Ne-no-Kuni- Japanese LocationLocation · Realm"Realm of Susanoo"
Also known as: 根の国 and Ne-no-Katasu-Kuni
Description
Beneath the visible earth lies the Root Land, where Susanoo rules after his banishment from heaven. It was here that Ōkuninushi descended to face deadly trials, rooms of serpents and fields set ablaze, and emerged carrying a god's blessing and his daughter.
Mythology & Lore
The Land of Roots
Ne-no-Kuni lies beneath the visible earth, a subterranean realm where Susanoo rules after his expulsion from the High Plain of Heaven. Some texts treat it as identical to Yomi, the land of the dead. Others distinguish them as separate underworld regions. What the Kojiki makes clear is that Susanoo is lord here, the banished storm god settled into a kingdom of roots and darkness.
Ōkuninushi's Trials
Fleeing from his jealous brothers who had killed him twice, Ōkuninushi descended to Ne-no-Kuni seeking Susanoo's aid. There he encountered Suseri-hime, Susanoo's daughter, and they fell in love.
Susanoo's response was to try to kill him. He sent Ōkuninushi to sleep in a room of serpents, then a room of centipedes and wasps. He shot an arrow into an open field, sent Ōkuninushi to retrieve it, and set the field ablaze. Each time, Suseri-hime saved him: a scarf that repelled the serpents, a scarf that repelled the insects, a mouse that showed him a hollow where the fire passed overhead.
Finally Ōkuninushi fled with Suseri-hime and Susanoo's treasures. The god called after him from the border of his realm. He did not curse them. He gave his blessing to their union and told Ōkuninushi to rule the earthly world with the sword and bow he had stolen.
Relationships
- Serves