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Amaterasu And The Mirror

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Amaterasu and her brother Susanoo rarely agreed on any issues concerning the general well-being of Japan. Amaterasu valued hope and beauty and strived to impose these qualities on the people of her kingdom. Susanoo, on the other hand, was hasty in his actions and left a trail of chaos and noise wherever he ventured. Although the two deities often ran into great conflict, they seemed to have a bond that brought them together numerous times. One of these such occasions resulted in the conflict of Amaterasu and the mirror. Susanoo was on his way to Yomi-tsu, the land of the dead. There he would rule and be reunited with his mother, who had been living there since before Susanoo’s birth. Afraid to begin this adventure, Susanoo decided to go …show more content…

In fury and sorrow, Amaterasu hid in a cave tucked away in the corner of heaven and blocked the entrance with a boulder. With her absence, light disappeared from the Earth, and evil beings roamed as living creatures began to die. In order to restore peace, 800 gods gathered outside the cave to lure her out. They placed sacrificial jewels, clothing, and an octagonal mirror on a sakaki tree. The goddess Ama-no-Uzume decided to dance in front of the cave in an effort to speed up the process. The other gods burst into laughter at the sight. Curious as to how the gods could feel joy without her, Amaterasu peeked out of the cave. In doing so, she saw her reflection in the mirror and, amazed by her own beauty, ventured out of the cave. A rope was placed over the entrance to prevent her return to it. The Earth was once again bathed in light and Susanoo was banished from ever again visiting Amaterasu in heaven. Ever since, the mirror became a great symbol to represent Amaterasu. The magnificent god learned of her importance in heaven and never again left. When Amaterasu sent her grandson Ninigi to rule the people of Earth, she gave him this mirror to aid him in his quest. The mirror was then passed down through the generations. It now resides in Amaterasu’s temple in Japan, as it was brought there by the ancestors of Ninigi, who became the first Japanese

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Susano’o would frequently abuse his power and be destructive and impetuous, “destroying forests and mountains and killing local inhabitants down on Earth” (Cartwright). He is a supernatural force who possesses human characteristics like apathy and imprudence, displayed by his violent and uncaring actions. According to Anthony Mercatante and James Dow, authors of World Mythology and Legend: The Facts on File Encyclopedia, “Susano is both good and evil in Japanese mythology” (920). Susano’o expresses cunning intelligence and contradicting qualities by unapologetically disrespecting his sister, the sun goddess Amaterasu and then later during his exile aiding an elderly couple save their youngest daughter from the eight-headed serpent. His shrewd intellect is displayed more so in the second tale with the elderly couple and their daughter than the tales featuring Amaterasu.

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