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<title>Naruto References to Japanese Creation Myth</title>
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<publisher>Wikipedia.org</publisher>
<p>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kagu-tsuchi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_mythology#Kuniumi_and_Kamiumi</p>
<publisher>TVTropes.org</publisher>
<p>http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Myth/JapaneseMythology</p>
<publisher>Naruto.wikia.com</publisher>
<p>http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Narutopedia</p>
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<p>Naruto uses references from the Japanese creation myth to name their jutsus. Jutusus are the attacks
used in the series and relate back to the gods mentioned in the myth. I will cover how it does so by using
credible sources.</p>
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<person xml:id="pers_Kagutsuchi">
<persName>Kagutsuchi</persName>
<note>In the Japanese myth, Kagutsuchi is somewhat in reference to Amaterasu. Both Amaterasu and Kagutsuchi
are gods of fire. And so, in the anime Naruto: Shippuden, one of the main characters, Sasuke Uchiha is shown
to have the ability to manipulate the black flames of Amaterasu into various weapons. This is referred to as
Blaze release: Kagu-tsuchi, which refers to the fire god.</note>
</person>
<person xml:id="pers_amaterasu">
<persName>Amaterasu</persName>
<note>Amaterasu is a god in ancient Japanese mythology and the Shintō religion. Amaterasu is the goddess
of the Sun and ruler of heaven who came from the left eye of Izanagi after washing his face to purify
himself from escaping the underworld. So, in Nauruto, the anime series creators reference Amaterasu to
a jutsu that comes from the left eye. In the anime series, Amaterasu is said to be "the fires from hell"
and to burn as hot as the sun itself, clearly making reference to the Japanese creation myth.</note>
</person>
<person xml:id="pers_tsukuyomi">
<persName>Tsukuyomi</persName>
<note>Tsukuyomi is god of the moon and ruler of the night, and at times considered to be the god of time.
Tsukuyomi came from Izanagi's right eye. In Naruto, Tsukuyomi is a genjutsu and genjutsu is just
illusionary techniques to alter the perception of the passing of time, which makes clear reference to
Tsukuyomi being the god of time. Also, Tsukuyomi's literal english translation comes out to be
'Moon Reader' and is said to represent the "Spiritual World and Darkness."</note>
</person>
<person xml:id="pers_izanagi">
<persName>Izanagi</persName>
<note>In the creation myth, Izanagi is one of the first gods born, alongside his sister Izanami, who
happens to be his wife also. Together, both had many children, the first being the malformed fishing
god and the next eight being the islands of Japan. In Naruto, Izanagi is the most powerful genjutsu
(Illusion Technique) that is capable of altering destiny. What's interesting is that Izanagi is the
'creation of All Things Technique' which makes clear reference to Izanagi in the creation myth as he's
one of the two gods that created everything.</note>
</person>
<person xml:id="pers_izanami">
<persName>Izanami</persName>
<note>In the creation myth, Izanami is the sister and wife of Izanagi. But, Izanami dies giving birth to
the god of fire, Kagutsuchi (Amaterasu), and was sent to the underworld. Izanagi missed his wife and
went down to retrieve her on the condition that Izanagi wouldn't look at her until they reached the
surface. Stubborn Izanagi looked anyway and saw her ghastly, rotting figure and freaked out and rolled
a boulder in front of the entrance to escape his wife's wrath, and from that, their marriage parted ways.
In Naruto, on the other hand, Izanami is a genjutsu technique which affects the target through physical
sensations shared between them and the user to perfrom the illusion. Since Izanami and Izanagi form a pair,
Izanagi can alter destiny, and Izanami instead "decides" it.</note>
</person>
<person xml:id="pers_susanoo">
<persName>Susanoo</persName>
<note>In the creation myth, Susanoo came from the nose of Izangi after purifying himself from escaping the
underworld. Susanoo is the god of storms and ruler of the seas. In Naruto, Susanoo is a gigantic,
humanoid avatar made of the user's chakra (Aura in which characters can wield attacks) which
surrounds them and fights on their behalf. Susanoo's literal english translation is 'he with the
ability to help by all means' and an alternative name for Susanoo is the "Tempestuous God of Valour."</note>
</person>
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<p>In the beginning, there was darkness, stars, and an endless ocean. Amongst the first gods born were two siblings
named <persName ref="#pers_izanagi">Izanagi</persName>-no-Mikoto (male) and <persName ref="#pers_izanami">Izanami</persName>-no-Mikoto (female).
</p>
<p>Eventually, Izanagi washed his face in a stream, and from his left eye came <persName ref="#pers_amaterasu">Amaterasu</persName>-Oomikami,
goddess of the Sun and ruler of heaven; from his right eye came <persName ref="#pers_tsukuyomi">Tsukuyomi</persName>-no-Mikoto, god of the
Moon and ruler of the night; and from his nose came <persName ref="#pers_susanoo">Susanoo</persName>-no-Mikoto, god of storms and ruler of the seas.</p>
<p>As time passed, things were going well until Tsukuyomi went to a banquet in his sister's honor, which was hosted
by Uke Mochi, the goddess of food, who provided the feast by vomiting and/or defecating onto the table.
Tsukuyomi was sickened and offended by this so he killed her. Amaterasu was so upset by this that she vowed
never to look at Tsukuyomi again, running away whenever she saw him, which is why day and night are separate.
Clearly, poor Amaterasu had to put up with a lot of abuse from her brothers.</p>
<l>Also, here's another base text that relates back to jutsus used in Naruto, as well as some more history in the Japanese myth.</l>
<p>Japan's creation narrative can be divided into the birth of the deities (Kamiumi) and the birth of the land
(Kuniumi).The seventh and last generation of Kamiyonanayo were Izanagi no Mikoto ("Exalted Male") and Izanami
no Mikoto ("Exalted Female"), and they would be responsible for the creation of the Japanese archipelago
and would engender other deities. To help them to achieve this, Izanagi and Izanami were given a naginata
decorated with jewels, named Ame-no-nuboko ("Heavenly Jeweled Spear"). The two deities then went to the bridge
between heaven and earth, Amenoukihashi ("Floating Bridge of Heaven") and churned the sea below with the halberd.
Drops of salty water formed the island, Onogoro ("self-forming"). The deities descended from the bridge of heaven
and made their home on the island. Eventually, they fell in love and wished to mate. So they built a pillar
called Amenomihashira around which they built a palace called Yashirodono ("the hall whose area is 8 arms'
length squared"). Izanagi and Izanami circled the pillar in opposite directions, and when they met on the
other side, Izanami, the female deity, spoke first in greeting. Izanagi didn't think that this was proper,
but they mated anyway. They had two children, Hiruko ("leech child") and Awashima ("pale island"), but the
children were badly formed and are not considered gods in their original form. (Hiruko later became the
Japanese god, Ebisu.) The parents, who were dismayed at their misfortune, put the children into a boat and
sent them to sea, and then petitioned the other gods for an answer about what they had done wrong. They were
informed that Izanami's lack of manners was the reason for the defective births: a woman should never speak
prior to a man; the male deity should have spoken first in greeting during the ceremony. So Izanagi and
Izanami went around the pillar again, and this time, when they met, Izanagi spoke first. Their next union was
successful. Izanami died giving birth to <persName ref="#pers_Kagutsuchi">Kagutsuchi</persName> (incarnation of fire), also called Homusubi (causer of fire)
due to severe burns. She was then buried on Mount Hiba, at the border of the old provinces of Izumo and Hoki, near
modern-day Yasugi of Shimane Prefecture.</p>
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