As far as the worlds which each of them were liken in the Japanese histories, Takama-no-hara was regarded as the heaven, Ashi-hara-no-naka-tu-kuni or Izumo as the earth and Wata-tumi-no-miya as the sea. However, it is to be regretted that we do not have well ground for identifying the three countries, Na, Ku-na and Tumo, with four notable countries, Takama-no-hara, Ashi-hara-no-naka-tu-kuni, Izumo and Wata-tumi-no-miya respectively.
Possibly, the editors of Japanese histories should have tried to write down the process of the integration among ancient tribes which had settled in Japan, particularly, three dominant countries, Na, Ku-na and Tumo, rather than to conceal the above-mentioned inconsistency.
Without the story of Umi-hiko and Yma-hiko, however, we could not sharply notice the inconsistency between the place where Oo-ana-muchi-no-mikoto had reigned and the place where Ninigi-no-mikoto had landed on. Would the intention of the editors of Japanese histories have been to conceal this disconformity?
Without the story of Umi-hiko and Yma-hiko, however, we could not sharply notice the inconsistency between the place where Oo-ana-muchi-no-mikoto had reigned and the place where Ninigi-no-mikoto had landed on. Would the intention of the editors of Japanese histories have been to conceal this disconformity?
The story of Hiko-hoho-demi-no-mikoto known as that of the brother of Umi-hiko and Yama-hiko seems to digress from the main line of the history both in the Chronicles of Japan and the Kojiki. The plot of this story is fantastic and moralistic rather than a mythology suggesting reality behind it.
Up to the present, there has been no authorized theory which explained the reason why the place where Nini-gi-no-mikoto landed is not Ashi-hara-no-naka-tu-kuni but Himuka and there was a chasm in time between the subjugation of Oo-ana-muchi-no-kami and the descending of Nini-gi-no-mikoto. It seems to have been related with the story of Hiko-hoho-demi-no-mikoto who traveled the sea paradise.
Now we remember that Ninigi-no-mikoto, who was grand-son both of Ama-terasu- oomikami in the paternal line and of Takami-musuhi-no-mikoto in the maternal line, landed on the summit of Mt. Taka-chiho of So in Himuka but not Ashi-hara-no-naka-tu-kuni, although Hutu-nushi-no-kamo and Take-mika-tuti-no-kami, the delegators from Takami-musuhi-no-kami, had subjugated Oo-ana-muchi-no-mikoto and Koto-shiro-nushi-no-mikoto.
This hypothesis may be supported by the fact that there is the difference between the description in the Chronicles of Japan and that of in the Kojiki. While the editor of the former said that Aji-suki-taka-hiko-ne-no-mikoto ascended upwards the heaven in order to attend at the funeral of his friend Ame-no-waka-hiko, the compiler of the latter described that it was on the earth where the funeral rite was held and that the father of Ame-no-waka-hiko descended downwards from the heaven. The position of each of them is reverse.
Considering these facts, we may point out that the certain tribe whose name included Tama was a third party taking middle position between the heaven, Takama-no-hara and the earth, Ashi-hara-no-naka-tu-kuni and connecting them with the common blood. They should have married both of members of Takama-no-hara and Ashi-hara-no-naka-tu-kuni.
The poem of Shita-teru-hime for Aji-suki-taka-hiko-ne-no-mikoto is as follows; on the heaven, waving maidens are wearing crystal necklaces. Look at how brilliant these crystal beads penetrated and linked with a cord. Like that, it is Aji-suki-taka-hiko-ne-no-mikoto who can cross from one valley to another!
