Sukuna Hikona–A Retelling of Shinto Myths 5
Though only briefly mentioned in the Kojiki, the mysterious Sukuna Hikona is one of the most important Shinto deities.
“Moshiwake gozaimasen! Aniki!” The newly minted Ruler of Izumo, Okuninushi, bowed as deeply as he could before apologizing. “Forgive me for belittling … for suspecting the worth of your …”
“Oh, cut the pretense!” Sukuna Hikona snapped. “You still aren’t over my height yet, are you? You silly, silly man who used to consult rabbits.”
Technically, it was only one rabbit, not a whole burrow. Back then, White was purely rambling too, rather than dispensing any serious advice. But Okuninushi knew better than to further incense his diminutive advisor. Grimly, he withdrew his sword and held it above his right pinkie. If words cannot assuage the wrath of the tiny one, perhaps an actual painful act of contrition, Gokudō-style, would do the job …
“For goodness’ sake!” Sukuna Hikona cried, smacking away the blade with his miniature staff. “Why is it so difficult for you to look beyond my size? Or my cloak? I’ve explained numerous times! There are divine purposes for this bizarre appearance. Reasons that involve the future prosperity of this country!”
“It is not your size, Aniki,” Okuninushi mumbled. “As you rightly highlighted, I did use to consult … converse with rabbits. The issue here is with what you are, etto, telling us to use to enrich the soil.”
“And what’s so wrong with that? Do you not wash your vegetables before eating? Before cooking?”
“You are telling us to use human waste.”
It was all Sukuna Hikona could do not to groan. Okuninushi has recently been conferred many titles, but god of knowledge was clearly not one of those. “In time, my young ruler, you will learn that agriculture is a circle of life,” the minute deity explained as patiently as he could. “It is like a song that’s glorious at the beginning, sickeningly sweet in the middle, and once more magnificent at the end! Master this circle and I promise you, the people of Izumo will never again go hungry. Master it well and you might even have excess. Excess, as we both know, is vital for survival, especially when that father-in-law of yours comes for another visit.”
“I … Hai, Aniki. I understand and I will do my best to … manage the waste.”
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“Good! Now, what about those seeds from yesterday? Have you planted those?”
“Yes. The task was completed this morning.”
“They will grow into shrubs with a unique fragrance. The leaves will be most useful against those awful bugs your wife complained about yesterday. They will also make for a good feed for your livestock.”
“Suseri is personally overseeing the cultivation. Aniki, regarding the excavation you requested last week. I regret to inform that we did not discover new boiling water sources. Forgive me for angering you once more but I truly do not see the point of this excavation. We already have enough clean drinking water.”
“Drinking water?” Sukuna Hikona fought another compulsion to groan. Must everything be explained thrice to this new befuddled ruler? “When did I say it’s for drinking?”
“I presumed that’s the only reason. You wanted a new source of water for making tea.”
“Tea? TEA? Argg! Have you smelled yourself of late? Why do you think I wrap my cloak around my face when I speak to you? This water is for a new way of bathing! A new way of reenergizing your body after a tough day of work too! In time, our country will be celebrated for this revolutionary method of rejuvenation, and I, the great Sukuna Hikona, will be remembered as the inventor of it! Now, shoo! Be gone! Enough with the inane questions already. You have a nation to build. You are not going to get anywhere bowed before me the entire day.”
Who is Sukuna Hikona, The Renowned Little Prince of Shintoism?
- In Shintoism, Sukuna Hikona (少彦名命) is revered as a god of medicine and nation-building. He is also associated with agriculture, sake-making, knowledge, hot springs (onsen), and the netherworld. His name roughly means “the Small Lord of Renown.”
- Most of what is known today about Sukuna Hikona comes from the Kojiki (古事記) and the Nihon Shoki (日本書紀), two much-debated 8th-century collections of Japanese myths, history, and traditions. He is also mentioned in other ancient texts such as the Nara Era compilation, Harima no Kunifudoki (播磨国風土記).
- According to the Kojiki, Sukuna Hikona met Okuninushi while the latter was at the cape of Miho. The small lord appeared as a thumb-tall, tiny man donning a cloak made of geese skin (flayed whole) and riding a small boat made of bark.
- There is academic disagreement over what exactly the tiny god was wearing when he met Okuninushi. The Chinese character used in the Kojiki seems to indicate “geese,” but this could have been a copyist error. The text might have originally meant “wren” or “moth.”
- In the Kojiki version, Sukuna Hikona refused to share his name when asked. On the advice of a toad, Okuninushi summoned the scarecrow god Kuebiko, who revealed that Sukuna Hikona is a child of the primordial god Kami-Musubi. The primordial god subsequently acknowledged his progeny and decreed that his child and Okuninushi should become brothers.
- Kami-Musubi also decreed that the two should jointly “make the land.” This act is known as kuni zukuri (国造り) in Japanese and is a phrase often associated with Okuninushi and Sukuna Hikona.
- The Kojiki merely states that Sukuna Hikona departed for the netherworld after his work was done. Some folklores improvise upon this and state that Sukuna Hikona departed from the mortal world at Awaji Island. He did so by using a millet stalk to propel himself into the netherworld.
- Sukuna Hikona is part of the Kaitaku Sanjin Trinity (開拓三神), the other two deities being Okuninushi and Okunitama (the spirit of a nation). The trinity represents the reclamation/prospecting of Hokkaido. Today, the main shrine of the trinity is Hokkaido Jingu in Sapporo.
- Other than Hokkaido Jingu, there are numerous Shinto shrines dedicated to Sukuna Hikona throughout Japan. For example, Tokyo’s Kanda Shrine and Nara’s Omiwa Shrine.
- Though one of the most popular and beloved Shinto deities, Sukuna Hikona is relatively unknown outside Japan. Google searches of the name mostly yield results related to the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona video games too, in which the miniature god sometimes appears as an ally. In these games, the tiny god’s appearance alternates between traditional and futuristic.
- Other than video games, the diminutive god and his name have also appeared in various manga and anime series. For example, in the Naruto franchise, there is a dojutsu (eye technique) named after him.
- There is likely much symbolism in the tiny god’s arrival from across the seas. The Cape of Miho and Izumo face the Asiatic mainland. Sukuna Hikona, with his frightening clothing choices and strange ship and all, could have been no more than a visitor from Ancient Korea or China. His later departure to the Netherworld could also be the visitor returning to his homeland. Note that among academic circles, there is disagreement over what the “Netherworld” means in Shintoism.
Pictures
Sukuna Hikona—The Shinto diminutive God of Renown.
References
- Chamberlain, B. H., & Aston, W. G. (2005). Vol 1. SECT. XXVII. In The kojiki: Records of ancient matters. essay, Tuttle Pub. ISBN: 9780804836753.
- 戸部 民夫. (1997). 少彦名命. In 八百万の神々：日本の神霊たちのプロフィール (Vol. 31, Ser. Truth In Fantasy, pp. 55–59). essay, Shinkigensha.
