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- Burning cell
- The story from the Nihongi is this:
"The August Grandchild accordingly favored (i.e., married) her, whereupon in one night she became pregnant. But the August Grandchild was slow to believe this, and said:- 'Heavenly deity though I am, how could I cause anyone to become pregnant in the space of one night? That which thou hast in thy bosom is assuredly not my child.' Therefore Ka-ashi-tsu-hime was wroth. She prepared a doorless muro (called utsumuro), and entering, dwelt therein. Then she made a solemn declaration, saying: - 'If that which is in my bosom is not the offspring of the Heavenly Grandchild, it will assuredly be destroyed by fire, but if it is really the offspring of the Heavenly grandchild, fire cannot harm it.' So she set fire to the muro. The child which was born from the extremity of the smoke which first arose was called Ho no Susori no mikoto (he was the ancestor of the Hayato)..." [W.G. Aston, p. 71-3]
The Heavenly Grandchild here is the deity who descended from the high plain of heaven to Takachiho and thus provides the living link between heaven and earth.
According to another version of the story, the princess secluded herself in a cave which became a birthing room and purified it with fire to insure a safe birth. She gave birth to three deities: Hosuseri, Hoakari, and Hohodemi.
- Smoke
- Several poems speak of the rising smoke here. Two poems from the
Senzaishu: #7
煙かと室のやしまを見しほどにぱがても 空のかすみぬるかな。
And #186,
五月雨に室のやしまを見渡せば煙は波のよよ りぞたつ。
Fujiwara Sanekata wrote in Shikashu #188:
いかでかは 思ひありとも知らずべき室の八島の煙ならでは。
- Burnt
- They say that this fish when cooked gives off the smell of burning human flesh and therefore is associated with the Lady of the Flowerbearing Trees. This is also why people are forbidden to eat this fish.
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