137 



latter, and quotes the Wamydsho ', which by mistake identifies 

 Mi-tsu-ha with the Chinese ivang-liang, H ^, instead of with 

 the wang-siang, j^ ^ . We read in De Groot's Religious System 

 of China ^ that « the Chinese authors generally do not take the 

 trouble to distinguish between these two terms (wang-liang and 

 wang-siang)". Wang-siang, says De Groot ^ are water-ghosts, as 

 well as the lung, or dragons, and he refers to Yti Pao's Sheu 

 shen ki*, where a wang-siang is described las looking like "a 

 child of three years with red eyes, a bkick complexion, big ears 

 and long arms with red claws". 



A Japanese commentator explains mitsu-ha as "Water-snake" 

 ( ^JC ^^ it's ), and quotes several names and words in which ha 

 means "snake"; if this is ixne, Mitsuha no Me is "Female Water- 

 snake". Another commentary, however, explains the word ha 

 as ^, *to produce", so that the name of the goddess would 

 be: "The Woman who produces the water". Plorenz does not 

 know which explanation is right, nor can I decide. 



§ 3. "Watatsuini. 



In another passage of the Nihongi^ Izanami and Izanagi are 

 said to have given birth to "gods of the sea", called "Watatsumi 

 no Mikoto''' {-^ ^ '^), or, as in Ch. Ill, p. 76 (Jimmu Tenno), 

 y^^, "little boys" or "boys of the sea". The Chinese characters 

 with which this name is written agree with Tu Pao's above- 

 mentioned description of the wang-siang as little children; these 

 terms are apparently identical with "sea-gods", '/^jji^. Florenz 

 explains the name " Wata-tsu-mV as "Lords of the sea", wata 

 being an old word for sea, and mi a kind of honorific epithet. 

 The same commentator, however, who saw in Mitsuha no Me a 

 "Female Water-snake", considers Watu-tsu-mi to be "Snakes of 

 the Sea", mi being an old word for snake. It is not impossible 

 that he is right, and that the old Japanese sea-gods were snakes 

 or dragons. 



§ 4. Mizuchi, the river-gods. 



The name of the river-gods, " mizuchV , or "water-fathers", 



1 ^ ig -^j written by Minamoto no Shitagau, yj^ j|E , who lived 911-983. 



2 Vol. V, Ch. Ill, p. 521. 3 Ibidem. 



4 Ch. XII. See above, p. 81, note 1. 



5 Ch. I, p. 12; Florenz, 1.1., Ch.IV,p. 39; ^ ^ '^ || ^^ :^ /J 



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