Amaterasu

Amaterasu's History

The earliest records of the worship of Amaterasu come from the Kojiki (c. 712 CE) and Nihon Shoki (c. 720 CE), which are considered the oldest records of Japanese history. According to Japanese mythology, Amaterasu was created by the divine couple Izanagi and Izanami, who created the universe. She was born from Izanagi's left eye when he was purifying himself after visiting the underworld. Amaterasu became the ruler of the sun and heavens, along with her brother Tsukuyomi as the ruler of the night, and her other brother Susanoo as the ruler of the seas.

Originally, Amaterasu shared the sky with Tsukuyomi, but they split when he killed the goddess of food which upset Amaterasu.

Amaterasu also had a long-standing rivalry with Susanoo. At one point he went on a destructive rampage in heaven, which angered Amaterasu and caused her to hide in a heavenly cave, plunging the earth into darkness. She was eventually persuaded to leave the cave. Susanoo was later banished from heaven as punishment. Amaterasu is considered the ancestral deity of the Japanese imperial family, as the records say the emperors descended from her grandson Ninigi.Her most important place of worship is the Grand Shrine of Ise in Mie Prefecture, where ceremonies are still held every 20 years to honor her and other deities.