Izanami is the goddess who was the wife of the god Izanagi,
while also referred to as Izanami-no-Mikoto and Izanami-no-kami. Her name means
“she who invites”. Izanmai is the goddess of creation and death.
When Izanami and Izanagi decided to marry and to bring upon
new generations upon the earth, they created a ritual to celebrate. Their first
child was deformed and appeared in a shape like a leech, with this child associated
with the deity Hiruko on occasion. This deformity was supposedly caused by
Izanami crying out in delight when seeing Izanagi during their marriage
ceremony. So the marriage ceremony was attempted again with Izanami keeping
quiet, allowing for their next act of love to create the largest islands of
Japan. The bubbles which arose in the ocean further allowed smaller islands.
Izanagi and Izanami created other deities later on, of the sea, wind,
mountains, rivers, trees and rice.
Izanami eventually gave birth to a fire god, Kagutsuchi,
causing the death of Izanami. Izanami’s death put forth more deities from
Izanagi’s tears and Kagutuchi’s blood. When Izanagi went to the underworld Yomi
for Izanami, Izanami refused to return to the world of the living as she had
eaten the food of Yomi and could not return.
As Izanagi lit a torch, he saw Izanami’s rotting body, this
shocked Izanagi and he tried to leave Yomi. Izanami tried to keep Izanagi in
Yomi, but Izanagi announced that he shall divorce with Izanami. Izanami
protested by stating that she will take the lives of one thousand each day,
Izanagi replied he would give life to one thousand five hundred each day.
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