Note 33 — Chapter XIX · Rival Deities of Life and Death, Sunshine and Storm

Then the eight hundred myriad deities took counsel, sitting in the bed of the River of Heaven, so as to plan how they could entice the sun-goddess from her hiding-place. They made the cocks (“the long-singing birds of eternal night”) to crow loud, they caused the Heavenly Smith to shape a mirror of iron (the “true metal”) from the Heavenly Metal-Mountains (the mines), and charged the Jewel-Ancestor (Tama-noya-no-mikoto) to make a complete string of five hundred curved jewels. A tree was then taken from the celestial Mount Kagu33 and on it were hung the mirror, the jewel, cherry bark, and other offerings. The ritual was recited, and thereafter Ama-no-Uzume (the Dread Celestial Female), wearing metal head-gear (flowers of gold and silver) and a sash of club-moss from the celestial mountain, and holding in her hands a posy of bamboo grass, danced on a tub34 until the eight hundred myriad deities laughed. Wondering to hear sounds of merriment, instead of sounds of woe, the sun-goddess opened the door of her cave a little and asked why they all laughed. She was told that the deities rejoiced because they had among them a more august goddess than herself.