EP3 Death of a Goddess

Show Notes for EP3 – Death of a Goddess.

Story Notes:

Izanami and Izanagi having made the island of Japan, turn to making Spirits.

Eventually Izanami gives birth to the Fire God – Kagutsuchi. Who, burning her as she gives birth to him, causes her to die.

Izanagi, angry the child killed his wife kills the Fire God with his Sword and venture into Yomi (the Underworld) to bring back his wife.

There, he finds she is decomposing, and disgusted by the sight of her flees. Izanami in her anger sends creatures to pursue him, however, Izanagi manages to flee.

Reaching the Tachibana river where he cleanses himself of the filth of Yomi.

Poem Notes:

Fujiwara no Yoshitaka lived between 954-974AD. He had a son at the age of 18 by the name of Yukinari, but Yoshitaka sadly died at the age of 20. The very same day as his twin brother.

Many of his poems can be found in waka anthologies. With his poem read today coming from the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, and goes as follows:

References

• Kodansha. (1993) ”Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia”. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd. 
• Louis Frederic, translated by Kathe Roth (2002) “Japan Encyclopedia”. London: Harvard University Press.  
• MacMillan, P. (2018) ”One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each: A Treasury of Classical Japanese Verse”. St. Ives: Penguin Classics.
• Aston. W.G. (1896) “Nihongi Volume 1: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to AD697”. Tuttle Publishing. 
• Suzuki, H. et al. (1997) ”Genshoku: Ogura Hyakunin Isshu”. Tokyo: Bun’eidō. 
• Yasumaro. O, translated by Gustav Heldt. (2014) “Kojiki. An Account of Ancient Matters”. New York: Columbia University Press. 

Featured Image: Izanami in Yomi from taringa.net

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