Why did the complier of the Chronicle of Japan insert this legend into the story of the holy expedition towards the East? It seems that he would have intention to suggest that the resisting force in Kumano was a relative tribe or nation on mother’s side of the four brothers. The name of Kumano occurred us one of the ancient mighty nation, Kuna-no-kuni.
It is mysterious for us that the complier of the Kojiki did not dare to refer these sacrifices of elder brothers of the Sumera-mikoto at all. Instead, at the end of the first volume, he described that as for Mikeiri-no-mikoto, called Mikenu-no-mikoto in the Kojiki, he has gone away to the eternity walking over waves of ears as a deity of the bumper harvest, while Inahi-no-mikoto has entered into the Sea, where was to be his mother’s land.
Sacrifice of the Inahi-no-mikoto was not the last. Following him, Mikeiri-no-mikoto, who was the third elder brother of the Sumera-mikoto, also cried with resentment, “Why is the sea raging, though my mother and my aunt are the deities of the Sea!” and passed away to the eternity walking on waves. Therefore, the Sumera-mikoto lost his three elder brothers at the same time.
Grieving for their fate, Inahi-no-mikoto, who was the second elder brother of the Sumera-mikoto, said, “Why we are being tortured on the Land and the Sea, though our father is the deity of the Heaven and our mother is the deity of the Sea!” No sooner had he said it than he devoted himself and threw himself into the raging sea while drawing his sword. It is said that Inahi-no-mikoto became the deity of Sabi-moti, who would be a deity for the sword.
By the way, when the army of the Sumera-mikoto tried to across the sea with ships, they were hit by a tempest suddenly. Because the storm and rain ran riot, they could not across the sea. It is pointed out that in ancient Japan there was a sorrowful convention that someone sacrificed himself for appeasing raging sea. In this scene, we can find sacrificial spirits of ancient persons.
On 23th of June, the royal army arrived at Nakusa village. There they encountered a burglar lead by female chief, whose name was said Nakusa-tobe. At last, the army reached Miwa village of Kumano beyond Sano and climbed up the cliff called Ama-no-iwadate. They continued their march rapidly.
On 8th of May, they reached at the Port Yamaki looking upon the Chinu-Sea. At that time, the wound by the arrow stung Ituse-no-mikoto with terrible pain. Being aware of the end of his life, he cried with caressing his sword and left word; It a pity that a brave man was injured and was dying without any retort! Marching to the Mt.Kama, Ituse-no-mikoto passed away there at last. He buried on the Mt. Kama.
Everybody agreed with his proposal promptly. Then, the Sumera-mikoto commanded soldiers of the army to cease the fight and not to advance any more. The opposite army did not dare to pursue after the retreating royal army. In safety, they returned to Kusaka-no-tu, where, yelling out war cry with raising their shields up, they enhanced their spirits.
Then, the Sumera-mikoto decided to make his army retreat temporarily suggesting weakness and to try to pray heavenly and earthy deities seeking for their divine protections. He proposed an idea before the army that if they fought with the sun in the background, the opposite army must have to loose in battle without shedding any blood.
Being worried the wound of his brother deeply, the Sumera-mikoto analyzed that this misfortune must have be occurred because his force fought against the sun, though he was a descendant from the sun goddess. For the Sumera-mikoto, this behavior meant a deviation from the way of the Heaven. In the Kojiki, these words were to be said by Ituse-on-mikoto himself.
