Kusanagi

草薙 The Kusanagi Sword

1 Source and/or Related Material

Kojiki, Nihon shoki, “Book of Swords” in Tale of the Heike

2 Author

Unknown

3 Repertoire

Hōshō

4 Synopsis

The Bishop Eshin (waki) goes on a pilgrimage to Atsuta Shrine in Owari Province and lectures for several days on the Supreme Victorious King Sutra (i.e., the Golden Light Sutra). A man and a woman who sell flowers (maeshite, maetsure) attend the lectures every day. When the priest inquires about their identities, they reveal that the man is the guardian deity of the sacred sword Kusanagi and the woman is a deity of longevity. They promise Eshin that they will reveal their true forms that night, then disappear. A shrine official (ai) comes to Eshin, and at Eshin’s request he tells the story of the sword. A while later, the deities Yamato Takeru (nochishite) and Lady Tachibana (nochitsure) appear to Eshin. Yamato Takeru relates his conquest of Eastern Japan with the sword Kusanagi, then extols the virtues of the Supreme Victorious King Sutra.