[SECT. LXXXII.—EMPEROR KEI-KŌ (PART VII.—YAMATO-TAKE IS SENT TO SUBDUE THE EAST, AND VISITS HIS AUNT AT ISE).]

The Kojiki, translated by Basil Hall Chamberlain, [1919], at sacred-texts.com

p. 260

Then the Heavenly Sovereign again urged a command on His Augustness Yamato-take, saying: "Subdue and pacify the savage Deities and likewise the unsubmissive people of the twelve roads of the East;" ¹ and when he sent him off, joining to him Prince Mi-suki-tomo-mimi-take, ² ancestor of the Grandees of Kibi, ³ he bestowed on [210] him a holly-wood ⁴ spear eight fathoms [long]. So when he had received the [Imperial] command and started off, he went into the temple of the Great August Deity of Ise, and worshipped the Deity's court, ⁵ forthwith speaking to his aunt, Her Augustness Yamato-hime, saying: "It must surely be that the Heavenly Sovereign thinks ⁶ I may die quickly; for after sending me to smite the wicked people of the West, I am no sooner come up again [to the capital] than, without bestowing on me an army, he now sends me off afresh to pacify the wicked people of the twelve circuits of the East. Consequently I think that he certainly thinks I shall die quickly." When he departed with lamentations and tears, Her Augustness Yamato-hime bestowed on him the "Herb-Quelling-Sabre," ⁷ and likewise bestowed on him an august bag, ⁸ and said: "If there should be an emergency, open the mouth of the bag."

Footnotes

260:1 p. 260 See Sect. LXVI. Note 2.

260:2 Mi-suki-tomo-mini-take-hiko. Mi is an Honorific, mimi probably signifies "ears," and take means "bravo." The words suki and tomo are obscure.

260:3 Kibi na omi.

260:4 Properly the Olea aquifolium, which resembles holly. Motowori p. 261 supposes that an entirely wooden spear or stick is here meant to be spoken of, and not the weapon with a metal point which is commonly understood by the word "spear" (hoko).

260:5 Perhaps we should write "august court," for the characters in the text are evidently intended for the homonymous . The court in front of the Deity's temple is what is here alluded to, and it would perhaps be a not unpardonable departure from the text to insert the Preposition "at," or "in," and translate thus: "worshipped in the Deity's court."

260:6 Here and below, the word "thinks," may be understood to mean "wishes."

260:7 Kusa-nagi no tsurugi. The discovery of this sword by the deity Susa-no wo ("Impetuous Male") inside one of the tails of the eight-headed serpent which he had slain, is narrated at the end of Sect. XVIII.

260:8 The use of the contents of this bag will be seen in the next Section.