Izanagi: A Creation

Myth from Japan

Lisa Stoneham and Jasmin Reyes

 Before the heavens and the earth came into existence,
all was chaos. The Earth was like a raw egg with
unimaginable limitless and without definite shape or
form, there was no definition between heaven and earth,
light and dark or male and female.
Then, all that existed within the egg whites, or all the
pure elements rose to the outside forming the heavens,
and the impure elements of the yolk congealed on the
inside, forming the dense and dark Earth.
From the ocean of chaos, arose a brother sister pair of
Gods called Izanagi and Izanami. They were given the
task of creating the world we live in.
Standing on a floating bridge in heaven, what they saw
below them was a world not condensed but what looked
Izanagi plunged a jewel crested spear into the ocean,
when it was pulled free, water that dripped from the
spear fell onto the earth and formed the first island of
Japan, the island of Onogoro.
 Later the gods married, Izanami soon gave birth to
eight lovely children, who became the islands of Japan.
Izanagi and Izanami then created many gods and
goddesses to represent the mountains, valleys,
waterfalls, streams, winds, trees, and all the
creatures of Japan.