MYTHOLOGY OF THE JAPANESE. 499 



possessed, aucl allowed her clothing to fall, whereat all the assembled 

 deities laughed until the plain of heaven shook. 



Hearing the noise and laughter the goddess within the cave was 

 astonished and fain would know the cause of mirth so unseemly during 

 her seclusion. She cantiously peeped out and said: " Methought that 

 owing to my retirement the j)lain of heaven would be dark; how is it, 

 then, that the Heavenly-alarming-female makes merry and that the 

 deities all laugh ?" Usume replied, '<We rejoice and are glad because 

 there is a deity more illustrious than thine Augustness." By this was 

 meant the iron mirror, which we therefore infer was a new invention, 

 never before seen by the goddess. At the same moment the mirror 

 was thrust before the face of Amaterasu, whereat she was so astonished 

 that she stepped forth to gaze in it. Then a deity who stood beside 

 the door seized her hand and pulled her forward, when another drew a 

 straw rope behind her and said, "Thou must not go back farther than 

 this." Thus heaven and the Central Land of Reed Plains (Japan) 

 became light once more. 



The retirement of Amaterasu may signify an eclipse of the sun, which 

 the Japanese still regard with terror. They light candles, recite pray- 

 ers, and make a fearful din by beating gongs and kettles to dispel the 

 darkness. Perhaps it symbolizes tlie change of seasons, iVmaterasu 

 representing summer and Susano winter. The meaning is still obscure. 



The myth has given origin to many practices which are familiar to 

 persons who have traveled observantly in the country. The cut paper 

 gohei, which hang on every temple and every household shrine, often 

 attached to short wands of Avood, represent the offerings of cloth on 

 the bush with five hundred branches. The dance of Usume before the 

 cave is undoubtedly represented by the pantomimic Mgura, danced by 

 young girls at the temples of Ise and elsewhere. The mask of -Usume 

 is frequently seen in Japanese homes. The music to be heard at Shinto 

 shrines on any matsiiri or festival day is of very ancient <tharacter, 

 while the bamboo flute and the two pieces of wood are but too con- 

 spicuous on all occasions. 



The straw rope is to be seen everywhere: t>n temple gateways, in 

 festoons around shrines, along the fronts of houses, over doorways, 

 usually having gohei entwined with it. This is particularly true at the 

 New Year time. The gohei are commonly regarded as emblems of ])urity, 

 while the straw rope protects against the entrance of evil. When on 

 certain occasions the emblems of a shrine are removed from their places 

 they are protected from evil influences by a straw rope around them. 

 The custom of suspending a straw rope over doorways may be attrib- 

 uted to Susano. It is related that he was once overtaken by a storm 

 and fonnd shelter with a poor villager. In return for his kindness 

 Snsano told the villager how to protect himself and his family from a 

 plague Avhich was coming, by wearing a belt of twisted grass. He also 

 taught him to guard against further visits of the plague god by stretch- 

 ing a straw rope across the entrance to his house. 



