Izanaki and Izanami (probably “the first man” and “the first woman”), in Japanese mythology, gods, the last of five generations of gods who are born in pairs (before them there were seven single gods who did not have gender). They are the first deities to have an appearance and be able to give birth to other gods. The highest heavenly gods, who appeared first during the separation of heaven and earth, instructed them to form the earth, which was in a liquid state and, like a jellyfish, rushed along the sea waves. Izanaki and Izanami immersed the spear granted to them by the gods into sea water and kneaded it, rotating the shaft. Drops of salt, falling from the raised spear, thickened and formed an island; called Onogorojima (“self-thickened”). Having landed on the island, Izanaki and Izanami turned it into the middle pillar of the earth and performed the marriage ceremony, walking around the pillar and pronouncing a love dialogue.
However, their offspring turned out to be unsuccessful: the first child was born without arms and legs, the second was born on the foam island of Awashima. The distressed spouses turned to the gods for advice and learned that the reason lay in the incorrect performance of the marriage ceremony: the goddess Izanami, a woman, was the first to pronounce the marriage words. The couple repeated the ritual, but now Izanaki spoke first. From their marriage the Japanese islands were born, and then the gods of the earth and roof, wind and sea, mountains and trees, plains and fogs in gorges and many others. The last to be born is the fire god Kaguiuchi. Emerging from his mother’s womb, he scorched him, and Izanami died - she retired to the kingdom of the dead. Grieving her death, Izanaki went to the underworld to fetch his wife, since the country “has not yet been settled.” After many misadventures in the kingdom of death, Izanaki fled from there and dissolved his marriage with Izanami, who became the goddess of the underworld. On earth, Izanaki performed a purification, during which many gods were born. The last to be born were three great deities: from the drops of water with which Izanaki washed his left eye, the sun goddess Amaterasu appeared, from the water that washed his right eye, the god of the night and moon Tsukuyomi, and, finally, from the water that washed Izanaki’s nose, the god of wind and water expanses Susanoo. Izanaki distributed his possessions between them: Amaterasu received the plain of the high sky, Tsukuyomi received the kingdom of the night, and Susanoo received the plain of the sea.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru