto was making fun of him, but, looking at him, he saw that the smile was lurking only in the corners of his wrinkled eyes - in the eyes themselves there was not a shadow of mockery.

In this case, gold dust is worth nothing.

Certainly. And anyone who thinks otherwise is mistaken.

Omoikane no Mikoto brought a stalk of podbela, plucked somewhere, to his nose and began to inhale its aroma.

12

Susanoo sat silently. Omoikane no Mikoto continued:

Once you measured your strength with one person, and he died, crushed by a stone. Is not it?

I feel sorry for him.

Susanoo thought that he was being reprimanded, and turned his gaze to the old swamp, slightly illuminated by the sun. Spring trees covered with young leaves were vaguely reflected in the deep water. Omoikane no Mikoto, indifferently inhaling the aroma of whitewash, continued:

It's a pity, of course, but he acted stupidly. First of all, you shouldn’t compete with someone at all. Secondly, there is no point in competing, knowing in advance that you will not win. But the greatest stupidity is to sacrifice your life in such cases.

And for some reason I feel remorse.

In vain. You weren't the one who killed him. He was killed by those who looked at the competition with greedy curiosity.

They hate me.

Certainly. They would hate your opponent just as much if victory were on his side.

So this is how the world works?

It's biting! - Omoikane no Mikoto said instead of answering.

Susanoo pulled the fishing rod. A silver coho salmon fluttered desperately on the hook.

“A fish is happier than a man,” noted Omoikane no Mikoto, and, watching Susanoo put the fish on a bamboo stick, he grinned and explained: “A man is afraid of a hook, but a fish bravely swallows it and dies easily.” I think I'm jealous of the fish...

Susanoo silently threw the fishing line into the swamp. And, looking guiltily at Omoikane no Mikoto, he said:

I don't quite understand your words.

Omoikane no Mikoto, stroking his beard, suddenly said seriously:

You don't understand, and that's okay. But the way I am, you can’t do anything.

Why? - Susanoo asked, not understanding anything. It was not clear whether Omoikane no Mikoto was serious or joking, whether there was poison or honey in his words. But they harbored some kind of attractive force.

Only fish swallow hooks. But I, too, in my young years...” For a moment, the wrinkled face of Omoikane no Mikoto turned sad. “And in my young years, I dreamed of everything.”

They were silent for a long time, each thinking about his own and looking at the old swamp, in which the spring trees were quietly reflected. And kingfishers flew over the swamp, sometimes gliding through the water, like pebbles thrown by someone’s hand.

13

Meanwhile, the cheerful girl continued to live in Susanoo's heart. Meeting her by chance in a village or somewhere else, for some unknown reason he would blush and his heart would begin to beat strongly, just like under the oak tree on the mountainside where he saw her for the first time, but she behaved arrogantly and did not even bow to him, as if and didn’t know at all.

One day, heading into the mountains and passing by a spring on the edge of the village, he saw her among other girls collecting water in jugs. Camellias were blooming above the spring, and a pale rainbow played in the splashes of water that came out of the stones, in the rays of the sun seeping between the flowers and leaves. Leaning over the source, the girl drew water into a clay jug. The other girls, having already scooped up water, were heading home with jugs on their heads. Swallows scurried above them, like nails being scattered by someone. When he approached the source, the girl rose gracefully and, standing with a heavy jug in her hand, cast a quick glance at him, smiling welcomingly.

Shy as always, he bowed slightly to her. Raising the jug on her head, the girl answered him with her eyes and followed her friends. Susanoo walked past her to the source and, scooping up water with his large palm, took a few sips to refresh his throat. But, remembering her look and smile, he blushed, either from joy or from shame, and grinned. The girls with clay jugs on their heads gradually moved away from the source in the rays of the gentle morning sun, and their white veils fluttered in the light breeze. But soon their cheerful laughter was heard again, some turned to him, smiling, and cast mocking glances at him.

He drank water, and these glances, fortunately, did not disturb him. But the laughter was strangely upsetting, and he once again scooped up a handful of water, although he did not feel thirsty. And then in the water of the source he saw the reflection of a man whom he did not immediately recognize. Susanoo hastily raised his head and, under a white camellia, noticed a young shepherd with a whip, approaching him with heavy steps. It was the same shepherd, his admirer, because of whom he had to fight on the green mountain.

Hello! - said the shepherd, smiling friendly, and bowed respectfully to Susanoo.

Hello!

Susanoo involuntarily frowned, thinking that he was shy even in front of this shepherd.

14

The shepherd, plucking white camellias, asked as if nothing had happened:

Well, how's the bump? Has it passed?

“It’s been a long time,” answered Susanoo.

Did you use chewed rice?

Attached. It helps a lot. I didn't even expect it. Throwing the camellias into the source, the shepherd suddenly said with a chuckle:

Then I'll teach you something else.

What is this for? - Susanoo asked incredulously.

The young shepherd, still smiling meaningfully, said:

Give me one jasper from your necklace.

Jasper? Of course, I can give jasper, but what is it for you?

Give it, that's all. I won't do anything bad to you.

No, until you tell me why, I won’t give it to you,” said Susanoo, becoming more and more irritated. Then the shepherd, looking at him slyly, blurted out:

Okay, I'll tell you. You love a young girl who just came here for water. Right?

Susanoo frowned and stared angrily at the shepherd’s forehead, while he himself grew more and more timid.

Do you love Omoikane no Mikoto's niece?

How?! Is she the niece of Omoikane no Mikoto? - Susanoo cried.

The shepherd looked at him and laughed triumphantly.

You see! Don't try to hide the truth, it will come out anyway.

Susanoo, pursing his lips, silently looked at the stones under his feet. Between the stones, in the foam of the spray, here and there were green fern leaves...

The answer was simple:

I’ll give it to the girl and tell her that you think about her all the time.

Susanoo hesitated. For some reason, he did not want the shepherd to be a mediator in this matter, but he himself would not have dared to open his heart to the girl. The shepherd, noticing the indecision on his ugly face, continued with an indifferent look.

Well, if you don’t want to, there’s nothing you can do.

They were silent. Then Susanoo took a beautiful magatama, similar in color to silver pearls, from the necklace, and silently handed it to the shepherd. It was his mother's magatama, and he kept it especially carefully.

The shepherd cast a greedy glance at the magatama and said:

ABOUT! This is a beautiful jasper! It is rare to see a stone of such a noble shape.

This is a foreign thing. They say that an overseas craftsman polished it for seven days and nights,” said Susanoo angrily, and, turning away from the shepherd, he walked away from the source.

But the shepherd, holding the magatama in his palm, hurried after him.

Wait! In two days I will bring you a favorable answer.

You don't have to rush.

They walked side by side, both in shizuri, heading towards the mountains, and swallows constantly flew over their heads, and the camellia flower thrown by the shepherd was still spinning in the bright water of the spring.

At dusk, a young shepherd, sitting under an elm tree on a green slope and looking at the jasper handed to him by Susanoo, was thinking about how to give it to the girl. At this time, a tall, handsome young man with a bamboo flute in his hands was descending from the mountain. He was known in the village for wearing the most beautiful necklaces and bracelets. Passing by a shepherd sitting under an elm tree, he suddenly stopped and called out to him:

The shepherd hastily raised his head, but seeing that in front of him was one of the enemies of the Susanoo he revered, he said unfriendly:

What do you want?

Show me the jasper.

The young shepherd with a dissatisfied look handed him a bluish jasper.

No, Susanoo.

This time, dissatisfaction was reflected on the face of the graceful young man.

So this is the same magatama that he wears so proudly around his neck! Of course, because he has nothing else to be proud of. The rest of the jaspers in his necklace are no better than the river stones.

While slandering Susanoo, the young man admired the bluish magatama. Then he lightly sank to the ground at the foot of the elm tree and said boldly:

Would you sell me the jasper? If you want, of course...

15

Instead of immediately refusing, the shepherd remained silent, puffing out his cheeks. The young man glanced at him and said:

And I will thank you. If you want a sword, I will give you a sword. If you want jasper, I will give you jasper.

No I can not. Susanoo no Mikoto asked me to give it to one person.

That's how! To one person... Probably a woman?

Noticing his curiosity, the shepherd flared up:

Does it matter whether it’s a man or a woman?

He already regretted that he had spilled the beans, which is why he spoke so irritably. But the young man smiled friendlyly, which made the shepherd feel somehow uneasy.

Yes, it doesn’t matter,” said the young man. “It doesn’t matter, but you can give another jasper instead of this one.” It is not so important.

The shepherd was silent, staring at the grass.

Of course, I will thank you for your troubles: I will give you a sword, jasper or armor. Do you want me to give you a horse?

But if that person refuses to take the gift, I will have to return Susanoo’s magatama.

Then...” The young man frowned, but immediately said softly: “If this is a woman, she will not take Susanoo’s magatama.” It doesn't suit a young woman. She will more readily accept bright jasper.

Perhaps the young man is right, the shepherd thought. No matter how precious the jasper is, the girl from their village may not like it.

Licking his lips, the young man continued insinuatingly:

Susanoo will only be glad if his gift is not rejected. Therefore, it is even better for him that it is a different jasper. Besides, you won’t be at a loss either: you’ll get a sword or a horse.

The shepherd clearly imagined a double-edged sword, a jasper decorated with a diamond, a strong golden horse. He involuntarily closed his eyes and shook his head several times to drive away the obsession, but when he opened his eyes again, he saw the handsome, smiling face of a young man in front of him.

Well, how? Still disagree? Or maybe you'll come with me? I have both a sword and armor just right for you. And there are several horses in the stable...

Having exhausted his entire stock of flattering words, the young man easily rose from the ground. The shepherd was silent, indecisive, but when the young man walked, he trudged after him, dragging his feet heavily.

As soon as they were out of sight, another man descended from the mountain with heavy steps. Dusk had already deepened, the mountain began to be shrouded in fog, but it was immediately clear that this was Susanoo. He carried a dog on the shoulder of several killed birds and, approaching an elm tree, sank to the ground to rest. Susanoo glanced at the roofs of the village that lay below in the evening haze, and a smile flashed on his lips.

Susanoo, who knew nothing, thought about the cheerful girl.

16

Susanoo lived in anticipation of the answer that the shepherd was supposed to bring him, but the shepherd did not appear. It is not clear why - maybe it’s just like that - since then he has never met Susanoo. Susanoo thought that the shepherd probably failed to carry out his plan, and was ashamed to meet him, or maybe the shepherd did not have the opportunity to approach the cheerful girl.

During this time, Susanoo only saw her once. At the source early in the morning. The girl, placing a clay jug on her head, was just about to leave from under the white camellias along with other women. Seeing him, she curled her lips contemptuously and walked past arrogantly. He blushed, as always, but there was an inexpressible sadness in his eyes. “I am a fool. This girl, even in another birth, will never become my wife,” he thought, and this feeling close to despair did not leave him for a long time, but the young shepherd had not yet brought a bad answer, and this gave Susanoo some kind of hope. Relying entirely on this unknown answer, Susanoo decided not to go to the source anymore, so as not to poison his heart.

One day at sunset, walking along the bank of the Quiet Heavenly River, he saw a young shepherd bathing his horse. The shepherd was clearly embarrassed that Susanoo had noticed him. And Susanoo, for some reason not daring to immediately speak to him, stood silently in the meadow wormwood, illuminated by the rays of the setting sun, and looked at the horse’s black fur shining from the water. But the silence became unbearable, and Susanoo, pointing his finger at the horse, spoke:

Nice horse! Whose is it?

My! - the shepherd answered proudly, finally looking at Susanoo.

Is yours? Hm...

Having swallowed the words of admiration, Susanoo fell silent again. The shepherd could no longer pretend that he knew nothing.

“The other day I handed over your jasper,” he began hesitantly.

That means he passed it on! - Susanoo was happy like a child.

Having met his gaze, the shepherd hastily looked away and, deliberately holding back the horse, which was beating its hooves on the ground, repeated:

Passed...

Well, that's good.

However...

What is “however”?

She can't give an answer right away.

There’s no need to rush,” Susanoo said cheerfully and walked along the river meadow, shrouded in the evening haze, as if he had nothing to do with the shepherd. And a wave of unprecedented happiness rose in his soul.

Everything made him happy: the wormwood in the river meadow, and the sky, and the lark singing in the sky. He walked with his head raised and sometimes talked to a lark barely visible in the evening haze:

Hey lark! You're probably jealous of me. Aren't you jealous? Then why do you sing like that? Answer me, lark!

17

Susanoo was happy for several days. True, a new song by an unknown composer appeared in the village. The song was about how an ugly raven fell in love with a beautiful swan and that he became a laughing stock for all the birds in the sky. Susanoo was upset, as if the sun shining with happiness was covered by a cloud.

But, feeling a little uneasy, he was still in a happy sleep. He believed that the beautiful swan had already responded to the love of the ugly crow, and the birds in the sky did not laugh at him as if he were a fool, but, on the contrary, envied his happiness. And he believed it.

Therefore, when he met the shepherd again, he did not want to hear any other answer than the one he expected.

So did you pass on the jasper? - he reminded the shepherd.

“I did,” the shepherd answered with a guilty look. “And the answer...” he hesitated. But what he conveyed was enough for Susanoo. He wasn't going to ask for details.

A few days later, at night, Susanoo walked slowly along the street of the village, illuminated by the moon. He was heading into the mountains, hoping to catch some bird sleeping in a nest. A man playing a flute was moving towards him in the light night fog. Susanoo grew up a savage and from childhood did not have much interest in music and singing, but here, on a spring moonlit night, filled with the aroma of flowering bushes and trees, he listened with violent envy to the beautiful sounds of the flute.

They came very close to each other, so that their faces could already be distinguished, but the man continued to play without looking at Susanoo. Making way for him, Susanoo saw his handsome face in the glow of the moon, standing almost in the middle of the sky. Sparkling jasper, a bamboo flute at his lips - yes, this is that tall handsome man! Susanoo knew that this was one of his enemies who despised him for his savagery, and wanted to pass by, raising his shoulders arrogantly, but when they drew level, something attracted his attention - on the young man’s chest in the clear light of the moon his bluish magatama shone brightly - a gift from the mother.

Wait a minute! - he said and, suddenly approaching the young man, grabbed him by the collar with a strong hand.

What are you doing? - the young man cried out, swaying and with all his might he began to break free from Susanoo’s hands. But no matter how much he dodged, Susanoo held him tightly by the collar.

Where did you get this jasper? - Susanoo barked fiercely, squeezing the young man’s throat.

Let go! What are you doing?! Let go, they tell you!

I won't let you go until you say so.

And the young man swung a bamboo flute at Susanoo, although Susanoo held him by the collar. Without loosening his grip, Susanoo easily snatched the flute from his hands with his free hand.

Well, admit it, or I’ll strangle you.

Wild rage raged in Susanoo's chest.

I traded her for a horse...

You're lying! I ordered this jasper to be handed over... - For some reason Susanoo did not dare to say “to the girl” and, breathing hotly into the pale face of the enemy, roared again: “You’re lying!”

Let go! It's you... Oh! I'm suffocating! You're the one lying. He said, you will let go, but you still hold on.

And you prove it! Prove it!

“Take it and ask him,” the young man squirming in his arms said with difficulty.

Even the enraged Susanoo understood that he meant the shepherd.

OK. Let’s go ask him,” Susanoo decided.

Dragging the young man behind him, he walked to a small hut located nearby, where a shepherd lived alone. On the way, the young man struggled to throw Susanoo's hand off his collar. But no matter how much he pounded Susanoo, no matter how much he hit, his hand held him tightly, like iron.

The moon was still shining in the sky, the street was filled with the sweet aroma of flowering trees and bushes, and in Susanoo’s soul, as in a stormy sky, lightning bolts of jealousy and rage continuously flashed, cutting through the swirling clouds of doubt. Who deceived him? Girl or shepherd? Or maybe this man in some clever way lured the jasper from the girl?

Susanoo approached the hut. Fortunately, the owner of the hut, apparently, was not yet asleep - the dim light of the oil lamp seeped through the cracks in the bamboo curtain above the entrance, mixing with the moonlight behind the roof canopy. At the entrance, the young man made his last effort to free himself from Susanoo’s hands, but did not have time: an unexpected gust of wind blew into his face, his feet lifted off the ground, everything around him darkened, then it was as if sparks of flame scattered - he, like a puppy, flew upside down into the bamboo a curtain blocking the moonlight.

18

In the hut, a young shepherd was weaving straw sandals by the light of an oil lamp. Hearing rustling noises at the door, he froze for a moment, listening. At that moment, from behind the bamboo curtain there was a smell of the coolness of the night, and a man fell backwards onto a pile of straw.

Cold with fear, the shepherd, sitting as he was on the floor, cast a timid glance at the almost torn curtain. There, blocking the entrance like a mountain, stood an angry Susanoo. Turning pale as a corpse, the shepherd began to scour his cramped home with his eyes. Susanoo stepped towards him furiously and stared at his face with hatred.

Hey! I thought you said you gave my jasper to a girl? - he said with annoyance in his voice.

The shepherd remained silent.

Why did she end up on this man’s neck?

Susanoo cast a burning glance at the handsome young man. He lay with his eyes closed on the straw - he either lost consciousness or died.

So you lied about giving her the jasper?

No, I didn't lie. This is true! Is it true! - the shepherd screamed desperately. - I handed over, but... not pearl jasper, but coral.

Why did you do this?

These words struck the confused shepherd like thunder. And he, willy-nilly, confessed to Susanoo how, on the advice of a handsome young man, he exchanged pearl jasper for coral and received a black horse in addition. An inexpressible anger rose in Susanoo’s soul like a typhoon, I wanted to scream and cry.

And you gave her someone else's jasper?

Yes, I did, but... - The shepherd hesitated hesitantly. “I did, but the girl... That’s just the way she is... said: “The ugly raven fell in love with the white swan. I won’t accept this...”

The shepherd did not have time to finish - he was knocked down by a kick, and Susanoo's huge fist fell on his head. At that moment, a clay bowl with burning oil fell, and the straw scattered on the floor instantly burst into flames. The fire burned the shepherd's hairy shins; he jumped up with a cry and, unconscious, crawled on all fours out of the hut.

The enraged Susanoo, like a wounded boar, fiercely rushed in pursuit, but the handsome young man lying under his feet jumped to his feet, pulled the sword out of its sheath like a madman and, standing on one knee, swung at Susanoo.

19

At the flash of the sword, Susanoo's long-dormant thirst for blood awoke. He instantly jumped up, jumped over the sword, immediately grabbed his sword from its sheath and, roaring like a bull, rushed at the enemy. Their swords flashed several times with a terrible whistle in the clouds of smoke, striking bright sparks that hurt the eyes.

Of course, the handsome young man was not a dangerous opponent for Susanoo. Susanoo swung his wide sword and brought his enemy closer to death with each blow. He had already raised his sword above his head in order to cut it with a single stroke, when suddenly an earthenware jug quickly flew towards him. Fortunately, it did not hit the target, but fell at his feet and broke into pieces. Continuing to fight, Susanoo raised his angry eyes and quickly looked around the house. In front of the mat-covered back entrance, raising a huge barrel above his head, stood a shepherd who had escaped at the beginning of the fight, with eyes red from rage - he wanted to save his partner from danger.

Susanoo again roared like a bull, and, putting all his strength into his sword, wanted to strike the shepherd on the crown of his head before he threw a barrel at him, but a huge barrel, whistling in the fiery air, fell on his head. His vision darkened, he swayed like a flagpole in a strong wind, and almost fell. Meanwhile, his enemy came to his senses and, throwing back the bamboo curtain that was on fire, slipped away into the quiet spring night with a sword in his hand.

Susanoo, clenching his teeth, stood still. When he opened his eyes, there had been no one in the hut, shrouded in fire and smoke, for a long time.

Engulfed in flames, Susanoo staggered out of the hut. The street, illuminated by the moonlight and the fire of the flaming roof, was as bright as day. As soon as it got dark, several figures ran out of people’s houses. Seeing Susanoo with a sword in his hand, they immediately made a noise and shouted: “Susanoo! Susanoo! He stood for a while, absentmindedly listening to their screams, and in his hardened soul, almost driving him crazy, the confusion raged more and more violently.

The crowd on the street grew, and the shouts became more and more angry and threatening: “Death to the arsonist! Death to the thief! Death of Susanoo!

20

At this time, on a green mountain, behind the village, an old man with a long furrow was sitting under an elm tree and admiring the moon, which stood right in the middle of the sky.

And suddenly, from the village below, fire smoke began to rise in a stream straight into the windless sky. The old man saw sparks of flame flying upward along with the smoke, but continued to sit, hugging his knees and humming a cheerful song. His face was impassive. Soon the village began to buzz like a torn up beehive. The noise gradually increased, loud screams were heard - apparently a fight had started there. This seemed strange even to the imperturbable old man. Frowning his white eyebrows, he rose with difficulty and, putting his palm to his ear, began to listen to the unexpected noise in the village.

That's how! It seems that the ringing of swords can be heard! - he whispered and, stretching out, began to look at the smoke of the fire and the sparks scattered in the sky.

Some time later, people who had apparently fled from the village climbed up the mountain, breathing heavily. The children were unkempt, the girls were in hastily dressed kimonos with turned-up hems and collars - probably straight from their beds - the bent old men and women could barely stand on their feet. Having climbed the mountain, they stopped and, as if by agreement, looked back at the fire that was scorching the night sky, illuminated by the moon. Finally, one of them noticed an old man standing under an elm tree and approached him with caution. And then the crowd of weak people seemed to exhale: “Omoikane no mikoto! Omoikane no mikoto!” A girl in a kimono open on her chest - even at night you could see how beautiful she was - shouted: “Uncle!” - and lightly, like a bird, jumped up to the old man, who turned to the cry. Hugging the girl clinging to him with one arm, the old man, still frowning, asked, not addressing anyone:

What does this noise mean?

They say that Susanoo suddenly took it and went berserk,” an old woman with erased features answered instead of the girl.

How! Is Susanoo going berserk?

Yes. They wanted to grab him, but his friends stood up for him. And such a fight began that we had not seen for many years.

Omoikane no Mikoto looked thoughtfully at the smoke of the fire rising above the village, and then at the girl. Her face, with its strands tangled at the temples, was transparently pale. Maybe because the moon was shining?

Playing with fire is dangerous. I'm not just talking about Susanoo. It's dangerous to play with fire...

A sorrowful smile slipped across the old man’s wrinkled face and, looking at the growing fire, he stroked the silently trembling girl’s head, as if comforting her.

21

The battle in the village continued until the morning. But Susanoo's companions were finished. All of them, along with Susanoo, were captured. People who harbored malice towards Susanoo now played with him like a ball, mocked and mocked him. They beat and kicked Susanoo, and he, rolling on the ground, howled like an angry bull. Both old and young offered to kill him, as they had long done with arsonists. And thus force him to atone for his guilt for the fire in the village. But the elders - Omoikane no Mikoto and Tajikarao no Mikoto did not agree to this. Tajikarao no Mikoto acknowledged Susanoo's grave guilt, but he had a weakness for his remarkable strength. Omoikane no Mikoto also did not want to kill the young man in vain. In general, he was a resolute opponent of murder.

For three days the villagers deliberated on how to punish Susanoo, but the elders did not change their minds. Then it was decided not to kill him, but to expel him from the country. But to untie the ropes and let him go in all four directions seemed too generous to them. They couldn't stand it. And then they plucked out all the hair from his beard and mercilessly, like stripping shells from stones, tore out the nails on his hands and feet. And having untied the ropes, they unleashed fierce hunting dogs on him. Bloodied, he almost on all fours, staggering, fled from the village.

On the second day, Susanoo crossed the ridges surrounding the Land of the High Sky. Climbing a steep rock at the top of the mountain, he looked down at the valley where his village lay, but through the thin white clouds he saw only the vague outlines of the plain. However, he sat on the rock for a long time, looking at the morning dawn. And, as once upon a time, the wind, flying from the valley, whispered to him: “Susanoo! What are you still looking for? Come after me! Follow me, Susanoo!

Finally he got up and began to slowly descend the mountain into an unknown country.

Meanwhile, the morning heat subsided and it began to rain. Susanoo was wearing only one kimono. The necklace and sword, of course, were taken away. The rain fell furiously on the exile. The wind blew at my sides, the wet hem of my kimono whipped over my bare legs. Gritting his teeth, he walked without raising his head.

There were only heavy stones underfoot. Black clouds covered the mountains and valleys. A terrible howl was now approaching, now moving away - either the roar of a storm coming through the clouds, or the sound of a mountain river. And in his soul the melancholy anger raged even more furiously.

22

Soon the stones underfoot were replaced by wet moss. The moss gave way to dense thickets of ferns, behind which grew tall bamboo. Unbeknownst to himself, Susanoo found himself in a forest that filled the womb of the mountain.

The forest reluctantly gave him way. The hurricane continued to rage, spruce branches and hemlock Hemlock is a coniferous tree. They made an annoying noise in the heights, dispersing the black clouds. Pushing the bamboo apart with his hands, he stubbornly went down. The bamboo, closing over his head, continuously lashed him with its wet leaves. The forest seemed to come to life, preventing him from moving forward.

And Susanoo kept walking and walking. Anger was seething in his soul, but the raging forest awakened in him some kind of violent joy. And, pushing aside the grass and vines with his chest, he let out loud cries, as if responding to a roaring storm.

By evening, his reckless advance was blocked by a mountain river. On the other side of the seething stream there was a sheer cliff. He walked along the stream and soon, in the splashes of water and streams of rain, he saw a thin suspension bridge made of wisteria branches, thrown to the other bank. In the steep cliff where the bridge led, several large caves were visible, from which the smoke of the hearths flowed. Without hesitation, he crossed the suspension bridge to the other side and looked into one of the caves. Two women were sitting by the fireplace. In the light of the fire they seemed to be colored red. One was an old woman who looked like a monkey. The other one looked still young. Seeing him, they screamed at once and rushed into the depths of the cave. Susanoo, instantly making sure that there were no men in the cave, boldly entered it and easily knocked down the old woman, pinning her to the ground with his knee.

The young woman quickly grabbed a knife from the wall and wanted to stab Susanoo in the chest, but he knocked the knife out of her hand. Then she pulled out her sword and attacked Susanoo again. But at that very moment the sword clanged on the stone floor. Susanoo picked it up, put the blade between his teeth and immediately broke it in half. Then he looked at the woman with a cold grin, as if challenging her to a fight.

The woman grabbed the ax and was about to attack him for the third time, but when she saw how easily he broke the sword, she threw the ax away and fell to the floor, begging for mercy.

I want to eat. “Prepare food,” he said, releasing the old woman who looked like a monkey. Then he walked over to the fireplace and sat calmly there, crossing his legs. Both women began to prepare food in silence.

23

The cave was spacious. Various weapons hung on the walls, and they all glittered in the light of the fireplace. The floor was covered with skins of deer and bears. And over all this there was some kind of pleasant sweetish aroma.

Meanwhile, the food was ripe. On the dishes and bowls in front of him were piled mountains of wild animal meat, fish, fruits of forest trees, and dried shellfish. A young woman brought a jug of sake and sat down by the fire to pour it for him. Now, close up, he examined her: the woman was pretty, fair-skinned, with thick hair.

He ate and drank like a beast. The dishes and bowls were quickly empty. She smiled like a child watching him eat his food. It was impossible to think that this was the same fierce woman who wanted to plunge the sword into him.

Having finished eating, he yawned widely and said:

So, I filled my belly. Now give me some clothes.

The woman brought a silk kimono from the depths of the cave. Susanoo had never seen such an elegant kimono with a woven pattern. Having changed his clothes, he grabbed a massive sword from the wall with one jerk, put it in his belt on the left side and sat down again by the fireplace, crossing his legs.

Would you like anything else? - the woman asked hesitantly, approaching him.

I'm waiting for the owner.

That's how! What for?

I want to fight with him so that they don’t say that I scared the women and stole all this.

Brushing away strands of hair from her forehead, the woman laughed cheerfully.

Then you don't have to wait. I am the owner of this cave.

Susanoo's eyes widened in surprise.

Are there any men here?

No one.

And in the neighboring caves?

My younger sisters live there in twos and threes.

He shook his head grimly. The light of the hearth, animal skins on the floor, swords on the walls - isn’t all this an obsession? And the young woman? A sparkling necklace, a sword in her belt - maybe this is the Mountain Maiden, hiding from people in a cave? But how wonderful it is, after long wanderings through a raging forest, to find yourself in a warm cave, where no dangers lurk!

Do you have many sisters?

Fifteen. The nurse followed them. They'll come soon.

Hm! When did the old woman who looked like a monkey disappear?

24

Susanoo sat with his hands wrapped around his knees, absentmindedly listening to the howling of the storm outside the cave walls. Throwing wood on the fireplace, the woman said:

My name is Oketsu-hime Hime is a prefix to the name of a woman of noble birth.. How about you?

Susanoo,” he answered.

Oketsu-hime raised her eyes in surprise and looked at this rude young man once again. She clearly liked his name.

So you lived there, over the mountains, in the Land of the High Sky?

He nodded silently.

They say it's a nice place.

At these words, the anger that had subsided again lit up in his eyes.

High Sky Country? Yes, this is a place where mice are stronger than boars.

Oketsu-hime grinned. Her beautiful teeth flashed brightly in the light of the fireplace.

What is the name of this country? - he asked coldly to change the topic of conversation.

She did not answer, looking intently at his powerful shoulders. He raised his eyebrows irritably and repeated his question. Oketsu-hime, as if having come to her senses, said with a playful grin in her eyes:

This country? This is a place where boars are stronger than mice.

Then a noise was heard at the entrance, and fifteen young women slowly entered the cave, as if they had not had to walk through the storm. They were all red-cheeked, with black hair tied high. After exchanging friendly greetings with Oketsu-hime, they unceremoniously sat down around the confused Susanoo. Bright necklaces, the shine of earrings in the ears, the rustle of clothes - all this filled the cave, and it immediately became crowded.

A cheerful feast began, which was so unusual to see in the dense mountains. At first, Susanoo, like a mute, did nothing but silently drain glass after glass, but then, getting drunk, he began to laugh loudly and talk. The cave was buzzing with the intoxicated voices of women - some played the koto, adorning themselves with jasper, some sang love songs with a glass in their hand.

Meanwhile, night came. The old woman threw logs into the fireplace and lit several oil lamps. In their bright, as if daylight, light, he, completely drunk, moved from the arms of one woman to the arms of another. Sixteen women snatched him from each other, luring him to different voices. Finally, Oketsu-hime, not paying attention to the sisters' anger, firmly captured him in her hands. And, forgetting about the storm, about the mountains, about the Land of the High Sky, he seemed to drown in the enchanting aroma that filled the cave. And only the old woman, who looked like a monkey, quietly huddled in a corner, looking at the dissipation of the drunken women with a sardonic grin.

25

It was deep night. Sometimes empty jugs and dishes fell to the floor with a clatter. The skins that covered the floor of the cave were completely wet from the sake flowing from the table. The women were dead drunk. Only senseless laughter or heavy sighs came out of their mouths.

The old woman stood up and extinguished the oil lamps one by one. Now the cave was illuminated only by the light of sour-smelling firebrands faintly smoldering in the hearth. And in this light, the bulky figure of Susanoo, exhausted by the embraces of women, dimly loomed.

Waking up the next morning, he saw that he was lying alone on a bed of skins and silk, arranged in the depths of the cave. Instead of sedge mats, the petals of peach flowers were fragrant underneath. The strange sweetish aroma that had filled the cave since yesterday turned out to be the aroma of peach flowers. For some time he lay there, sniffling and absentmindedly looking at the ceiling of the cave. The whole crazy night flashed before him like a dream. And an incomprehensible anger immediately overwhelmed him.

Cattle! - he groaned and quickly jumped out of bed. A cloud of peach petals shot up.

The old woman, as if nothing had happened, was preparing breakfast in the cave. Where did Oketsu-hime go? She was not visible. He hastily put on his shoes, put a massive sword in his belt and, not paying attention to the old woman’s greeting, resolutely walked out of the cave.

A light breeze immediately blew all the hops out of him. He looked at the refreshed treetops rustling on the other side of the mountain river. In the sky, above the forest, the sharp teeth of the mountains rose, as if covered with skin, whitish, like the fog that surrounded the mountains. The peaks of these huge mountains, already illuminated by the morning sun, looked down at him, as if silently mocking his yesterday's dissipation.

Looking at the forest and mountains, he suddenly thought with disgust, almost to the point of nausea, about the cave. Now it seemed to him that the fire of the hearth, and the sake from the jugs, and the peach flowers emitted a disgusting stench. And the women seemed to him like skeletons, decorated with rouge and powder to cover up their pernicious spirit. He took a deep breath and, drooping, headed towards the hanging bridge woven from wisteria branches.

But then a cheerful woman’s laughter clearly reached his ears, echoing in the quiet mountains. He involuntarily stopped and turned in the direction from which the laughter came.

Oketsu-hime, accompanied by fifteen sisters, walked along the narrow mountain path that ran near the caves, even more beautiful than yesterday. Noticing him, she immediately hurried to meet him, and the hem of her silk kimono, sparkling, fluttered as she walked.

Susanoo no Mikoto! Susanoo no Mikoto! - the women chirped like birds, surrounding him. Their voices shook the heart of Susanoo, who had already entered the bridge, and, amazed at his cowardice, for some reason he smiled and began to wait for their approach.

26

Since then, Susanoo, surrounded by sixteen women, began to lead a dissolute life in a cave similar to a spring forest.

The month flew by like a blink. He drank sake every day and fished in a mountain river. There was a waterfall in the upper reaches of the river. Peaches bloomed around him all year round. Every morning, women went to the waterfall to wash their skin in water filled with the aroma of blossoming peaches. Often he rose before sunrise and walked along the bamboo thicket to the distant upper reaches to wash his body with the women.

The majestic mountains and the forest beyond the river had now turned for him into dead nature, which had nothing in common with him. He no longer felt admiration, breathing in the air of the sad, quiet river valley at sunset. Moreover, he did not even notice this spiritual change in himself and calmly enjoyed illusory happiness, greeting every day with wine.

But one night, in a dream, he saw the Land of the High Sky from the mountain. It was illuminated by the sun, and the deep Quiet Heavenly River sparkled like a well-tempered sword.

Standing in the strong wind, he looked at the land below, and an inexpressible melancholy suddenly seized him. He cried loudly. The sobs woke him up, and he felt cold drops of tears on his cheek. Rising onto his bed, he looked around the cave, illuminated by the faint light of smoldering firebrands. Nearby, Oketsu-hime was breathing calmly, she smelled of wine. There was nothing unusual about Oketsu-hime sleeping nearby, but when he looked at her, he saw that she looked strangely like a dead old woman, although the features of her beautiful face had not changed.

Chatting his teeth, with fear and disgust, he carefully crawled out from the warm bed, quickly got dressed and stealthily, so that even the old woman who looked like a monkey would not notice him, slipped out of the cave.

At the bottom of the black night, only the noise of the mountain River was heard. Quickly crossing the hanging bridge, he dived like an animal into the bamboo thickets and began to make his way into the depths of the forest. The forest stood silent, the leaves on the trees did not rustle. The sparkle of the stars, the cold dew, the smell of moss - everything now radiated a strange charm.

He walked without looking back until dawn. The sunrise in the forest was beautiful. When the sky above the spruces and hemlocks flared with fiery colors, he shouted loudly several times, as if celebrating his liberation.

Soon the sun was already directly above the forest. Seeing mountain pigeons sitting on the treetops, he regretted not taking a bow and arrow. But there were many wild fruits in the forest, and he could satisfy his hunger.

Sunset found him sitting sadly on a steep cliff. Below, coniferous trees bristled with peaks. He sat on the edge of a cliff and admired the sun's disk plunging into the valley. Then he remembered the swords and axes hanging on the walls of the dimly lit cave. And it seemed to him that from somewhere, from behind the distant mountains, came the barely audible laughter of a woman. His heart was suddenly filled with melancholy confusion. Fixing his gaze on the twilight rocks and forests, he tried with all his might to overcome this confusion, but the memories of the smoldering hearth in the cave filled his heart like an invisible net.

27

A day later, Susanoo returned to the cave. The women did not seem to notice his flight. But not on purpose. Rather, they were simply indifferent to him. At first this tormented him, but after a month he plunged into a feeling of strange, serene happiness, similar to an endless intoxication.

The year passed like a dream.

One day the women brought a dog from somewhere and put it in a cave. It was a black male, the size of a calf. All of them, and especially Oketsu-hime, loved him as a person. At first, Susanoo threw fish and game from the table to the dog or, after getting drunk, jokingly wrestled with him, pretending to be a sumo. Sumo is the Japanese national wrestling.. It happened that the dog would knock him over, weakened from sake, with his front paws onto the floor. And then the women clapped their hands, cheerfully making fun of his helplessness.

They loved the dog more and more. Oketsu-hime now placed in front of the dog the same dish and jug of sake as in front of Susanoo. One day, Susanoo, frowning with displeasure, wanted to drive the dog away, but Oketsu-hime looked at him coldly with her beautiful eyes and reproached him for his self-will. Susanoo no longer had the courage to kill the dog. He feared Oketsu-hime's wrath. And he began to eat meat and drink sake next to the dog. And the dog, as if sensing his hostility, showed him his fangs every time he licked the dish.

And yet that was not so bad. One morning Susanoo followed the women to the waterfall as usual. Summer was approaching, peaches were still blooming in the valley, their flowers stood in dew. Spreading the thin bamboo with his hands, he wanted to go down to the bowl of the waterfall, where the fallen petals were floating, and suddenly his attention was attracted by a black dog in the streams of water. Snatching a sword from his belt, he wanted to kill the dog with one blow, but the women, blocking the dog, did not allow him to do this. Meanwhile, the dog jumped out of the bowl of the waterfall and, shaking itself off, ran into the cave.

Since then, during evening feasts, women no longer snatched Susanoo from each other, but a black dog. Drunk, Susanoo climbed into the far corner of the cave and cried drunken tears there all night. His heart was full of burning jealousy for the dog, but all the shame of this jealousy did not reach his consciousness.

One night, when he was sitting in the depths of the cave, cupping his face wet with tears in his hands, someone crept up to him and, hugging him with both arms, began to whisper words of love. He raised his head in surprise and peered into the man’s face, dimly lit by the fire of an oil lamp. And then he pushed him away with an angry cry. The man fell to the floor without any resistance with a quiet groan. It was the groan of an old woman who looked like a monkey, who couldn’t even straighten her back properly.

28

Pushing the old woman away, Susanoo jumped to his feet like a tiger. His tear-stained face was distorted with anger, and his heart was seething with jealousy, indignation and humiliation. Looking at the women who were playing with the dog in front of his eyes, he instantly pulled out his massive sword and rushed, unconscious, into the midst of the swarming bodies.

The dog instantly jumped up and thereby avoided the blow of his sword. The women grabbed Susanoo from both sides, trying to calm his anger, but he shook off their hands and again aimed at the dog, this time from below.

But the sword, instead of the dog, pierced the chest of Oketsu-hime, who remained to snatch the weapon from him. With a quiet groan, she fell backwards. The women ran away screaming in all directions. The sound of a falling lamp, the piercing howl of a dog, the sound of jugs and bowls breaking into pieces - the cave, usually filled with laughing voices, was thrown into chaos, as if a hurricane had come and mixed everything up.

For a moment Susanoo stood silently, not believing his eyes. Then, throwing away the sword, he grabbed his head with his hands and, with a painful cry, flew out of the cave, faster than an arrow fired from a bow.

The pale moon with a luminous crown around it emitted an ominous glow. The trees in the forest, sticking their dark branches into the sky, stood quietly, filling the valley, as if in anticipation of some kind of trouble. Susanoo ran, seeing nothing, hearing nothing. The bamboo, wet with dew, dropped moisture onto it and stretched out in endless waves, as if it wanted to absorb it forever. Sometimes a bird would fly out of the bamboo thickets and, its wings glowing faintly in the darkness, climb to the silent top of the tree...

Dawn found him on the shore of a large lake. It lay under a gloomy sky like a lead slab - not a single wave ran across its surface. The mountains surrounding him and the heavy summer greenery - everything seemed to him, who had barely come to his senses, filled with eternal melancholy, which nothing could overcome. Through the bamboo thickets he descended onto the dry sand and, sitting there, fixed his gaze on the dull surface of the water. Several grebes were swimming in the distance.

And then sadness came over him. In the Land of High Sky he had many enemies, but here he had only one dog. And, burying his face in his hands, he cried long and loudly, sitting on the sand.

Meanwhile, the color of the sky changed. Over the mountains piled on the other side, zigzag lightning flashed two or three times and thunder roared. He continued to cry while sitting on the shore. The wind rustled loudly in the bamboo thickets, mixed with raindrops. The lake immediately darkened and the waves began to rush noisily.

Thunder roared again. The mountains on the other side were covered with a shroud of rain, but the trees suddenly began to rustle, and the darkened lake began to brighten before our eyes. Susanoo raised his head. And then a terrible downpour fell from the sky like a waterfall.

29

The mountains were no longer visible. And the lake could barely be discerned in the clouds swirling above it. Only with a flash of lightning did the rearing waves in the distance become illuminated for a moment, and then a crack of thunder was heard, as if the sky was being torn apart.

Susanoo, soaked through, still did not leave the coastal sand. His heart was plunged into a dark abyss - darker than the sky above his head. He felt dissatisfied with himself because he was defiled. But now he didn’t even have the strength to somehow throw out his dissatisfaction - to commit suicide at once, smashing his head on a tree trunk or throwing himself into the lake. And all he could do was sit silently on the sand in the pouring rain, as if he had turned into a broken ship, meaninglessly rocking on the raging waves.

The sky became darker and the hurricane intensified. And suddenly a strange light purple light flashed before his eyes. The mountains, the clouds, the lake - everything seemed to float in the sky, and immediately there was a clap of thunder, as if the earth had opened up. He wanted to jump to his feet, but immediately fell to the sand. The rain mercilessly poured down on his body stretched out on the sand. He lay motionless, with his face buried in the sand.

A few hours later he woke up and slowly rose to his feet. Before him lay a quiet lake, smooth as butter. Clouds were still floating across the sky; and a stripe of light fell, like a long obi belt, on the mountains beyond the lake. And only where the light fell did bright, slightly yellowed green shine.

He looked absentmindedly at this peaceful nature. And the sky, and the trees, and the air after the rain - everything was fraught with a painful feeling of sad loneliness, familiar from old dreams.

“Something I forgot about is hiding in these mountains,” he thought, continuing to peer greedily into the lake. But no matter how much he appealed to the depths of memory, he could not remember what he had forgotten.

Meanwhile, the shadow of the cloud moved, and the sun illuminated the mountains that stood in their summer decoration. The greenery of the forests that filled the gorges between the mountains flashed beautifully in the sky above the lake. And then he felt his heart flutter strangely. Holding his breath, he listened eagerly. From behind the mountain ranges, the voices of nature, which he had forgotten, reached his ears, like a roll of voiceless thunder. He trembled with joy. The power of these voices overwhelmed him, and he fell on the sand and covered his ears with his hands, but nature continued to speak to him. And he had no choice but to listen to her silently.

The lake sparkling in the sun's rays responded vividly to these voices. And he, an insignificant man, sprawled on the coastal sand, either cried or laughed. The voices coming from behind the mountains, like waves invisible to the eye, continually rolled over him, indifferent to his joy and sadness.

30

Susanoo entered the waters of the lake and washed the dirt from his body. Then he lay down in the shade of a large spruce tree and for the first time in a long time fell into a refreshing sleep. And softly, like a bird’s feather falling from the depths of the summer sky, an amazing dream descended on him, whirling.

Dusk was approaching. A large old tree stretched its branches towards him.

A huge man came from somewhere. His face was not visible, but at first glance one could notice that he had a sword from Kom in his belt Koma is a province in ancient Korea., - the dragon’s head on the hilt gleamed dimly with gold.

The man took out his sword and easily stuck it up to the hilt into the base of a thick tree.

Susanoo couldn't help but admire his unusual strength. Then someone whispered in his ear: “This is Honoikazuchi no Mikoto Honoikazuta no Mikoto- god of fire and thunder.».

The huge man silently raised his hand and made a sign to him. Susanoo understood what he meant: “Take out your sword!” And then he suddenly woke up.

He stood up sleepily. The stars were already hanging above the tops of the fir trees, swaying slightly in the light breeze. The lake was dimly white, there was evening darkness all around, only the rustling of bamboo could be heard, and a light smell of moss hovered in the air. Thinking about the dream he had just seen, Susanoo slowly looked around.

The tree was undoubtedly broken by lightning during yesterday's storm. Branches and pine needles were strewn everywhere. As he came closer, he realized that his dream had come true - in the thickness of the tree a sword from Kom with a dragon’s head on the hilt stuck out up to the hilt.

Susanoo grabbed the handle with both hands, tensed, and with one jerk snatched the sword from the tree. From tip to guard, the sword shone with a cold shine, as if it had just been polished. “The gods are protecting me,” Susanoo thought, and his heart was filled with courage again. Kneeling under an old tree, he offered a prayer to the heavenly gods.

Then he walked back into the shade of the spruce tree and fell into a deep sleep. He slept like a log for three days and three nights.

Waking up, he went down to the lake to freshen up. The lake stood without moving, even small waves did not run onto the shore. His face was reflected in the water as clearly as in a mirror. It was the ugly face of a god, courageous in soul and body, the same as it was in the Land of the High Sky, only under the eyes, unknown when, wrinkles appeared - traces of the hardships experienced.

31

Since then, he wandered alone through different countries, crossed seas, crossed mountains, but in not a single country, not a single village did he want to stop his path. Although they were called by different names, the people who lived there were no better than those in the Land of High Sky. Without feeling longing for his land, he willingly shared their labor with them, but never once did he have the desire to stay with them and live to old age. “Susanoo! What are you looking for? Come after me! Come after me!" - the wind whispered to him, and he left.

So, in aimless wanderings, seven years have passed since he left the lake.

One summer he was sailing up the Hi-no-kawa River in the country of Izumo. Izumo was one of the political and religious centers of Japan in ancient times. Present-day Shimane Prefecture in western Honshu. and looked with boredom at the banks overgrown with thick reeds.

Tall pines were green above the reeds, and above their intertwined branches the peaks of gloomy mountains were visible in the summer haze. In the sky above the mountains, their wings dazzlingly sparkling, sometimes two or three herons flew past. A bright, frightening sadness reigned over the river.

Leaning against the side of the boat, he set it free of the waves and swam like that for a long time, inhaling with his whole chest the smell of pine resin soaked in the sun.

To Susanoo, accustomed to all kinds of adventures, this sad river seemed like an ordinary road, like one of the paths of the Land of the High Sky. She brought peace.

By evening the river became narrower, the reeds on the banks were thinner, and the gnarled roots of pine trees sadly protruded from the water mixed with mud. He began to peer more carefully at the shores, thinking about lodging for the night. Pine branches, hanging over the water, intertwined like iron wire, carefully hiding the mysterious world in the depths of the forest from human eyes. And yet, in some places, probably in those places where deer went to drink, rotten trees were visible in the twilight, covered with large red mushrooms, which made one feel eerie.

It was getting dark. And then Susanoo saw on the other bank, on a rock as thin as a screen, something similar to a sitting man. Until now he had not noticed any signs of human habitation on the river. Therefore, at first I thought that I had made a mistake, and even put my hand on the hilt of my sword, still leaning my back against the side of the boat.

Meanwhile, the boat, moving along the middle of the river, was getting closer and closer to the rock. And there was no longer any doubt that a man was sitting on the rock. Moreover, it was clear that this was a woman in a long white robe. Out of amazement, Susanoo even stood on the bow of the boat. And the boat with the sail inflated by the wind, moving under the lush pine branches darkening against the sky, came closer and closer to the rock.

32

Finally the boat approached the rock. Long pine branches hung from the cliff. Susanoo quickly lowered the sail and, grabbing a pine branch, rested his feet on the bottom of the boat. The boat, rocking strongly, touched the moss growing on the rock with its nose, and immediately moored.

The woman, not noticing his approach, sat on a rock and cried, bowing her head on her knees. Suddenly, probably sensing that someone was nearby, she raised her head and, seeing Susanoo in the boat, screamed loudly and rushed behind a thick pine tree that occupied half the rock, but Susanoo, grabbing the ledge of the rock with one hand, grabbed her tightly by the hem with the other kimono and said: “Wait!” The woman gave a short cry, fell and began to cry again.

Susanoo tied the boat to a pine branch and easily jumped onto the rock. Putting his hand on the woman's shoulder, he said:

Calm down. I won't harm you. I stopped my boat only because I wanted to know why you were crying and if something had happened.

The woman raised her face and looked fearfully at him, standing in the twilight that had descended over the water. And at that very moment he realized that the woman was beautiful with that sad beauty that occurs at the evening dawn and which can only be seen in a dream.

What's happened? Are you lost? Maybe you were kidnapped by a bad person?

The woman shook her head silently and childishly. Her necklace rustled quietly. He smiled involuntarily. But the next moment the woman’s cheeks flushed with shame, and she turned her newly moistened eyes to her knees.

Then... what? If you're in trouble, tell me, don't be shy. “I’ll do everything I can,” he said affectionately.

Then the woman dared and told him, stuttering, about her grief. It turned out that her father, Ashinatsuti, was the headman of a village in the upper reaches of the river. Recently, a pestilence attacked the residents of the village. Ashinatsuchi called the priestess and told her to ask the gods for advice. And the gods ordered to tell the villagers: if they do not sacrifice a girl from the village named Kushinada-hime to the Great Snake from Koshi, the entire village will die out within a month. Nothing to do. Ashinatsuchi equipped a boat with the young men from the village, brought Kushinada-hime to this rock and left her here alone.

33

Susanoo listened to Kushinada-hime's story, straightened up, proudly and cheerfully looked around the river, shrouded in twilight.

What kind of monster is this Big Snake from Kosi?

People say this is a huge snake, it has eight heads and eight tails, it lies in eight valleys.

That's how! Thank you for telling me about the Snake. I have long dreamed of meeting such a monster. And now I’ve heard your story and I feel how strength has surged within me.

Susanoo seemed careless to the girl; she raised her sad eyes to him and said worriedly:

What are you saying? The Big Snake could come at any minute.

“And I’m going to fight him,” Susanoo said firmly and, folding his arms on his chest, began to quietly walk along the rock.

But I told you: the Big Serpent is not an ordinary god...

So what?

He might hurt you...

What a disaster!

I have already gotten used to the idea that I will become his victim...

Do not say that.

He continued to walk along the rock, waving his arms, as if pushing away something invisible to the eye.

I will not give you as a sacrifice to the Great Serpent. It's a shame!

What if he turns out to be stronger?

Even if he is stronger, I will still fight him.

Kushinada-hime blushed and, playing with a mirror attached to her belt, quietly objected:

But the gods destined me to be a sacrifice to the Great Serpent...

Maybe. But if a sacrifice was needed, the gods would leave you here alone. Apparently, they wanted me to take the life of the Big Snake.

He stopped in front of Kushinada-hime, and the triumph of power seemed to overshadow his ugly features.

But the priestess said... - Kushinada-hime whispered barely audibly.

The priestess conveys the speeches of the gods, and does not solve their riddles.

At this time, two deer suddenly jumped out from under the dark pines on the other side of the river. Raising splashes, they rushed into the barely noticeable river and quickly swam alongside in their direction.

The deer are in a hurry... He is probably approaching... that terrible Snake.

And Kushinada-hime, like a madwoman, threw herself on Susanoo’s chest.

Without taking his eyes off the shore, Susanoo slowly placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. Before he had time to answer Kusinada-hime, a strong noise shook the pine forest on the opposite bank of the river and rose into the sky above the mountains, strewn with rare stars.

Otsutsuki Indra
Otsutsuki Hagoromo (anime only)
Uchiha Itachi
Uchiha Madara
Uchiha Sasuke
Uchiha Shisui (anime only)
Hatake Kakashi

Susanoo (須佐能乎 , "One who is able to help by all means") is a gigantic, humanoid-like creature composed of the user's chakra that surrounds them and can fight at their will. This is the strongest technique for holders of the Mangekyou Sharingan, after awakening Dojutsu in both eyes.

Attributes

Once Susanoo is activated, it forms around the user and becomes an extension of their will, acting and attacking on their behalf. Initially, Susanoo is attached to its user, just as the user is attached to him: in less developed forms, it will move with the user, and in more developed forms, the user actually merges with it and moves inside it. This connection allows Susanoo to protect its owner from physical attacks, and the higher it can evolve, the more difficult it becomes to overcome this defense. If damaged, Susanoo is unable to regenerate on its own and can only be restored by advancing to the next stage of development or by re-forming.

While Susanoo is quite effective as a defense, it is capable of discerning what it is blocking. For example, the user can use other Jutsu within the Susanoo, and any attacks will pass through it without complications. With the user's permission, other people can also be inside Susanoo, and the user, in turn, can also leave Susanoo's protective shell if he wishes. The latter quality can be used against him, since if the opponent is able to bypass Susanoo, he is able to pull the user out of the technique's range. With a high level of skill, Susanoo's defenses can be increased, as seen when A broke through the ribs of Sasuke's armor, but was unable to do the same with Madara's defense. Susanoo is only able to defend against physical attacks, leaving the user still vulnerable to both visual and auditory attacks. Additionally, without Susanoo's advanced legs, the user is still vulnerable to attacks from below.

When activated, Susanoo absorbs a large amount of the user's chakra. Uchiha Sasuke describes his sensations from using Susanoo as pain in every cell of his body, which intensifies over time at higher stages of the technique's development. As an ability of the Mangekyou Sharingan, it also places enormous strain on the wearer's eyes when used regularly. However, Susanoo does not require activation of the Mangekyo Sharingan to form. In addition, Madara Uchiha could use the technique without both eyes.

Education

Madara's Susanoo Ribs

As seen with Sasuke, Susanoo goes through several stages before it is fully developed as a warrior. Experienced users go through all the stages each time they create Susanoo, layering more advanced ones on top of earlier ones or, conversely, withdrawing them if necessary; they can stop development at any of these stages if they wish. In the first stage, it consists of a skeleton whose parts, such as ribs or arms, the user can use to protect themselves. Even though Sasuke describes his Susanoo as a defense superior to Gaara's sand, the warrior's bones can be destroyed. In the second stage, muscles and skin form on the skeleton, more parts of the warrior's body appear, and it completely surrounds the user. During these early stages, most often only the upper half of the Susanoo materializes, with the lower half and legs appearing only when humanoid form is achieved. However, not all Susanoo owners managed to achieve the latter.

Once the user gains full control of Susanoo, the warrior enters the third stage of his development. Armor appears around his body and he gains an arsenal of weapons, while it is almost impossible for opponents to inflict physical damage on the user, as they have to break through three layers. In addition, the warrior can be shrouded in other armor, which gives him the appearance Yamabushi. In the final stage, the user stabilizes the chakra that makes up Susanoo to form a colossal form known as Kanseitai - Susanoo (成体須佐能乎, "Complete Body - Susanoo"), the ultimate ability of the Mangekyou Sharingan. In this state it takes on the appearance Tengu, wings for levitation, as well as rich armor. The power of this form is comparable to Bijuu, capable of leveling giant mountains and, after strengthening with Rikudo's chakra, easily destroying small planetoids. In addition, the user can use other techniques through the Kanseitai - Susanoo, as well as envelop the Kyuubi with it, to increase offensive and defensive power.

Senjutsu Susanoo

Users are also able to combine the chakra that makes up Susanoo with chakra from other sources. Sasuke used chakra from Jūgo's Senninka to obtain Senjutsu Susanoo (仙術須佐能乎, "Hermit Susanoo Technique") with markings reminiscent of Ten no Juin. He later stores the chakra of the nine tailed beasts in his Susanoo, dramatically increasing its power, followed by lightning bolts emanating from his back.

Versions

Susanoo varies between users in color, design, and weaponry. However, some features are common to all as all Susanoo designs represent a deviation from the Tengu, such as having two pairs of arms that evolve into wings during the Kanseitai - Susanoo stage, and six fingers on each hand. All Susanoo wield at least one sword.

Uchiha Itachi

In its completed form, Sasuke's Susanoo has helmet features such as a long tengu nose, two spikes above each eye, a slit along the mouth, three holes on each cheek, and another on the chin. Thanks to the Rinnegan, Sasuke can use Susanoo's wings to block the light of the Mugen Tsukuyomi. Using the Bijuu's chakra, Sasuke is able to reduce the number of armor plates in the Susanoo armor, revealing the humanoid form underneath. In this form - Indra Susanoo (インドラ須佐能乎 , Indra's Susanoo") - Sasuke uses Chidori and Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu, and is also able to generate a sword.

Sasuke's Susanoo possesses a blade in all forms: a saber in the skeletal stage, odachi in humanoid form, which he uses with his secondary left arm, and a pair of katanas in his completed form. His main weapon, however, is a bow formed on the wrist of his left hand. The bow can be used for defensive purposes, a function that becomes more pronounced during its armed stage. The arrows are created from a sphere in the primary left hand, and are fired at high speed, due to which only Yakushi Kabuto in Sennin Modo was able to evade such an arrow. Arrows can be given new properties by creating them from black flame in armed form or from lightning in completed form.

Uchiha Madara

Otsutsuki Indra

Otsutsuki Hagoromo

Hatake Kakashi

Uchiha Shisui

In Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution, Shisui Uchiha was able to use Susanoo even after Danzo stole his right eye. His version is colored green and has a wide mouth with elongated fangs, rounded shoulders with blade-like appendages on them, as well as on the face and around the forearms. His main weapon is a drill-shaped spear in his right hand, which Shisui can envelop in flames, thereby creating fiery whirlwinds. It is also capable of releasing a volley of chakra needles. In Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, Shisui received an exclusive completed Susanoo, with two massive wings, a protruding tengu nose, and a large drill sword.

Influence

• Like other abilities of the Mangekyo Sharingan, the name of this one was also taken from Japanese mythology:

Takehaya Susanoo no Mikoto (“the valiant, swift, ardent god-man of Susa”) is the god of the wind, in Japanese mythology the last of the deities who emerged from the drops of water with which the world’s first male god, Izanagi, washed his nose after returning from yomi no kuni (land of the dead). It is believed that Susanoo was originally the god of storms and the water element, then the idea of ​​him appeared as the divine ancestor of the clans associated with Izumo. It is possible that several deities were united in his image, since Susanoo was also considered the deity of the land of the dead, in some myths he is the deity of fertility.

According to the Kojiki, Susanoo was born from drops of water that Izanagi washed his nose with. From his father, God took possession of the sea. However, Susanoo did not want to take over the reign and wanted to retire to the country of his mother, Ne-no katasu kuni. His weeping about this was so strong that it caused a drought throughout the world. Seeing this, the angry Izanagi expelled Susanoo. Before leaving the country, Susanoo decided to visit his sister, Amaterasu, to whom Izanagi had given heaven. In order to prove to her that he came in peace, he married her and from each other’s things, brother and sister gave birth to a number of gods. Then he first defecated in the goddess’s chambers, and then destroyed all the boundary signs. The goddess justified her brother's behavior. Then he stripped the piebald stallion from its tail and threw it into his sister’s weaving hall. The heavenly weavers, out of fear, pricked themselves with shuttles into secret places and died, and Amaterasu also got scared, became angry and hid in a cave, and the whole world plunged into darkness. After the gods managed to lure Amaterasu out, they forced Susanoo to fill a thousand tables with expiatory gifts, cut off his beard, tore out his nails and expelled him from heaven.

Having descended to the ground, Susanoo met an old man and an old woman - the gods Ashinazuchi and Tenazuti. They told Susanoo about their misfortune - they used to have eight daughters. However, every year the eight-headed snake Yamata no Orochi began to appear to them and devour one daughter at a time. Susanoo asked their last daughter, Kushinada-hime, to be his wife. For this he taught the old man and the old woman how to defeat the snake. To do this, they made eight barrels of sake and placed them inside a fence with eight gates. After drinking sake, the snake became drunk and fell asleep. At this time, Susanoo killed him. In the middle tail of the serpent he found the sword Tsumugari no Tachi, which he gave to Amaterasu. After this, he settled with his wife in the country of Izumo, in a place called Suga.

Susanoo ("One who is able to help by all means") is a gigantic, humanoid-like creature composed of the user's chakra that surrounds him and can fight at his will. This is the strongest technique for holders of the Mangekyou Sharingan, after awakening Dojutsu in both eyes.

Once Susanoo is activated, it forms around the user and becomes an extension of their will, acting and attacking on their behalf. Initially, Susanoo is attached to its user, just as the user is attached to him: in less developed forms, it will move with the user, and in more developed forms, the user actually merges with it and moves inside it. This connection allows Susanoo to protect its owner from physical attacks, and the higher it can evolve, the more difficult it becomes to overcome this defense. If damaged, Susanoo is unable to regenerate on its own and can only be restored by advancing to the next stage of development or by re-forming.

While Susanoo is quite effective as a defense, it is capable of discerning what it is blocking. For example, the user can use other Jutsu within the Susanoo, and any attacks will pass through it without complications. With the user's permission, other people can also be inside Susanoo, and the user, in turn, can also leave Susanoo's protective shell if he wishes. The latter quality can be used against himself, since if the enemy is able to bypass Susanoo, he is able to pull him out of the technique's range of action. With a high level of skill, Susanoo's defenses can be increased, as seen when A broke through the ribs of Sasuke's armor, but was unable to do the same with Madara's defense. Susanoo is only able to defend against physical attacks, leaving the user still vulnerable to both visual and auditory attacks.

When activated, Susanoo absorbs a large amount of the user's chakra. Uchiha Sasuke describes his sensations from using Susanoo as pain in every cell of his body, which intensifies over time at higher stages of the technique's development. As an ability of the Mangekyou Sharingan, it also places enormous strain on the wearer's eyes when used regularly. However, Susanoo does not require activation of the Mangekyo Sharingan to form. In addition, Madara Uchiha could use the technique without both eyes.

Regalia of the Japanese Emperors - bronze mirror Yata no Kagami, pendants made of precious stones (jasper) Yakasani no Magatama and sword Kusanagi-no-tsurugi. They symbolize wisdom, prosperity and courage respectively. According to Shinto tradition, the regalia was given by the goddess Amaterasu her grandson Ninigi no Mikoto, and they - his grandson Jimmu, the first emperor of Japan. The sacred relics of power, although the emperors received them from Amaterasu, were born thanks to brother Amaterasu, the god of the wind and the underworld Susanoo, or rather, because of the enmity of the goddess Amaterasu with her brother Susanoo.

Sun goddess Amaterasu and wind god Susanoo

Amaterasu(Amaterasu) - sun goddess, one of the main deities of the Japanese Shinto pantheon, legendary ancestress of the Japanese imperial family, first emperor Jimmu was her great-great-grandson. Amaterasu is revered as the inventor of rice cultivation, silk technology and the weaving loom. Tradition says that Amaterasu was born by the progenitor god Izanagi from drops of water with which he washed his left eye during cleansing. This is a bright goddess who rules the world, personifying the creative and constructive principle.

God of the wind and the underworld Susanoo

Susanoo- the god of the wind, in Japanese mythology the last of the deities who appeared from drops of water with which the first male god Izanagi in the world washed his right eye after returning from the land of the dead. It is believed that Susanoo was originally the god of storms and the water element, then the idea of ​​him appeared as the divine ancestor of the clans associated with Izumo. It is possible that several deities were united in his image, since Susanoo was also considered the deity of the land of the dead, in some myths he is the deity of fertility.
Amaterasu's feud with his brother Susanoo is described in several tales. In one of the legends, Susanoo behaved rudely towards Izanagi. Izanagi, tired of Susanoo's endless nagging, banished him to the underworld Yomi, the land of the dead. In the minds of the Japanese, this was the land of the night, the underworld. Susanoo reluctantly agreed, but not before going to the Takamanohara Heavenly Fields to say goodbye to his sister. Amaterasu was immediately filled with suspicion, because she did not believe in her brother’s good intentions and knew his character well. When Susanoo came to Amaterasu to say goodbye, the goddess did not believe him and demanded that a competition be held to test Susanoo's honesty. The god who can give life to more noble and godlike children wins. Amaterasu made three women from Susanoo's sword, and Susanoo made five men from her sister's chain. Amaterasu announced that since the chain belongs to her, then the men should also be attributed to her, that is, women are the creations of Susanoo. A strong quarrel occurred between Amaterasu and her brother Susanoo, who was distinguished by his unbridled character. Susanoo, wanting to make trouble for his sister, destroys irrigation structures in the fields cultivated by Amaterasu, broke a hole in the roof of the house in the sky where Amaterasu was engaged in embroidery along with her heavenly maids, and threw through this hole a heavenly pinto horse, from which he had previously flayed the skin.

Grotto Cave Ama no Iwato

Saddened, angry and frightened, Amaterasu took refuge in a grotto cave Ama no Iwato, the result of this was complete darkness in the world. All the gods begged Amaterasu to forget the grievances and return light to the world, but it was all in vain. The rest of the deities, alarmed by such an unusual phenomenon, gathered on the banks of the nearest river and began to think hard about how to lure her out of there. First, they made the roosters crow, hoping that the goddess would think that morning had come without her participation. When this did not help, they decided to lure the goddess Amaterasu out of the cave by cunning in order to restore light and order to the world again. This grotto, in which the goddess Amaterasu took refuge, has miraculously remained intact over all the past millennia. It is now open to tourists in the village of Iwato on the grounds of Amano Shrine.

Blacksmith Amatsumara

To lure the goddess out of the grotto, the heavenly blacksmith Amatsumara and goddess Ishikoridome making a sacred mirror - mi-kagami. Amatsumara(Ama-tsu-mara) is a celestial blacksmith who appears in Japanese mythology, but is not a deity. He was called to the aid of the gods to help lure Amaterasu out of the heavenly grotto. Amatsumara. The gods instructed him to make one of the magical objects with the help of which Amaterasu is lured out of the grotto. Apparently, Amatsumara has a prototype, this is a mountain hermit Taoist patriarch Zhang Daoling(Zhāng Dàolíng), who lived during the late Han Dynasty. Zhang Daoling is the founder of the Taoist School of Heavenly Masters, he founded the first regular Taoist religious community. It is believed that Zhang Daoling did not die, but ascended to Heaven, having previously passed it on to his son Zhang Heng relics - his seal, a jade mirror, two swords and sacred texts. The role of Amatsumara is not entirely clear; in other versions of the legend, the making of the mirror is entrusted to Ishikoridome alone, who performed the role of the blacksmith. Goddess Ishikoridome(Ishikoridome) - transsexual and transgender, that is, a man who is biologically female and at the same time a Shinto deity. Ishikoridome creates exquisite mirrors, which is why she is worshiped by mirror makers and stonemasons.

Sacred Sakaki Tree

When the bronze mirror was ready, it was placed on the ground next to the sacred tree. Sakaki, and on the branch of this tree, knowing that Amaterasu was curious, they hung a magic necklace magatama from carved jasper. Sakaki is a sacred tree of the Camelliaceae family, it is an evergreen plant symbolizing eternity. Sakaki branches are often offered as gifts to deities at Shinto shrines. According to Japanese mythology, the slopes of the heavenly Mount Kaguyama, the abode of the gods, are covered with thickets of sakaki. This sacred Shinto tree grows in Japan, Korea and mainland China, scientifically it is called Cleyera japonica(Japanese quince). The tree can reach a height of 10 meters, the leaves are up to 10 cm long, smooth, oval, and the small, fragrant, creamy white flowers open in early summer. Sakaki symbolizes eternity and is often used in Shinto rituals for purification and blessing. Branches of this tree in small vases can always be seen on both sides of the home altar kamidana. Also, twigs are one of the attributes (torimono) that miko priestesses use in temple kagura dances.

Goddess Uzume

The idea was this: as soon as the goddess looked out of her hiding place for a moment, it would seem to her that her rival had appeared in the heavens, and she would jump out of jealousy. This plan was good, but it did not force Amaterasu to open the door from the grotto. Then the resourceful goddess Uzume made herself a crown from sakaki leaves, a garter from some local variety of moss, armed herself with a spear from the stem of a miscanthus and danced a cheerful dance that was on the verge of a foul, that is, obscene and frivolous.

Goddess Uzume

Goddess Uzume is a shortened name for Ama no Uzume no Mikoto, she is also known as Okame, Otafuku, revered in Japan as the goddess of fun and laughter, she is the progenitor of traditional Japanese theater and even a sex symbol. The dance performed by Uzume is considered the prototype kagura- a musical and dance ritual that developed into a theatrical direction and gave birth to the traditional theatrical art of Japan. The memory of Okame is preserved not only in folklore, but continues to live on the stage of traditional Japanese theater; she is one of the most popular characters of the Kyogen theater, her role is associated with frivolity and sexuality. The goddess Uzume was often depicted in netsuke, she has chubby cheeks and a button nose. Goddess Uzume performed a sacred dance on an inverted vat, loosening the strings of her robe to a secret place, which caused thunderous laughter from the gods. This attracted the attention of Amaterasu, she was extremely worried about what kind of riot they had staged around her cave, leaned out the door, tried on the jasper and looked at herself in the mirror, light shone in the world again, Amaterasu was immediately grabbed by all the gods. They carried her to the river bank and begged her to never again deprive the world of her divine radiance. And Susanoo, in order to finally make peace with his sister, gave her a sword Kusanagi-no-tsurugi, found by him in the tail of the dragon he defeated.

There is another version of the legend. When Amaterasu hid in the grotto, the gods gathered in a house on the banks of the Sky River and began to discuss how best to convince Amaterasu to return to the world. The gods ordered to reflect Omoikane(Omoikane) about ways to lure the goddess out. In Japanese mythology, Omoikane is a reflective god, the son of the god Takamimusubi, who, on the orders of eight hundred myriads of gods gathered in the Yasunokawa Valley (Heavenly Calm River), reflects on which of the descendants of Amaterasu should be sent to rule the earth. It is he who names the names of the gods, who are sent one after another to take control of the country from God O-kuninushi.

Goddess Uzume dancing on a barrel

After much thought, Omoikane collected songbirds, the other gods made many musical instruments from deer leg bones and cherry bark, and welded the stars to the shape of a mirror. Yata no Kagami and made jewelry Yakasani no Magatama. When everything was ready, eight hundred myriads of gods descended to the entrance to the cave where the goddess was and organized a great show. On the upper branches of the Sakaki tree they hung a necklace and a mirror, everywhere one could hear the singing of the birds that Omoikane had brought, this was only a prelude to the subsequent action. The goddess Uzume took a spear in her hand, made herself a crown from sakaki leaves and danced a cheerful dance on a barrel.

Goddess Amaterasu emerges from the grotto