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Suffering from the missing fishhook which Hikohohodemi-no-mikoto had borrowed from the elder brother, Honosurori-no-mikoto, he managed to strike a basketful of fishhooks with his precious sword in compensation for the lost one. The elder brother, however, never forgave the younger brother and blamed him more rigorously. The elder brother said to the younger brother, “I will accept nothing except for my own fishhook!”
The elder brother was so sorry that he returned the bow and arrows of his younger brother and asked him to give back his fishhook. Although he had already lost it, he could not look for and return it to him. Thus, he managed to strike a new fishhook for his elder brother. Honosurori-no-mikoto, however, rejected to accept it and pressed him to render the fishhook which he had lent him before. How ill-natured the elder brother was!
The eldest son Honosusori-no-mikoto was innate talent in fishing in sea and the younger son Hikohohodemi-no-mikoto was blessed with talent in gathering delicacies from land by nature. One day they agreed to exchange their tools but both of them could regrettably acquire nothing. Honosurori-no-mikoto has been called Umi-hiko and Hikohohodemi-no-mikoto Yama-hiko.
The story of the second volume of the age of Myth switches the subject from Ninigi-no-mikoto to the brothers of his son, the eldest son Honosusori-no-mikoto and the second son Hikohohodemi-no-mikoto. This subject was not only a trouble between the brothers, but also a contrast between land and sea. They were blessed with special skills in gathering delicacies from nature respectively.
Afterwards, Ninigi-no-mikoto left this world and went to the latent one. The editor of the Chronicle of Japan described that his mausoleum was located Mt. Ei of Himuka in the Tukushi. Judging from this description, it is certain that Ninigi-no-mikoto had inhabited in the north part of Kyuushuu at least in his last years.
According to the main text of the Chronicle of Japan, the eldest son was named Honosusori-no-mikoto, because he was born when in the blazing fire emitting smoke. He became the ancestor of the Hyato clan. The second son was named Hikohohodemi-no-mikoto when his mother kept away from the heat. And Ninigi-no-mikoto named the third son Honoakari-no-mikoto, who came to an ancestor of the Owari clan.
Taking Konohanasakuya-hime in marriage, Ninigi-no-mikoto had triplets of sons. By the way, Konohanasakuya-hime bore their three sons in a burning childbirth cabin without any exits. This meant an Ukehii, an ancient way of judgment. Before entering in the cabin, she swore an oath, “if father of these children be Ninigi-no-mikoto, they will be bore in safety even though this cabin will be enveloped in flames”.
今日は、新嘗祭の日です。ちゃぽちゃんも、今年実ったお米をお供えするのかな？
Ooyamatumi-no-kami said, “The reason why I had offered my two daughters to the descendant of the deities was that I wished that they should live perpetually as that the name of elderly daughter, Iwanaga, means eternity, and that they should thrive as that the name of younger daughter, Konohanasakuya, means full flower. As he sent Iwanaga-hime back to me, the descendants of the deities will live as long as flowers will”. Under this curse, the descendants of the deities came to be no less mortal than human-beings.
To the regret of Ninigi-no-mikoto, Iwanaga-hime was not as fair as her younger sister Konohanasakuya-hime. Therefore, he sent her back to her father, Ooyamatumi-no-kami, heartlessly. Ashamed of her returning and bearing a grudge against him, Ooyamatumi-no-kami called down a curse upon the descendants of the deities.
