Dictionary Of God And Godedesses

146 Izanagi-No-KamiIzanagi-No-Kami (his augustness the onewho invites)Creator god. Shinto [Japan]. One of seventeenbeings involved in creation. His consort isIZANAMI-NO-KAMI. They are strictly of Japaneseorigin with no Chinese or Buddhist influence.Jointly they are responsible to the other fifteenprimordial deities to “make, consolidate and givebirth to this drifting land.” The reference, in theKojiki sacred text, is to the reed beds which wereconsidered to float on the primal waters. The pairwere granted a heavenly jeweled spear and theystood upon the floating bridge of heaven, stirringthe waters with the spear. When the spear waspulled up, the brine which dripped from it createdthe island of Onogoro, the first dry land, believedto be the island of Nu-Shima on the southerncoast of Awagi. According to mythology, the paircreated two beings, a son HIRUKO and an islandAhaji. They generated the remaining fourteenislands which make up Japan and then set aboutcreating the rest of the KAMI pantheon. Izanagi’smost significant offspring include AMATERASU,the sun goddess, born from his nose and SUSANO-WO, the storm god, born from his left eye, whoare the joint rulers of the universe. Also Izanagi-No-Mikoto.Izanami-No-Kami (her augustness the onewho invites)Creator goddess. Shinto [Japan]. See IZANAGI-NO-KAMI for full details. Izanami was burned todeath by the birth of the fire god HI-NO-KAGU-TSUCHI, after which the eight thunders sprangfrom her corpse. Also Izanami-No-Mikoto.IzquitecatlFertility god. Aztec (classical Mesoamerican)[Mexico]. One of the group classed as the Ometochtlicomplex personifying the maguey or agaveplant from which a potent drink called pulque isbrewed.