Takehi-Nateru
Member of Izumo clan
Major cult centreWashinomiya Shrine [en]
Personal information
Parents
SiblingsAme no Wakahiko [en][6]

Takehi-Nateru [ja; simple; en:draft; fr] (建比良鳥命) is a Japanese god and son of Ame no Hohi [simple; en],[1][2][3][4][5] one of the five male kami (divine beings) born from a special event known as the "trial by pledge" between two major deities, Amaterasu and Susanoo. Ame no Hohi [simple; en] was sent to the Ashihara no Nakatsukuni [en; fr] (葦原の中つ国, The middle country of reed beds [en; simple]) to prepare for the Tenson korin [en].[1]

He is the ancestor of many prominent families in, Izumo, Musashi, Chiba, and Tsushima.[3][5] He started the Fire fesival of Izumo-taisha.[6]

Ame no Hohi's other son is Ame no Wakahiko [en].[6] He is also known by the name Ame-no-Hinadori [en; simple], contrary to popular belief that is not the name of an additional son.[1]

Takehi-Nateru, also known by several other names such as Takehiratori no Mikoto, Takehinatori no Mikoto, and Ame no Hinatori.[1]

Role in Mythology

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In the Kojiki, the oldest Japanese book, Takehi-Nateru is mentioned as an ancestor to the Izumo no Kuni no Miyatsuko. Both the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, narrate how Ame no Hohi [simple; en] was tasked with preparing the Ashihara no Nakatsukuni [en] (葦原の中つ国, The middle country of reed beds) but ultimately did not succeed in his mission.[1]

So Takehi-Nateru and Futsunushi [en; fr] went down to pacify Ashihara no Nakatsukuni [en]. They managed to subdue unruly deities and persuaded a prominent deity, Ōnamuchi, to leave the earthly realm. After their victory the heavenly grandchild Ninigi descended to the Earth and Takehi-Nateru became the ancestor of the Izumo no Kuni no Miyatsuko, who ruled Izumo Province.[1]

Legacy

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According to the Nihongi's account of Emperor Sujin, Takehi-Nateru descended from heaven with divine treasures.[6][1] These treasures were kept at Izumo-taisha and later handed over to the Emperor of Japan. However, this transfer led to conflicts among the Izumo, Furune, and Iiirine family branches, who were the keepers of these sacred items. Today, shrines in Izumo and Inaba honor Takehi-Nateru.[1]

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "Takehiratori | 國學院大學デジタルミュージアム". web.archive.org. 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Amenohohi | 國學院大學デジタルミュージアム". web.archive.org. 2023-06-05. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 "The Gods of Japan | Amaterasu-Ōkami 天照大御神 |Susanoo-no-Mikoto 須佐之男命". shintoshrines. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  4. 4.0 4.1 "More glimpses of unfamiliar Japan". Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 "英訳 出雲神話/English Translation Izumo Myths::2.天の安の河の誓約-出雲神話翻訳研究会/The Man From Izumo tells the Izumo-myths of the Kojiki" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Brown, Delmer M.; Hall, John Whitney; Brown, Delmer Myers; Press, Cambridge University; Jansen, Marius B.; McCullough, William H.; Shively, Donald H.; Yamamura, Kozo; Duus, Peter (1988). The Cambridge History of Japan. Cambridge University Press. p. 346. ISBN 978-0-521-22352-2.