Volume 1, Section IV: Courtship of the Male-Who-Invites and the Female-Who-Invites

Having descended from Heaven onto this Island, they saw to the erection of an heavenly august pillar [1], they saw to the erection of an hall of eight fathoms [2]. Tunc quaesivit [Augustus Mas-Qui-Invitat] a minore sorore [3] Augusta Femina-Qui-Invitat: "Tuum corpus quo in modo factum est?" Respondit dicens: "Meum corpus creascens crevit, sed una pars est quae non crevit continua." Tunc dixit Augustus Mas-Qui-Invitat: "Meum corpus crescens crevit, sed est una pars quae crevit superflua. Ergo an bonum erit ut hanc corporis mei partem quae crevit superflua in tui corporis partem quae non crevit continua inseram, et regiones procreem?" Augusta Femina-Qui-Invitat respondit dicens: "Bonum erit." Tunc dixit Augustus Mas-Qui-Invitat: "Quod quum ita sit, ego et tu, hanc coelestem augustam columnam circumenutes mutuoque occurentes, augustarum (i.e. privatarum) partium augustam coitionem faciemus." Hac pactione facta, dixit [Augustus Mas-Qui-Invitat: "Tu a dextera circumeuns occure; ego a sinistra occurram." Absoluta pactione ubi circumierunt, Augusta Femina-Qui-Inviat primum inquit: "O venuste et amabilis adolescens!" Deinde Augustus Mas-Qui-Invitat inquit: "O venusta et amabilis virgo! Postquam singuli orationi finem fecerunt, [Augustus Mas-Qui-Invitat] locustus est sorori, dicens: "Non decet feminam primum verba facere." Nihilominus in thalamo [opus procreationis] inceperunt, et filium [nomine] Hirudinem [vel Hirudini similem] pepererunt [4]. This child they placed in a boat of reeds, and let it float away [5]. Next they gave birth to the Island of Aha [6]. This likewise is not reckoned among their children

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General comments

Er, yeah. I'm sorry for all of you who are not familiar with Latin, but it's not me going all elitist on you of all a sudden - it's the way Chamberlain chose to "translate" this part of the chapter. There is a reason though: Chamberlain worked on that traduction in the middle of the Victorian period, and several passages of the Kojiki are, well, fairly graphic when it comes to procreation. Of course, when I say graphic, I mean for the end of the 19th centuy - there's little there that would shock a 21st century adult. But at the time, Chamberlain felt it necessary for those passages to remain hidden from most people saved those with a higher education, hence their transation into latin instead of English

For clarity's sake, here's the same passage as translated by Philippi, in English this time:

At this time, [Izanagi-no-mikoto] asked his spouse Izanami-no-mikoto, saying:
"How is your body formed?"
She replied, saying:
"My body, formed though it be formed, has one place which is formed insufficiently."
Then Izanagi-no-mikoto said:
"My body, formed though it be formed, has one place which is formed to excess. Therefore, I would like to take that place in my body which is formed to excess and insert it into that place in your body which is formed insufficiently, and [thus] give birth to the land. How would this be?"
Izanami-no-mikoto replied, saying:
"That will be good."
Then Izanagi-no-mikoto said:
"Then let us, you and me, walk in a circle around this heavenly pillar and meet and have conjugal intercourse."
After thus agreeing, [Izanagi-no-mikoto] then said:
"You walk around from the right, and I will walk around from the left and meet you."
After having agreed to this, they circled around; then Izanami-no-mikoto said first:
"Ana-ni-yasi, how good a lad!"
Afterwards, Izanagi-no-mikoto said:
"Ana-ni-yasi, how good a maiden!"
After each had finished speaking, [Izanagi-no-mikoto] said to his spouse:
"It is not proper that the woman speaks first."
Nevertheless, they commenced procreation and gave birth to a leech-child. They place the child in a boat [....]

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Notes

[1] There are a great many different interpretations regarding that pillar, although most recognize it must have had an importat role to play in the wedding ceremony. However, some think that it was a phallic and fecundity symbole, while other put emphasis on its role as a link with the deities as they were summoned to bless the wedding

[2] That is their wedding palace

[3] Izanagi and Izanami are brother and sister but also become husband and wife. If that comes as a surprise, remember that the greek mythology, among others, offer similar exemple of brothers and sisters who later become husband and wife - Zeus and Hera would be the first to spring to mind....

[4] Although the meaning of the word piru-go might also be "sun-boy" or "sun-child", it is more likely to be actually "leech-child" - because they did not respect the ritual that preceeds conjugal intercourse (the woman spoke first - more about that in the next chapter), their child was deformed or otherwise unworthy, as is the island of Apa (or Aha in Chamberlain's translation)

[5] May reflect an actual ancient custom, that of a figurine being placed in a into a reed boat and floted away as a scapegoat to protect the actual newly born child

[6] Also Apa, it is believed to exist somewhere in the Inland Sea, although it is probably not a recognizable island


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