Amaterasu - The Sun Goddess & The Great Divinity Illuminating Heaven | Japanese Mythology Explained

As the central figure of the Shinto religion, the heaven shining Amaterasu is the ancestors by tradition of the imperial family of Japan. She has always been an important if not the most important kami in the Japanese spiritual life. Amaterasu is a glorious goddess and a personification of the rising sun, the queen of Shinto divinities for she rules over the high celestial plane, the domain of kami or spirits. Though she did not create a universe, she is nevertheless seen as the goddess of creation, a role inherited from her father but her first duty is that of a sun divinity. In this position, she doesn't only serve as the rising sun that shines upon all things but also provides energy to all living creatures. The sun represents order and purity, two of the most important concepts in Shintoism because all things from creation follow a specific order, which is equally reflected in the Japanese society. Through the illumination she provides, Amaterasu symbolizes not just order but the justice that maintains it as well. The sun goddess is often depicted as a beautiful woman with long hair holding a mirror. Roosters are associated with her and the raven Yatagarasu is believed to be the messenger of the goddess. The name Amaterasu comes from the verb Amateru which can be translated as to shine from heaven and this is the shorthand for Amaterasu Omikami meaning the great and glorious kami shining from heaven. Prior to the Meiji restoration when Shinto was not yet formalized, Amaterasu was significant across Japan. It was only after Shintoism was formally recognized as a state religion that the role of the sun goddess was solidified and the imperial family set once more as the head of the now-democratized Japan. Although the state of Shintoism was abolished after World War II, Amaterasu and the imperial family remain an important part of the Japanese spiritual life. Based on archaeological evidences, some people suppose that a prehistoric cult of the Stories about Amaterasu appear in the Kojiki and in the Onshoki and relate the mythological origins of the universe and the birth of Japan as an empire. Amaterasu is one of the three deities born from Izanagi's purification following his attempt to free Izanami from the land of the dead. She emerged from his left eye, full grown and glowing with sunlight. From the other eye came forth the shining Tsukuyomi who reflected the light of his sister. And the water that came out from his nose took the shape of Susanoo, the storm god and ruler of the seas. The most popular myth concerning Amaterasu is the one telling how she shut herself in a cave after an argument with Susanoo. The young god resented his elder sister because of her rights of ruling and openly questioned it. And as a result, when the rice fields were in the zenith of their glory, Susanoo would descend on earth with his terrific storms to destroy in an instant what the warming rays of the sun had spent months to accomplish. In the end, Susanoo was banished from heaven by their father. However, before leaving, he went to bid his sister farewell but this action was met with suspicion by Amaterasu, so a challenge was issued to prove his sincerity. As the challenge began, Susanoo took Amaterasu's necklace as she took his sword. They used these artifacts to create more divinities. Amaterasu produced three goddesses from the sword, while Susanoo made five male gods from the necklace of the sun goddess. And because the necklace was hers, Amaterasu won the contest. Outraged by this result, Susanoo went berserk, destroying much of heaven and earth. Ashamed for the actions of her brother, she ran away, shut herself in a cave and refused to come out for a long time. As a consequence for her disappearance, humanity was cast into total darkness. Evil spirits roamed the world and thus began the first winter. The other kami's of the pantheon looked down upon humanity. After seeing how chaotic the world has become, they decided to bring back the sun goddess. They tried all manners of ways to persuade the goddess to leave the cave but nothing worked. To this end, a party was thrown to drive her out with curiosity. It all worked when the goddess Amenozume performed a revealing dance, as the music plus the joyous laughter of the gods did her attention. Curious of such commotion, Amaterasu walked towards the entrance of the cave and slid the boulder on the side, just wide enough to have a look but to her surprise she discovered a mirror. Fascinated by the light of her stunning reflection, she got even closer then a deity forcefully pulled her out from the cave. The light of the sun re-entered the world, winter ended and spring brought life back to Japan. Because of what her disappearance had caused, Amaterasu begged for forgiveness of her actions which was freely given. The banishment of Susanoo was carried out and the sun goddess returned to her place in heaven. She later forgave her brother after receiving the grass-cutting sword Kusanagi as a gift. Amaterasu married her brother Tsukuyomi but he didn't have the natural glowing disposition of his sister because whatever goodness he had was merely a reflection of her own light. She ultimately rejected the moon god for killing the goddess of food, Ukemochi, in disgust of her actions during his visit on earth. This act was so upsetting to Amaterasu that he made her split away from the moon, thus separating the night from the day for eternity. In time, Amaterasu sent her grandson Inegi to rule the earthly realm after her own sun declined the offer. The goddess gave to her grandson items in order to build a kingdom of justice and harmony, among which the Yata no Kagami, the mirror that was used to lure Amaterasu from the heavenly cave she shut herself in. The grand jewel Yasakani no Magatama, which is a beaded necklace common during the prehistoric Japanese period prior to the 4th century. And finally the grass-cutting sword Kusanagi no Tsurugi, also known as Amenomurakumo no Tsurugi, the heavenly sword of gathering clouds. Altogether these relics were known as the three emblems of Ninigi's power and became the imperial regalia of Japan. Many years later, Ninigi's great-grandson, the Emperor Jimmu who founded the state in 660 BCE became the first emperor of Japan and ruled with the sacred treasures as a sign of his divine lineage. The belief of possessing these relics that came from Amaterasu herself allowed the Japanese imperial family to claim divine ancestry and so gives them the divine authority to rule the country. They have long served as the power of any political entity and have always used this position to ensure Amaterasu's place as the queen of heaven and her control as shown in their rule. Therefore, the earthly court system and justice they represent are reflections of Amaterasu's divine justice. Though she herself is not the goddess of justice but merely its final arbiter, she maintains harmony and balance in both the natural world and the human society. The Ise Grand Shrine commonly known as Jingu is not only the most significant shrine history-wise in Japan but also the official shrine of the imperial family dedicated to the goddess Amaterasu. This temple houses the imperial regalia and was an important location of pilgrimage during the Edo period. Because Amaterasu has the highest position within the pantheon, there has been a debate about her influence to women's positions within the society suggesting that the early rulers in Japan were probably women. Amaterasu Mikami is the sun goddess in Japanese mythology. She is portrayed in the scriptures of Japan as the ruler of the heavenly realm and the mythical ancestoress of the imperial house of Japan because of her grandson. Along with her siblings, she is considered to be one of the three most precious children of creation. If you found this video on the sun goddess Amaterasu insightful, do leave me a word in the comment section down below and do share this video around. And as always, stay curious.