Drawing of the god Susanowo.
Susanowo
Susanowo was the god of the sea and the storms according to the ancient Japanese religion Shinto, which means "the way of the gods". Susanowo was born from the nose of the primeval god Izanagi. He had a furious and impulsive temper. In fact, his name means "impetuous." He was able to create ravaging
storms that could cause tremendous damage.
Once, his sister, the Sun goddess Amaterasu was so distressed by his fierce temper that she decided to hide herself in the cave of heaven. Unfortunately, without Amaterasu, who ruled the realm of light,
darkness surrounded the world. Evil spirits left their hiding places. However, using a mirror the assembly of the gods induced Amaterasu to come out of the cave. Light once again invaded and colored the world.
To prevent another similar accident, the gods banished Susanowo in the province of Izumo and confiscated his beard, nails and other possessions. Thereafter, Susanowo had to overcome many dangerous adventures. Once he killed a monstrous serpent with eight heads and found the sacred sword Kusanagi. Today the sword, along with a precious mirror and jewel, represent the insignia of the imperial family of Japan. After many adventurous journeys, Susanowo went to live with his mother Izanami in the
underworld.
You might also be interested in:
Thunderstorms are one of the most thrilling and dangerous types of weather phenomena. Over 40,000 thunderstorms occur throughout the world each day. Thunderstorms form when very warm, moist air rises into
...more
Ahsonnutli was the sky father and chief deity of the Navajo Indians. He created heaven, Earth, and the sky. Each of the four cardinal directions was supported by a giant. Each direction was also associated
...more
Amphitrite was one of the fifty Nereids, the attendants of the sea-god Poseidon. Poseidon (Neptune) had fallen in love with Amphitrite after seeing her dancing on the island of Naxos. Amphitrite rejected
...more
Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty. She was known to the Romans as Venus. There were actually two different Aphrodites, one was the daughter of Uranus, the other the daughter of Zeus and
...more
In Greek mythology, Apollo was the son of Jupiter(in Greek Zeus) and Leto (Letona). He was the god of the Sun, logic, and reason, and was also a fine musician and healer. Leto travelled all over Greece
...more
According to an ancient Greek legend, the figure of a gigantic crab was placed in the nighttime sky by the goddess Hera to form the constellation Cancer. Hera was the jealous wife of the sky god, Zeus.
...more
In the Northern Hemisphere sky is the constellation Cepheus, king of Ethiopia, and that of his wife Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia claimed that she and her daughter Andromeda were more beautiful than the sea nymphs,
...more
