Susanoo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Susanoo-no-Mikoto |
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| God of the sea and storms | |
Susanoo slaying the Yamata no Orochi, by Utagawa Kuniyoshi
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| Other names | Takehaya-Susanoo-no-Mikoto (建速須佐之男命) Haya-Susanoo-no-Mikoto (速須佐之男命, 速素戔嗚尊) Take-Susanoo-no-Mikoto (武素戔嗚尊) Kamu-Susanoo-no-Mikoto (速素戔嗚尊, 神須佐能袁命) Kushimikenu-no-Mikoto (櫛御気野命) |
| Japanese | 須佐之男命, 素戔嗚尊, 素盞嗚尊, 須佐乃袁尊, 須佐能乎命 |
| Major cult center | Susa Shrine, Yaegaki Shrine, Suga Shrine, Kumano Taisha, Susanoo Shrine, Hikawa Shrine, Yasaka Shrine, Hiromine Shrine, Tsushima Shrine |
| Texts | Kojiki, Nihon Shoki, Izumo Fudoki, Sendai Kuji Hongi |
| Personal information | |
| Consort | Kushinadahime, Kamu-Ōichihime, Samirahime |
| Children | Munakata goddesses, Ōtoshi, Ukanomitama and others |
| Parents | Izanagi (Kojiki) Izanagi and Izanami (Nihon Shoki) |
| Siblings | Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi and others |
Susanoo, (Japanese: 須佐之男命, Susa-no-O-no-Mikoto; also romanized as Susano'o, Susa-no-O, and Susanowo) in Shinto is the Kami of the sea and storms.
Susano'o is the brother of Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, and of Tsukuyomi, the god of the moon. All three were created from Izanagi, when he washed his face to clean the dirtiness of Yomi, the underworld. Amaterasu was born when Izanagi washed out his left eye, Tsukuyomi was born from the washing of the right eye, and Susano'o from the washing of the nose.
The tales tell of great rivalry between Susano'o and his sister. When he was to leave Heaven forever because Izanagi ordered him to, he went to say goodbye to his sister. Amaterasu, suspicious, proposed him a challenge: each of them was to turn an object of the other's into people. Amaterasu created three women from Susano'o's sword while he created five men from her necklace. Amaterasu said the men were hers because they were born of her necklace. Susano'o destroyed her rice fields, threw a dead pony into her loom, and killed one of her assistants in anger. For this, Amaterasu, sad, angry and scared, went to hide inside Ama-no-Iwato, the "heavenly rock cave", so the Sun was hidden and the world became dark for along time.
Amaterasu later was made to come out of the cave, but Susano'o was punished by being banished from Heaven. He came down to the province of Izumo, where he met an old couple. Seven of their eight daughters had been eaten by the eight-headed serpent Yamata-no-Orochi and it was about to come for the eighth, Kushi-inada-hime. After the couple promised their daughter's hand in marriage to Susano'o, he agreed to kill Orochi. With the help of eight bowls of sake (one for each head), Susano'o cut the head off the monster when it was sleeping.
From one of Orochi's tails, Susano'o took out a sword, which he called Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi ("Heaven's Cloud-Gathering Sword"), later known as the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. The sword was given to Amaterasu as a reconciliation gift and was later given to her descendant Ninigi (the great-grandfather of Emperor Jimmu), with the Yata-no-Kagami (a mirror) and magatama (sacred jewels) as proof of his divine right to rule on Earth (the three Imperial Regalia of Japan).
Izumo
Amaterasu's shrine is at Ise Shrine, and Susano'o's is in Izumo, where he came down to Earth when banished from heaven. Izumo is home to the oldest shrines in Japan.
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Mythic Texts and Folktales: |
Images for kids
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Susanoo slaying the Yamata no Orochi, by Kuniteru
See also
In Spanish: Susanoo para niños
