Ōgetsuhime

• • Affiliation: Shinto
  • Kami of: Iyo
  • Family: Otoshi (father?), Izanami (mother?), Izanagi (father?),  Ehime (sister), Takeyoriwake (brother), Iiyorohiko (brother)

Ōgetsuhime

Ōgetsuhime (大宣都比売) was one of the four kami of the Land of Groves according to the kojiki, residing in the East part of the island called ‘Awa’. As a female food kami she is reborn throughout the kojiki’s narrative to mimic the growing cycle.

Throught the narrative of the kojiki she is mentioned several times with different ancestory and stories attached to her.

As the daughter of Izanami and Izanagi she is born after the kami Torinoiwakusufune. Later in the text she is said to be a daughter of Ōtoshi.

Her longest appearance in the kojiki is when Susano-o asks for her help. He has been fined 1000 tables of food offerings for making his sister flee into the Sacred Rock Cave. She pulls food from her mouth, rear and nose and offers them up to help him. Susanoo-o thinking these items defiled kills her. From her dead body comes several types of food these being:

• • Head: Silkworms
  • Eyes: Rice
  • Nose: Red Beans
  • Privates: Barley
  • Rear: Soybeans

The kami Kamimusuhi then takes these items and plants them to ensure they grow and flourish.¹

The story of her death by Susano-o is told differently in the nihongi and relates to Tsukiyomi and Ukemochi.

Footnotes

1. Yasumaro. O, translated by Gustav Heldt. (2014) “Kojiki. An Account of Ancient Matters”. New York: Columbia University Press.

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