Shitateru-hime

Shitateru-hime is a Japanese goddess. She is the daughter of Tagori-hime, one of the three sisters worshipped at Munakata Taisha.  
Some stories say Shitateru-hime is the same as Takehazuchi-no-mikoto, while others say she is his wife.

 Shitori Shrine 
Shitori Shrine is an ancient shrine.  
People think it was first the family shrine of the , Kofun-period weavers who called Takehazuchi-no-mikoto their ancestor.  
However, shrine legends all focus on Shitateru-hime.  
They say she came by boat from Izumo. She lived on the mountain behind the shrine. After she died, her relatives buried her in a Kofun in the Shrine.

 Marriage 
The gods once sent Ame no Hohi down to earth, but he sent no news for three years.  
So they chose Ame no Wakahiko to rule the land.

Some tales say he is Ame no Hohi’s son, sent to look for his father.

Ame no Wakahiko met and married Shitateru-hime when he came to discuss the Kuni-yuzuri (handover of the land).

 Death of Ame no Wakahiko 
Eight years passed with no report.  
The gods sent a bird called Nakime to check on him.  
On a wise woman’s advice, Ame no Wakahiko shot the bird with his bow.  

The arrow flew up to heaven, where Takamimusubi threw it back. 

It struck Ame no Wakahiko while he was lying in bed and killed him.

Other versions state that Amaterasu was the one who shot the arrow back at him.

Shitateru-hime’s grief was so loud it reached the Plain of High Heaven.  
During the funeral she sang a song to honor her husband.

Related page

 Three Munakata goddesses

References

 Further reading 

 Jugon, Jean-Claude. "La romance du sentiment et de la pensée dans les légendes de Tanabata (Japon) et d’Éros-Psyché (Grèce), une interprétation transculturelle: «Oni» soit qui mal y pense! ". In: 論叢現代語・現代文化　2015 Vol.14　pp. 1-92. (in French)
 Nüffer, Laura. “Humans and Non-Humans: Animal Bridegrooms and Brides in Japanese Otogizōshi.” In: A Cultural History of Fairy Tales in the Age of the Marvelous. Edited by Suzanne Magnanini. London: Bloomsbury Academic Press, 2021. pp. 95-118.
 ITO, Yuko. "Origins and development of the two versions of "Ame no Wakahiko Soshi": a comparative study". In: 都留文科大学研究紀要 [The Tsuru University Review], Mar/2007, volume 65, pp. 258–241. https://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/110007055993/en/; . DOI: info:doi/10.34356/00000195 (in Japanese)
 Yasufuku, Junko. "The Tale of Ame no Wakahiko and the Psychic Development of the Feminine". In: Memoirs of Osaka Kyoiku University. IV, Education, pshychology, special education and physical culture, Osaka Kyoiku University, Feb/1995, volume 43, no. 2, pp. 251–258. . URL: https://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/110000119291/en/ (in Japanese)

Category:Kunitsukami