Ameno Koyane

• • Affiliation: Shinto
  • Kami of: –
  • Family: Kogotomusuhi (father) Nakatomi Clan

Ameno Koyane

Ameno Koyane (天児屋命, 天児屋根命) is a Shinto kami mentioned in both the kojiki and nihongi.¹²

This kami is claimed as the ancestor to the Nakatomi Clan¹, with the nihongi listing this kami’s father as Kogotomusuhi.²

We see them in the mythologies during the time that Amaterasu has fled into the Sacred Rock Cave of Heaven. In the kojiki, she is tasked, alongside of Ameno Futodama to undertake divination using the shoulder bones of stags from Mount Kagu.¹ The kojiki and nihongi together state that additionally Futodama and Koyane take a tree from Mount Kagu from which they hang a mirror, magatama, and prayer strips as part of the overall plan to coax Amaterasu out of the Rock Cave.¹² It is said that Koyane additionally offered up prayers at this time.¹

After Ameno Uzume dances in a lewd fashion, and Amaterasu finally is pulled from the cave Futodama and Koyane then take a sacred boundry rope which they pull tight telling Amaterasu she cannot return from where she came, blocking her from going back into the cave.¹²

Additionally the kojiki states that when Uzume began her dance, Amaterasu peeked a little from the Rock Cave wondering how people could be happy with her being in the cave. Futodama and Koyane are said to have said it is because there was a kami with them more beautiful than the Sun Goddess and then held a mirror infront of her face.¹

Alternative writings of the nihongi state she gives a liturgy when Amaterasu comes out of the cave, with another stating that she gives a liturgy before hand, setting up a tree to hangs mirrors made by Onokoridome.²

Footnotes

1. Yasumaro. O, translated by Gustav Heldt. (2014) “Kojiki. An Account of Ancient Matters”. New York: Columbia University Press.
2. Aston. W.G. (1896) “Nihongi Volume 1: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to AD697”. Tuttle Publishing.

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