Editing Amaterasu (section)

====The Heavenly Rock Cave====
[[File:Origin of Iwato Kagura Dance Amaterasu by Toyokuni III (Kunisada) 1856.png|thumb|390x390px|Amaterasu emerges from the [[Amano-Iwato|Heavenly Rock Cave]], bringing sunlight back to the world (Triptych by [[Kunisada]])]]
[[File:Origin of the Cave Door Dance (Amaterasu) by Shunsai Toshimasa 1889.jpg|thumb|390px|''Origin of Music and Dance at the Rock Door'' by Shunsai Toshimasa, 1887]]
[[File:The Origin of Iwato Kagura Triptych (Amaterasu) by Utagawa Kunisada c1844.png|thumb|390px|The Origin of Iwato Kagura by Utagawa Kunisada, completed circa 1844]]
After Amaterasu hid herself in the cave, the gods, led by [[Omoikane (Shinto)|Omoikane]], the god of wisdom, conceived a plan to lure her out:

{{blockquote|[The gods] gathered together the [[Rooster|long-crying birds]] of Tokoyo and caused them to cry. (...) They uprooted by the very roots the flourishing ''[[Cleyera japonica|ma-sakaki]]'' trees of the mountain Ame-no-Kaguyama; to the upper branches they affixed long strings of myriad ''[[magatama]]'' beads; in the middle branches they hung [[Yata no Kagami|a large-dimensioned mirror]]; in the lower branches they suspended white ''nikite'' cloth and blue ''nikite'' cloth.<br />
These various objects were held in his hands by [[Futodama|Futotama-no-Mikoto]] as solemn offerings, and [[Ame-no-Koyane|Ame-no-Koyane-no-Mikoto]] intoned a solemn [[Norito|liturgy]].<br />
[[Ame-no-Tajikarao|Ame-no-Tajikarao-no-Kami]] stood concealed beside the door, while [[Ame-no-Uzume|Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto]] bound up her sleeves with a cord of heavenly ''hikage'' vine, tied around her head a head-band of the heavenly ''[[Trachelospermum asiaticum|masaki]]'' vine, bound together bundles of ''[[Sasa (plant)|sasa]]'' leaves to hold in her hands, and overturning a bucket before the heavenly rock-cave door, stamped resoundingly upon it. Then she became divinely possessed, exposed her breasts, and pushed her skirt-band down to her genitals.<br />
Then Takamanohara shook as the eight-hundred myriad deities laughed at once.<ref>Translation from {{cite book |last1=Philippi |first1=Donald L. |title=Kojiki |date=2015 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-1400878000 |pages=82–84}} Names and untranslated words (transcribed in [[Old Japanese]] in the original) have been changed into their modern equivalents.</ref>|author=|title=|source=}}

Inside the cave, Amaterasu is surprised that the gods should show such mirth in her absence. Ame-no-Uzume answered that they were celebrating because another god greater than her had appeared. Curious, Amaterasu slid the boulder blocking the cave's entrance and peeked out, at which Ame-no-Koyane and Futodama brought out the mirror (the [[Yata-no-Kagami]]) and held it before her. As Amaterasu, struck by her own reflection (apparently thinking it to be the other deity Ame-no-Uzume spoke of), approached the mirror, Ame-no-Tajikarao took her hand and pulled her out of the cave, which was then immediately sealed with a [[shimenawa|straw rope]], preventing her from going back inside. Thus was light restored to the world.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Philippi |first1=Donald L. |title=Kojiki |date=2015 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-1400878000 |pages=82–85}}</ref><ref>Chamberlain (1882). [http://sacred-texts.com/shi/kj/kj023.htm Section XVI.—The Door of the Heavenly Rock-Dwelling.]</ref><ref>{{cite wikisource |author-first= William George |author-last= Aston |chapter= Book I |wslink= Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697 |plaintitle= Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697 |year= 1896 |publisher= Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co.|wspage=42}}</ref>

As punishment for his unruly conduct, Susanoo was then driven out of Takamagahara by the other gods. Going down to earth, he arrived at the [[Izumo Province|land of Izumo]], where he killed the monstrous serpent [[Yamata no Orochi]] to rescue the goddess [[Kushinadahime]], whom he eventually married. From the serpent's carcass Susanoo found the sword Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi ({{Lang|ja|天叢雲剣}}, {{Gloss|Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven}}), also known as [[Kusanagi|Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi]] ({{Lang|ja|草薙剣}} {{Gloss|Grass-Cutting Sword}}), which he presented to Amaterasu as a reconciliatory gift.<ref name="ChamberlainXVII"/><ref>Chamberlain (1882). [http://sacred-texts.com/shi/kj/kj025.htm Section XVIII.—The Eight-Forked Serpent.]</ref><ref>{{cite wikisource |author-first= William George |author-last= Aston |chapter= Book I |wslink= Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697 |plaintitle= Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697 |year= 1896 |publisher= Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co.|wspages=45, 52}}</ref>