The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-16
GHOSTS AND GoBLlNs.
A Japanese Observation-Disclosures Of
Susanoo, the ST. George of Japan.


many other gods had tried their hands
at it, finally succeeded in creating the
dry land. Standing On the rainbow.
which is the flcating bridge of heaven
by which the gods pass to and fro. he
plunged his fishing spear, tipped win
coral into inc depths of the sea, and
brought up with it the island of Cc,waji
With his bride, lsanani, ne made the
tour of the new island afoot, he going
one way she another; when they met,
and Isanami did not awit until she
was spoken 80, but addressed her lord
out of her turn. he very properly in
sisted that they Should perform the
journey over again. The second zine
he spoke first, and proposed that from
Owa.ji as a starting point, they should
proceed to create the other islands of
Japan; which was done safely, and in
good order. Afterwards then Isanami
passed away and descended to the
underworld her loving husband TO-
lowed, but was obliged TO return with
out her. While purifying himself by
bathing in the sea. gods were ben
from every part of his body and from
each article of MS clothing Among
them, there were born from his eyes
the sun goddess and the moon god, and
from his breath of his nostrils the vio-
lent god of storms, Susanoc.
Hardly was he III existence When this
vehement divinity entered into a con-
test with HIS sister, the sun goddess.
Il am more powerful" said he, for 1
can send my soul OUT OF myself what
ever 1 WILL" Ana. with that, he blew q
great breath, and his soul Went out
upon it, even in the presence OF the
goddess But she, without an effort,
breathed forth soul after soul. and
Susanoo had to acknowledge himself
conquered. He took an unmannercly re-
verge. by throwing the skin of d pie
bald horse over me bright loom at
which his sister sat weaving. with harp
and wool of llgf,-, the texture of the
SKY; and for lids and other misdee'ls
he was banisded from Geaven TO the
lfovince Of lzumo On the Ssc-my west
coast OF Japan.
The sun goddess was not wholly re-
assured by the punishment meted cut
to her unruly brother. She shut her
self up in q cave in Mount IwatO, and
suddenly the world became dark as
before she was created. The CdEler gods
got together in council. they
met, made speeches and voted in the
dry, gravelly bed of the steam of'iea-
ven Cthe milky way; and # was de-
cidei that the goddess iaust be tempted
back by music and dancing and pres
eTnts of fine clothes and jewelry Each
god contributed what he could accord
ing TO his ability; the carpenter god
built a palace, the goddess of merry
making sang and danced, and the
blacksmith god wrought a splendid
mirror of polished metal. But the sun
goddess would net stir from her cavern
until she was told THAT she was a god
dess outside even more resplendent
and beautiful than herself. CURIOSITY
and ptque then led her to open the
don OF rock a little, and when the MIR
rOr was held before her eyes and she
beheld her own glorious features re-
fected in IT, bewGdered and abashed,
thar it was another sun she
saw. she allowed herself to be drawn
forth by tine strongest of the gods.
Meanwhile, the banished Susaneo was
fame and a bride in the land
of Sell. AT the top of the mountain
ridge ifla,t runs al HE back OF lzuns0,
he fell in with family of earth-gods,
who were in arnCst distressing circum-
stances. They complained TO him of a
great eight-headed serpent who had al
ready devoured seven of their
daughters, and was about to come for
the eighth and last, and a. pretty young
goddess named Inada-
Like st. George in a similar case,
Susanoo calamity volunteered to fight
the reptile; but he stipulated that he
should have the lovely Inada for a
wife. This condition was joyfully ac-
ceded to by the young lady's parents;
and, advised by his future son-in-law,
the earthgod placed before the en-
trance to his stockade eight large jars
Of rice spirits, while Susanoo assisted
the princess to mount a high pinnacle
within, so that when the great serpent
came, each head should see her re-
1ected in one of the jars. This DONE
the storm god drew his sword, pres
INT from his father, Isanagi, and
calmly awaited the adversary.
He had not long TO wait. Soon the
appeared, his huge body trail
ng along over eight mountains, and
crushing down the forest trees like
grass. When he arrived before the
5tOckade he beloved, you may be sure,
with all his eight threats for the vic
i'm. who trembled or the pinnacle to
near him, while her father, rendered
brave by Susanoo's presence told the
serpent he would have to search for
Ter. That l WILL" said the serpent,
ind his 16 eyes soon lit upon the row of
airs. ''Aha!" cried the first head, here
she is, as it spied the charming image
n one of them. And here she is
igain," quoth the second, beholding her
more the merrier," cried all the eight
leads together as they plunged into
he liquor, and drank and drank until
he monster became an easy prey for
his enemy. Susanoo had but to stride
rom head to head and, with one good
blow of his good sword, severed each
rom the body. But he thought it Just
9 wei, by way CT precaC,foI, to cfloo
he serpent's head, also, in pieces.
AS he finished a hard days work by
'utting off the monsters tail. his
sword was dinted by some
hing harder than itself, which was
ocged in the serpent's flesh. 1t proved
o be another sword of wonderful tenn
Ter. Susanoo drew it out and held it
10 in token of the completion of his
'ictory; whereupon clouds gathered
Lbove lit, and for this reason its new
'Wner named it the Cloud Compeller.
t is said to be still preserved, along
With the Sun Goddess's mirror, among
he imperial regalia of Japan.
We may imagine the joy of the earth
'od and his wife, and the princess
NADIA. Susanoo. we are happy to add.
roved model husband. His first care.
n the very day after the destruction
f the serpent, was to build new
'alace for himself and his wife: a
alace which no mortal eye has seen:
or, wherever it may be, it is always /
creened and protected by an eight-foId |
frs' I Of Tick clouds tfu1is IKE high
II around it.
MANY people when a little consti