Ōkuninushi

### Aliases

Ōkuninushi, Okuninushi, Onamuji, Daikokuten, Ōkuninushi-no-Kami, Master of the Great Land, Utsushikunitama-no-Kami, Spirit of the Living Land

### Affiliation

Kunitsukami, Japanese Myriad Alliance, Susanoo (father-in-law)

## Relatives

### Consorts

Yagamihime, Suseribime, Nunakawahime, Takiribime-no-Mikoto, Kamuyatatehime-no-Mikoto, Torimimi

### Offspring

Kinomata, Kotoshironushi, Take-minataka, Shitateruhime, Ajisukitakahikone

**Ōkuninushi** is the leader of the Kunistukami of Shintoism.

## Overview

Ōkuninushi is an extremely important Kami in Shintoism, typically representing the Kunitsukami as the Chief God. His major residence was of Izumo, an extremely old city in japan.

## Appearance

Ōkuninushi is usually depicted as a handsome young man with black hair tied up in two Chonmage on each side of his head. He wears a tipical regal kimono, though sometimes is depicted with armor.

## Personality

Ōkuninushi is often described as a romantic, often seen fauning over one of his wives. Ōkuninushi is well known for holding women in high regard, often to his detriment. He's known for being a very soft individual having a very calming aura, often telling jokes and focusing the conversation on the other person.

## History

### Origin

Ōkuninushi was born as Onamuji from two Kunitsukami royals, he was concidered to be the lowest rank of his 80 other brothers.

One day his parents sent him and his brothers to try and court Yagamihime of Inaba, however Onamuji was told not to court Yagamihime and was made to be the bag-carrier.

On the way there they found a still alive skinned hare on the beach side. Onamuji's brothers told the hare to jump into the salty sea as a devious prank causing the hare tremendous pain. As the brothers left, Onamuji asked what happened to the hare, the hare explained that it was stuck on an island and convinced a bunch of crocodiles to form a bridge, as it was crossing the last crocodile the hare gloated how it tricked them causing the crocodile to skin the hare with its teeth in anger. After the hare explained what happened to Onamuji, Onamuji told the hare to bathe in fresh water and then to roll around in pollen. The hare did as he was told resulting in the hare's skin growing back. The hare thankful towards Onamuji read his fortune and told him that he would wed Yagahime.

When the group finally reached Inaba, the brothers all tried to woo Yagahime but she rejected all of them. However inbetween each brother Onamuji talked to Yagahime, in these conversations Yagahime fell in love with Okuninushi. After all the brothers were rejected she announced to them that she would marry Onamuji.

His brothers furious that Onamuji gained Yagahime's hand in marriage, mudered Onamuji. Onamuji's mother pleaded with the heavens, bringing him back to life. Upon his revival his mother told him to flee his brothers and find the kami, Susanoo.

### Onamuji's Trials

Onamuji traveled the land before finding Susanoo in Yomi. As he went to Susanoo to ask for training, Onamuji met Susanoo's daughter: Suseribime. Onamuji and Suseribime quickly fell in love, Susanoo upon hearing this wanted to test Onamuji to see if he was fit to be his daughter's husband.

He first had to sleep with a mountain of snakes, then he had to sleep in a pile of bugs. After which Susanoo shot an arrow and asked Onamuji to fetch his arrow, as Onamuji was fetching the arrow Susanoo lit the field they were in on fire, however Onamuji survived. Susanoo then brought him back to his palace and asked him to eat the lice from his hair, Onamuji pretended to eat the lice with nuts that Suseribime gave him. Susanoo then fell asleep from the combing that Onamuji was doing to his hair, as he was asleep Onamuji tied his hair to the rafters of the palace before running away with Suseribime. Susanoo however quickly woke up and jumped up causing him to break the rafters of his palace leading to its collapse on top of him. Susanoo then chased the fleeing Onamuji to the gates of Yomi. Susanoo stopped Onamuji before giving him some of his weapons, confusing Onamuji. Susanoo then gave his blessing to Onamuji for him to marry Suseribime, deeming him a worthy husband. Before the two leave Yomi Susanoo gives Onamuji the name Ōkuninushi.

Upon returing to Earth, Ōkuninushi confronted his brothers. Ōkuninushi quickly dispacted his wicked brothers using the training and weapons from Susanoo.

### Creating the Land

As Ōkuninushi was resting on the beach of Izumo, a tiny boat washed onto the shore. When Ōkuninushi tried to speak to the tiny being in the boat, but the tiny being remains silent and bites him on the cheek. When leaving a toad told him to seek out the Kami of wisdom Kuebiko with the tiny being. As the two traveled, their relationship grew extremely close becoming akin to brotherhood. During their travels, Ōkuninushi shared his dream of uniting the world together in a lush and plentiful world. Upon hearing this Sukuna-hikona gave his unwavering loyalty to Ōkuninushi.

When they finally met Kuebiko, Kuebiko explained that the tiny beings name was Sukuna-hikona a decendent a foreign god.

Ōkuninushi then consulted the other Kunitsukami before creating the modern world with Sukuna-hikona.

### Kuni-yuzuri

As Ōkuninushi presided over the earth, the Amatsukami descided to take control of the Earth away from the Kunitsukami. Originally the Amatsukami sent three messengers to convince Ōkuninushi, each one however ended up befriending Ōkuninushi and refused to report back to the Amatsu, one of them named Wakahiko ended up falling in love with Ōkuninushi's daughter Shitateruhime. Eventually the Amatsu directly asked Ōkuninushi to hand over the Earth, distrusting of their motives Ōkuninushi refused to hand the Earth over causing the Amatsu to declare war on them. The war caused many casualties on both sides, however the deaths of Ōkuninushi's fellow Kunitsukami weighed heavily on him. Eventually after the battle between Ōkuninushi's son; Take-minataka and Take-mikazuchi almost resulted in his son's death, Ōkuninushi surrendered to the Amatsukami. Ōkuninushi then gathered the Kunitsukami and left earth to the Spirit world.

## Trivia

* Ōkuninushi is often conflated with Daikokuten, who is the budhist rendition of Shiva.