Ōkuninushi
Also known as Ōkuninushi no kami, Ōnamuchi-no-Kami, Ōnamuchi, Ōanamuchi
Ōkuninushi (; historical orthography: , ), also known as Ō(a)namuchi (Oho(a)namuchi) or Ō(a)namochi (Oho(a)namochi) among other variants, is a kami (divine figure) in Japanese mythology. He is one of the central deities in the myth cycle recorded in the () and the (720) alongside the sun goddess Amaterasu and her brother, the wild god Susanoo, who is reckoned to be either Ōkuninushi's distant ancestor or father. In these texts, he is portrayed as the head of the kunitsukami (gods of the earth) and the original ruler of the lush terrestrial world, .
Key facts
- Deity.type
- Japanese
- Deity.name
- Ōkuninushi
- Deity.image
- MET DP137830.jpg
- Deity.caption
- Ōkuninushi, here portrayed as a wise old nobleman, with The White Hare of Inaba that he saved
- Deity.god_of
- God of nation-building, agriculture, medicine, and protective magic
- Deity.script_name
- Japanese
- Deity.script
- 大国主神
- Deity.other_names
- Ōanamuchi / Ōanamuji / Ōnamuji-no-Kami (大穴牟遅神) Ōnamuchi-no-Kami (大己貴神) Ōnamuchi-no-Mikoto (大己貴命, 大汝命) Ōanamochi-no-Mikoto (大穴持命) Ōnamochi-no-Kami (大名持神) Kunitsukuri Ōnamuchi-no-Mikoto (国作大己貴命) Ame-no-Shita-Tsukurashishi-Ōkami (所造天下大神) Ashihara-no-Shikoo (葦原色許男, 葦原醜男) Yachihoko-no-Kami (八千矛神, 八千戈神) Ōmononushi-no-Kami (大物主神) Ōkunitama-no-Kami (大国玉神) Utsushikunitama-no-Kami (宇都志国玉神, 顕国玉神) Kakuriyo-no-Ōkami (幽世大神) Daikoku-sama (大黒様, だいこくさま)
- Deity.cult_center
- Izumo Taisha, Ōmiwa Shrine and others
- Deity.color
- Black
Article
15 sectionsContents
- Name
- Genealogy
- Mythology
- In the ''Kojiki''
- The White Hare of Inaba
- Attempts on Ōnamuji's life
- Ōnamuji and Suseribime
- Ōkuninushi's affairs
- Ōkuninushi, Sukunabikona and Ōmononushi
- The transfer of the land (''Kuni-yuzuri'')
- Prince Homuchiwake
- See also
- References
- Bibliography
- External links
Ōkuninushi (; historical orthography: , ), also known as Ō(a)namuchi (Oho(a)namuchi) or Ō(a)namochi (Oho(a)namochi) among other variants, is a kami (divine figure) in Japanese mythology. He is one of the central deities in the myth cycle recorded in the () and the (720) alongside the sun goddess Amaterasu and her brother, the wild god Susanoo, who is reckoned to be either Ōkuninushi's distant ancestor or father. In these texts, he is portrayed as the head of the kunitsukami (gods of the earth) and the original ruler of the lush terrestrial world, .
In an event called the kuni-yuzuri, the amatsukami (heavenly deities), led by Amaterasu, demanded that Ōkuninushi relinquish his rule over the land. He agreed to their terms and withdrew into the , which was given to him to rule over in exchange.