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SPEAKER_01: Hello. From Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this is Womanaka. This month we're talking about goddesses, mythical figures who've shaped culture, history, and imagination around the world. Today we're talking about a goddess who is the embodiment of the rising sun. As such, she's also the embodiment of Japan itself. Let's talk about Amaterasu. In the earliest days of the world, a man ran to a pristine pool of water. The stink and rot of death hung from him. This was Izanagi, the divine male god of creation, and he was desperate. Izanami, his counterpart, his wife, had died while giving birth to many of the spirits of the natural world, known as the kami. He'd followed her to Yomi, the land of the dead. He'd intended to revive her, but when he took one look at her rotting body, infested with demons, he'd frozen. Izanami had madly chased Izanagi up to the gates of death. He'd just barely escaped. Now, he was covered in filth. He cupped water in his hands and washed his left eye first. When he blinked, she was there. Not Izanami. A young woman, bright and glowing like the sun. She was Amaterasu. Next came Soku-yomi, the moon, from his right eye. And lastly, from his nose, came Susano, the storm god. These were the kami born of Izanagi's purification. They would be the perfect rulers for the world that he and Izanami had just created. As the firstborn, Amaterasu was the rightful ruler of the heavens. Amaterasu and Soku-yomi were married in order to rule the day and night. Though they were complete opposites, Amaterasu was brilliant and pure. The other kami loved her. She illuminated the world and brought out warmth. She also established order, moving the day forward, ushering in night and night. Moving the day forward, ushering in night time, and then pulling the curtain back each new morning. Soku-yomi, on the other hand, was not any of these things.
SPEAKER_01: If he had any goodness in him, it was only a reflection of his counterpart. For all of her brilliance, Amaterasu couldn't change Soku-yomi. He'd grown more and more dour. Eventually, Amaterasu banished him altogether. According to the mythology, that's why day and night are always separate. Amaterasu's familial issues didn't stop there. Susano, the youngest sibling, complained so often about Amaterasu getting all the power that Izanagi banished him. Before Susano left, he paid Amaterasu a visit and challenged her to a competition for old time's sake. He asked, who can create more goddesses? Amaterasu loaned her brother her necklace, the Grand Jewel, as a vessel while she used his sword. Amaterasu summoned three goddesses. Susano summoned five. He was quick to celebrate, and Amaterasu was quick to point out it was her necklace that had won the competition. Susano flew into a rage. Heaven and Earth trembled before the storm he devised. He tore up rice fields, tossed animals to the sky, and one of Amaterasu's personal servants died during the rampage. She was horrified by the anger she'd created and the tragedy it had brought. And so, Amaterasu fled. She took refuge in a cave and blocked the entrance with a giant rock. Without Amaterasu, darkness swallowed the world. So began the first winter, which went on for nearly a year. The Kami knew they had to bring the sun back out. She wouldn't listen to their requests, so they decided to pique her interest the only way they knew how. One day, Amaterasu heard loud shouting from beyond her cave, music and laughter. The Kami were having a party. She ventured to the mouth of the cave, where the sound was stronger. There, glittering with the light of her own reflection, was an eight-fold mirror. Fascinated, Amaterasu drew closer. And that's when one of the Kami drew back the boulder and let the sun shine over the land once again. The world was bathed in light. Amaterasu begged forgiveness and the Kami forgave her instantly. Her brother Susonoe was finally banished, though over time they reconciled and he gifted her with his sword, the heavenly blade. In this way, Amaterasu returned to her place as ruler of the heavens. Eventually, she sent her grandson, Nanegi, to rule the earthly realm. She sent him with three divine gifts, the eight-fold mirror, the grand jewel necklace, and the heavenly blade. These helped Nanegi to establish the Kingdom of Japan with himself as emperor. The Japanese imperial family traces its lineage back to Nanegi and back to Amaterasu as a sign of their divine right to rule. To this day, it's said that the imperial family houses Amaterasu's divine gifts, known as the Imperial Regalia of Japan. Their exact locations are kept secret. But it's thought that one piece is kept in one of Shinto's holiest shrines, the Ise Grand Shrine, which is dedicated to Amaterasu. Beyond the imperial family, Amaterasu is at the center of much of Shinto's spiritual life, Japan's native belief system. All month we're talking about goddesses. For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram, at Womanaka Podcast. Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. Talk to you tomorrow!
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