Evening star., 1942-06-11
Of Stars, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science PROGRESS
In Laboratory, Field
And Study
BIZ Thomas r. Henri.

Japan has its own Book OF Genesis.
1t Is a fantastic book which forms
the cornerstone Of much of the su-
periority complex of the japanese people.
This book. the Ko-Ji-Ki, according
to Smithsonian Institution anthropolo-
gists, tells Of the creation Of the world
and traces the ancestry not only of
the royal family but also Of the people
from supernatural beings.
1t Is the earliest work in Japanese
literature, completed about 712 AID.
Written in Chinese characters often en-
tirely inadequate to convey the mean
ings intended, the volume was the work
Of scribe Yasumaro assigned to the
the Empress Gemmio.
In the preceding reign, according to
the scribe's own account, the Emperor
had ordered one of his household, a
man Of remarkable memory, to men,
orize completely the legends on the
principal families. Yasumaro wrote
down the texts as this man repeated
them, years afterward.
The book is diffcult for the western
mind to follow and probably is not ac-
cepted very literally by the educated
classes in Japan itself. But it is the
authority on which they fall back, sub
consciously at least, to justify their
belief In the divinity of the Emperor
as the direct descendant OF the sun
goddess Amaterasu and their own su-
periority over the other races Of the
earth.
In the Smithsonian collections are
several copies OF this Japanese Genesis
which starts with a description Of the
creation of the world
The names OF the deities that were
born in the Plain of High Heaven when
the Heaven and Earth began were the
Deity Master oft the August Center of
Heaven, next the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
ing-Wondrous Deity. next the Divine
Producing Wondrous Deity.
These three deities were all deities
born alone. and hid their persons. The
names Of the deities that were born next
from thing that sprouted up like unto
a reed shoot when the earth, young and
like unto floating oil. drifted about Me-
dusa-like. were the Pleasant-Reed-
Shooting-Prince Elder Deity, next the
Heavenly notwithstanding Deity.
These two deities likewise were born
alone and hid their persons
The names OF the deities who were
born next were the Earthly Eternally-
Standing Deity, next the Luxuriant-
Integrating Master Deity. These two
likewise were born alone and hid their
persons.
The names Of the deities that were
born next were Mud -Earth-Lord. next
his younger sister Mud-Earth Lady,
next the German Integrating Deity
next the Elder of the Great Place. next
his younger sister Elder-Lady- of the
Great-Place, next the deity Perfect
Exterior, next his younger sister Oh
Aweful Lady. next the Male Who Invites,
next his younger sister Female-W Who
Invites.
"Hereupon all the heavenly deities
commanded the two deities, His August
ness Male Who Invites and Her August
ness Female Who Invites ordering them
to make, consolidate and give birth to
this drifting land. Granting them an
heavenly jeweled spear they thus deigned
to charge them
so the two deities, standing upon
the floating bridge of Heaven, pushed
down the jeweled spear and stirred
with IT. whereupon when they had
stirred the brine till 1T went curdle-
curdle and drew the spear up, the brine
that dripped down from the end of the
spear was piled up and became an
island. This is the island Of Onogoro."
Then the two gods descended to the
island they had created and gave birth
to children who were the various islands
Of Japan. After this they produced
various other gods such as Heavenly
August Sky Luxuriant Dragon Fly,
Lord-Youth, Earthly Dark Door, Heav-
enly-Bird Boat, etc. Female Who In
vites died in childbirth when she bore
Fire-Shining- Elder. the god OF fire
Male Who Invites wept for her and his
tears were mountains.
Still the earth was barren. Male
Who-Invites, still weeping for his bride,
followed her to Hades where, as the
Ko-Ji-Ki records it:
From the palace she raised the door
and came out to meet him. His August
ness spoke, saying: Thine Augustness,
my lovely younger sister, the lands
thou and I made are not yet finished
making, so come back
Then Her Augustness answered say
ing: Lamentabe indeed that thou
comest not sooner. I have eaten of
the furnace of Hades Nevertheless
as reverence the entry here of Thine
Augustness, my lovely elder brother,
I wish to return. I will discuss it par
ticularly with the deities of Hades'
Having thus spoken she went back
inside the palace and as she tarried
very long he could not wait So hav-
ing taken and broken of one OF the
end teeth of the close -toothed comb
stuck in the august left bunch Of his
hair, he lit one light and went in and
looked Maggots were swarming and
she was rotting, and in her head dwelt
the Great Thunder in her left hand
the Young Thunder, in her breast the
Fire Thunder. etc, altogether eight
thunder deities had been born and dwelt