Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto (ツクヨミノミコト, 月読命), or simply Tsukuyomi (ツクヨミ, 月読) or Tsukiyomi (ツキヨミ), is the moon kami in Japanese mythology and the Shinto religion. The name “Tsukuyomi” is a compound of the Old Japanese words tsuku (月; “moon, month”, becoming modern Japanese tsuki) and yomi (読み; “reading, counting”). The Nihon Shoki mentions this name spelled as Tsukuyumi (月弓; “moon bow”), but this yumi is likely a variation in pronunciation of yomi. An alternative interpretation is that his name is a combination of tsukiyo (月夜; “moonlit night”) and mi (見; “looking, watching”). -no-Mikoto is a common honorific appended to the names of Kami; it may be understood as similar to the English honorific ‘the Great’.

In Man’yōshū, Tsukuyomi’s name is sometimes rendered as Tsukuyomi Otoko (月讀壮士; “moon-reading man”), implying that he is male

Myth

Tsukuyomi was the second of the “three noble children” (三貴子, Mihashira-no-Uzu-no-Miko) born when Izanagi-no-Mikoto, the kami who created the first land of Onogoroshima, was cleansing himself of his kegare while bathing after escaping the underworld and the clutches of his enraged dead sister, Izanami-no-Mikoto. Tsukuyomi was born when he washed out of Izanagi’s right eye. However, in an alternative story, Tsukuyomi was born from a mirror made of white copper in Izanagi’s right hand.

Tsukuyomi angered Amaterasu (who in some sources was his wife) when he killed Ukemochi, the megami of food. Amaterasu once sent Tsukuyomi to represent her at a feast presented by Ukemochi. The megami created the food by turning to the ocean and spitting out a fish, then facing a forest and spitting out game, and finally turning to a rice paddy and coughing up a bowl of rice. Tsukuyomi was utterly disgusted by the manner of which the exquisite-looking meal was made in, so he killed her.

Amaterasu learned what happened and she was so angry that she refused to ever look at Tsukuyomi again, forever moving to another part of the sky. This is the reason that day and night are never together. This is according to one of the accounts in the Nihon Shoki. Tsukuyomi does not have such significance in the Kojiki, in which there is a similar tale about Susanoo-no-Mikoto killing a similar food megami named Ōgetsuhime, who is often conflated with Ukemochi.

reminders:

  • 💚 You nerds can join specific comms to see posts about all sorts of topics
  • 💙 Hexbear’s algorithm prioritizes comments over upbears
  • 💜 Sorting by new you nerd
  • 🐶 Join the unofficial Hexbear-adjacent Mastodon instance toots.matapacos.dog

Links To Resources (Aid and Theory):

Aid:

Theory:

  • GalaxyBrain [they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
    9·
    6 days ago

    Steven Colbert is a Tolkien Casual

    Dude thinks he knows stuff cause he’s aware of Ungoliant, doesn’t undersrand Smeagol at all.

    In letter 181 Tolkien writes:

    […] The domination was much too strong for the mean soul of Sméagol. But he would have never had to endure it if he had not become a mean sort of thief before it crossed his path. […]

    From letter 214, where Tolkien explains differences in the custom of birthday presents between Sméagol’s people and the Shire-folk:

    A trace of this can be seen in the account of Sméagol and Déagol - modified by the individual characters of these rather miserable specimens. Déagol, evidently a relative (as no doubt all the members of this small community were), had already given his customary present to Sméagol, although they probably set out on their expedition v. early in the morning. Being a mean little soul he grudged it. Sméagol, being meaner and greedier, tried to use the ‘birthday’ as an excuse for an act of tyranny. ‘Because I wants it’ was his frank statement of his chief claim. But he also implied that D’s gift was a poor and insufficient token: hence D’s retort that on the contrary it was more than he could afford.

    He was an asshole before the ring came into play and the fact that he then used it for evil accelerated his corruption cause it also led to hus further isolation from community, in contrast Bilbo basically never even touched the thing and double the town population turned out for his birthday. The ring is an alienating snd isolating force that pries on the already alienated and isolated easiest, having friends and community is clearly shown to be a major aspect of what keeps the evil.of the ring at bay best. Smeagol was a creepy selfish prick before stealing the ring and that’s why it help such temptation over him that before he knew it was anything but a piece of gold he was murdering his cousin. It’s why after he foind out it made him invisible he used it to spy on and steal from people until he was found out and then resorted to cannibalism mostly out of spite really. He was a bad dude before the ring. Colbert is a casual

    • KuroXppi [they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
      1·
      6 days ago

      Colbert’s got writers, i’m willing to bet that Colbert wouldn’t have known as much about ungoliant et al ‘off the cuff’

      But, that is interesting because I also was under the same misapprehension because I only remembered movie Smeagol sitting in a boat happily fishing with deagol til the ring exerts its power and causes him to murder deagol. It’s a pretty sudden ‘transformation’ such that I think i understand why people would think smeagol was as happy a hobit as, say, Merry