Himetataraisuzu-hime

The name "Himetataraisuhime" appears in Nihon Shoki, vol. 1, "Kamidaioki (Top)", and Kujiki, vols. 4 and 5, and in Nihon Shoki, vol. 3, "Emperor Jimmu", vol. 4, "Emperor Suizei", and Ikijimoto, vol. 7, "Ehimetataraisuhime".

There are several descriptions of her origin.

In the "Nihon Shoki", the "Kamishiroki", the "Jimmu", the "Suiyasu", and the "Sachiyo Kujimoto", it is said that Kotoshironushi was born to Tamakushihime, the daughter of "Mizokuhi" (Mizokui) of "Mishima". It also says that Kotoshironushi was transformed into a "Yatsuhirokuma Crocodile" at this time.

In the middle volume of Kojiki, she appears as "Tomitatara Isusukihime" and "Hiyotatara Isukeyorihime".

Seiyadatara-hime was known as a beautiful woman. Omononushi disguised himself as a tannin-painted arrow (a red arrow) and, aiming at the place where Seiyadatara-hime was taking a bowel movement, floated down from the upper reaches of the river and poked Seiyadatara-hime in the pubic region (hoto). Surprised, Seiyadatara-hime took the arrow and returned to her room, where it turned into a beautiful boy. The two were married and had a daughter. They married and had a daughter, whom they named Hotototara Isusukihime. Later, however, the daughter disliked the name "Hoto" and changed it to "Himetataraisukeyorihime".

According to the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan) and other sources, Iwarehiko (later Emperor Jimmu) left the Land of Himuka [Note 4]」and made an expedition to the east, and after many battles, established his government in the Yamato region[Note 5](Jimmu's eastern expedition). Iwarehiko built the Palace of Kashiwara (Kashihara City, Nara Prefecture) at the foot of Mount Unebi and ascended to the throne as the first emperor, Emperor Jimmu[Note 6]」

Prior to his accession to the throne, it was decided that the first emperor of Japan would receive a suitable consort, and Himetataraisuhime was chosen as his wife. According to the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan), the marriage of Himetataraisuhime to Emperor Jimmu (before his accession to the throne, to be precise) took place on September 24 (lunar calendar) of the year before his accession.[Note 7]. Emperor Jimmu ascended the throne in the New Year of the following year, and Himetataraisuhime became the empress at this time.[Note 8]

The "Kojiki" (Records of Ancient Matters) contains episodes related to the selection of a queen and marriage. (For details, see the story of Emperor Jimmu's wife question.

According to the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan), Emperor Jimmu died at the age of 127. Although there are differences in details, the Nihon Shoki and Kojiki describe a succession struggle that occurred among the children of Emperor Jimmu after his death (see Tegen-ear's Rebellion for details).

Iwarehiko (Emperor Jimmu) had married and had a child with Ohiratsuhime (Abira Hime) before he left for the eastern expedition from "Himuka Country[Note 9]. However, when Emperor Jimmu made Himetathalaisuhime the rightful empress, these children were reduced to the status of bastards. When Emperor Jimmu died, his bastard son, Tagishimi, wanted to succeed to the throne himself.[Note 10].

In the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters), Tagishimi took the widowed Himetathalaisuhime as his wife and tried to assassinate the legitimate children born to Emperor Jimmu and Himetathalaisuhime. Himetathalaisuhime, aware of this, is said to have written two waka poems and sent them to her children to warn them of her danger.[Kojiki 2].

The legitimate sons, who learned of Tagishimi's treasonous intentions through these allegorical songs, made the first move and defeated him. Kannuma Kawamimi-no-mikoto, who played the most active role, succeeded to the throne and ascended to the throne as the second emperor (Emperor Suizei). According to the "Nihon Shoki" (Chronicles of Japan), Himetataraisuhime took the title of "Empress Dowager" on New Year's Day 8 of the first year of Emperor Suiyasu.

Emperor Suizei welcomed Princess Isuzu Yoriyehime as his consort. Isuzu Yoriyoshihime was Himetataraisuhime's younger sister, and from the perspective of Emperor Suiyasu, she was his aunt. However, there are different versions of this story, with some claiming that the person who became the consort of Emperor Suiyasu was Kawamata Biyori and others claiming that the empress was Itoorihime.

Emperor Jimmu's children with him were, in order from oldest to youngest, Hikoyai-no-Mikoto, Kamuyaimimi-no-Mikoto, and Kannuma Kawamimi (Emperor Sui Yasushi).

Himetataraisuhime's mother, Tamagushihime (Seya-tara-hime), is said to have given birth to two other children.

• He is said to have had two other children. In the Sekaiyo Kouji Hongi, he is said to have served Emperor Jimmu and become "Shishoku Kokusei Daiyu" (Prime Minister).
• Isuzu Yoriyehime - sister of Himetataraisuhime. In Emperor Suizei, she is said to have become the empress of the second emperor, Emperor Suizei.

In the "Nihon Shoki" (Chronicles of Japan), the mother is said to be the daughter of Mishima Mizokuhi, although there are some differences in wording. "Mizokuhi is also written as 溝樴, 溝樴耳神, and 溝杙 in the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters), and as 湟咋, 溝杭 (Shinsen Seijiroku ), Mizokui (Shinsen Seijiroku), and other characters may also be applied. "In addition, there are some historical records that refer to him as Mimi-gami, suggesting that he was an object of worship as a divine being. In the genealogy of the Kamo clan, this deity is said to be the ancestor of the Kamo clan and the Katsuragi Kunizo. There is also a theory that the name of the deity is related to "Mishima" and that it is the same deity as Shogikona, who was the ancestor deity of the Mishima prefectures.

The place name "Mishima" is thought to be Settsu Province Mishima County (present-day northern Osaka Prefecture). The Enki Shiki Shinmeicho (927) lists Mishima Kamojinshya (Mishima-e, Takatsuki City) and Mizokuijinshya (Ibaraki, Osaka|Ibaraki City), suggesting that "Mizokuhi of Mishima" was worshipped in this area.[Note 14].

In the Edo period, Kokugaku Nencho Motoi interpreted this "mizo (groove)" to refer to a toilet built over a stream of water, and this has become a common theory. Eiichi Mitani and others have adopted this theory, and there is also a theory that the toilet is strongly related to birth rituals. Kazuo Higo (Professor Emeritus, Tokyo University of Education) disagreed, saying that "mizo" means a ditch in a paddy field. Masayuki Tsugita developed this theory, claiming that Mishima-gun was an ideal place for rice cultivation and that "Mizokuhi of Mishima" was a farming god.

Her mother's name is Tamakushihime in the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan) and Seya Datarahime in the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters). Both are said to have been known as beautiful women.[Shoki 5][Kojiki 3].

Noninaga Motoi compares Seiya to Yamato ProvinceHiragun-gun, Seinomura (Nara Prefecture Ikoma County Misato Town).

In both the Nihon-shoki and the Kojiki, Human-animal marriage is involved in the birth of Himetataraisuhime. The father deity visits the woman in the form of "Yahiro Wani" in the Nihon Shoki and "Tan-nuri no Ya" in the Kojiki. Thus, Himetataraisuhime is known as a representative example of a child from a different kind of marriage in Japanese mythology.[Note 15].

In Kojiki, she is said to be the daughter of Omononushi God.[Note 16]. His birthplace is Mount Miwa in the Yamato region, or Miwa.

This child was named Hottataraisukihime. She was said to have been beautiful like her mother. It is also said that she was a beautiful woman like her mother.

However, she disliked the word "hoto" and changed her name to Himetataraisukeyorihime.

The original name "Hottatara" was derived from a legend that her mother, Seiyadatara Hime, was poked in the pubic region with an arrow. Some interpret the name as a derivative of the word "stand", meaning "hottatara". It is said that the word "hoto" was later changed to "hime" in disgust. There is another theory that "Tatara" is a part of the name inherited from her mother, Seya Datara Hime. The word "isusuki" is said to mean "to walk away in surprise," which is paraphrased as "isuke.

On the other hand, there is an interpretation that the word "tatara" in the name suggests a connection with iron manufacturing, and there is a theory that the fact that Emperor Jimmu took Himetataraizu-hime as his wife symbolizes that the regime had seized iron manufacturing technology, an important technology at that time. For more details, see #Relationship with TATARA Iron Manufacturing.

There is a theory that "Isuzu" means "bell" and refers to the many bells that adorn the hands and feet, or that it suggests a connection with metalworking. There is another theory that the original name "isusuki" was corrupted into "isuzu.

There is also a theory that "yori" means "yoroshi," and that it refers to the flower of the lily, which blooms on the banks of the Sasaigawa River at the foot of Mount Miwa, the home of Himetataraisuzuhime (Isukeyorihime).