Council of Shinto Cat Gods

Council of Shinto Cat Gods (神道猫神の協議会), is a pantheon separate to the Greek pantheon, the Council of Greek Cat Gods. They are the Shinto Gods (神道の神々) of Japan.

## History

### Birth of the Three Precious Children

Long ago, there are seven generations of primordial gods. The last generation, Izanagi and Izanami married each other and had a son, Kagutsuchi, which burnt his mother to death. His father decapacitated and chopped Kagutsuchi in eight pieces, forming mountains. Izanagi then bore three children: Goddess of Sun Amaterasu Ōmikami, who came out from Izanagi's left eye, God of Moon Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, who came out from Izanagi's right eye, and God of Storm Susanoo-no-Mikoto, who came out from Izanagi's nose. Izanagi then appoints Amaterasu to rule Takamagahara, Tsukuyomi the night, and Susanoo the seas.

### Death of Ukemochi

Amaterasu married Tsukuyomi and ruled the day and night together until a fateful day, where Amaterasu made Tsukuyomi to replace her and attend a party hosted by the Goddess of Food, Ukemochi. Tsukuyomi witnessed Ukemochi producing food by spitting them out and took out from her neural system. He was disgusted and slayed the goddess, greatly angering Amaterasu. Amaterasu was angry and wished to not see him again, while Tsukuyomi is ashamed of his deeds and stayed away from Amaterasu. Thus, Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi are separated forever, never to appear together again, which made the day and night phenomenon.

### Amaterasu's Trial against Susanoo

Before Susanoo leaves, he ascends to Takamagahara, wishing to say farewell to his sister Amaterasu. As he did so, the mountains and rivers shook and the land quaked. Amaterasu, suspicious of his motives, went out to meet him dressed in male clothing and clad in armor, but when Susanoo proposed a trial by pledge to prove his sincerity, she accepted. In the ritual, the two gods each chewed and spat out an object carried by the other.

Amaterasu broke Susanoo's ten-span sword into three, chewed them and then spat them out. Three goddesses, who are Takiribime (Tagorihime), Ichikishimahime, and Tagitsuhime – were thus born. Susanoo then took the strings of magatama beads Amaterasu entwined in her hair and round her wrists, likewise chewed the beads and spat them out. Five male deities, who are Ame-no-Oshihomimi, Ame-no-Hohi, Amatsuhikone, Ikutsuhikone, and Kumano-no-Kusubi – then came into existence.

### Susanoo's Exile

Amaterasu declares that the male deities were hers because they were born of her necklace, and that the three goddesses were Susanoo's. Susanoo, announcing that he had won the trial, thus signifying the purity of his intentions, "raged with victory" and proceeded to wreak havoc by destroying his sister's rice fields, defecating in her palace and flaying the 'heavenly piebald horse', which he then hurled at Amaterasu's loom, killing one of her weaving maidens. A furious Amaterasu in response hid inside the Ama-no-Iwato, plunging heaven and earth into total darkness. The gods, led by Omoikane-no-Kami, eventually persuade her to come out of the cave, restoring light to the world.

### Death of Ōgetsuhime

Susanoo asked the goddess of food, Ōgetsuhime-no-Kami, to give him something to eat. Upon finding out that the goddess produced foodstuffs from her mouth, nose, and rectum, a disgusted Susanoo killed her, at which various crops, plants and seeds spring from her dead body. This story is similar to the tale of Tsukuyomi and Ukemochi.

### Susanoo Slaying Yamata no Orochi

After his banishment, Susanoo came down from heaven to Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni, to the land of Izumo, where he met an elderly couple named Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi, who told him that seven of their eight daughters had been devoured by a monstrous serpent known as the Yamata no Orochi and it was nearing time for their eighth, Kushinadahime.

Sympathizing with their plight, Susanoo hid Kushinadahime by transforming her into a kushi comb, which he placed in his hair. He then made the serpent drunk on strong sake and then killed it as it lay in a drunken stupor. From within the serpent's tail Susanoo discovered the sword Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, also known as Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, which he then presented to Amaterasu as a reconciliatory gift.

Amaterasu later bequeathed the sword to Ninigi, her grandson by Ame-no-Oshihomimi, along with the mirror Yata no Kagami and the jewel Yasakani no Magatama. This sacred sword, mirror, and jewel collectively became the three Imperial Regalia of Japan.

### The Tale of Ōnamuji

A sixth-generation descendant of Susanoo, Ōnamuji-no-Kami, ends up in Ne-no-Kuni to escape his wicked elder brothers who make repeated attempts on his life. There he meets and falls in love with Susanoo's daughter Suseribime. Upon learning of their affair, Susanoo imposes four trials on Ōnamuji:

* Susanoo, upon inviting Ōnamuji to his dwelling, had him sleep in a chamber filled with snakes. Suseribime aided Ōnamuji by giving him a scarf that repelled the snakes.
* The following night, Susanoo had Ōnamuji sleep in another room full of centipedes and bees. Once again, Suseribime gave Ōnamuji a scarf that kept the insects at bay.
* Susanoo shot an arrow into a large plain and had Ōnamuji fetch it. As Ōnamuji was busy looking for the arrow, Susanoo set the field on fire. A field mouse showed Ōnamuji how to hide from the flames and gave him the arrow he was searching for.
* Susanoo, upon discovering that Ōnamuji had survived, summoned him back to his palace and had him pick the lice and centipedes from his hair. Using a mixture of red clay and nuts given to him by Suseribime, Ōnamuji pretended to chew and spit out the insects he was picking.

After Susanoo was lulled to sleep, Ōnamuji tied Susanoo's hair to the hall's rafters and blocked the door with an enormous boulder. Taking his new wife Suseribime as well as Susanoo's sword, *koto*, and bow and arrows with him, Ōnamuji thus fled the palace. The *koto* brushed against a tree as the two were fleeing; the sound awakens Susanoo, who, rising with a start, knocks his palace down around him. Susanoo then pursued them as far as the slopes of Yomotsu Hirasaka. As the two departed, Susanoo grudgingly gave his blessing to Ōnamuji, advising him to change his name to Ōkuninushi-no-Kami. Using the weapons he obtained from Susanoo, Ōkuninushi defeats his brothers and becomes the undisputed ruler of Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni.

## Members

* Three Precious Children
	+ Amaterasu
	+ Tsukuyomi
	+ Susanoo