Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters)

O no Yasumaro (as recited by Hieda no Are) · 712

Overview

Three scrolls presented to Empress Genmei in 712. At Emperor Tenmu's command, Hieda no Are memorized the imperial genealogies and old tales, and O no Yasumaro set them down in writing. The first scroll covers the age of the gods, the second runs from Emperor Jimmu to Emperor Ojin, and the third from Emperor Nintoku to Empress Suiko. Its style mixes Chinese characters used for sound and for meaning to keep as much of the rhythm of spoken Japanese as possible, and it includes more than a hundred songs.

Background

In the late seventh century, Emperor Tenmu, victor of the Jinshin War, was building a centralized state under written law. He wanted to correct the conflicting genealogies and legends handed down by the great clans and to gather the origins of the imperial house into a single story. The work was finished two years after the capital moved to Heijo-kyo (Nara) in 710. It tells the origin of imperial rule for readers at home; at almost the same time, the Nihon Shoki was compiled as an official history for the eyes of other nations. Until the Middle Ages it was read far less than the Nihon Shoki, and it only came to be prized as a classic after Motoori Norinaga wrote his great commentary on it in the Edo period.

Highlights

  1. Gods with human faultsSusanoo, who wails and rampages in heaven, becomes a hero in Izumo when he kills the eight-headed serpent. The gods act on their joy, rage and grief without any disguise.Read “The Eight-Headed Serpent” →
  2. The Izumo cycleFrom the eight-headed serpent and the White Hare of Inaba to the ceding of the land, Izumo fills much of the first scroll. Read it as the story of the side that gave its land to Yamato, and it gains depth.Read “The Ceding of the Land” →
  3. The death of Yamato TakeruA prince resented by his father, sent off east and west on campaign with no rest, is struck down by the god of Mount Ibuki and, dying, sings his longing for home: "Yamato is the finest of lands." The high point of ancient heroic tales.Read “The Death of Yamato Takeru” →
  4. How places got their namesMany episodes end with "and that is why this place is called…". Read them alongside today's place names and you can see how the myths are rooted in the land.