Ōkuninushi

O-KUNI-NUSHI: God of sorcery and medicine. His name literally translates to "Great Land Master", and he was originally the ruler of the province of Izumo, until he was replaced by Ninigi. In compensation, he was made ruler of the unseen world of spirits and magic.

Ookuninushi (probably) refers to the god Izunome Ookunitama Ookuninushi Oomikami Sama, a Shinto god that rules over the material world.

Story

His brothers

Ookuninushi had eighty other brothers, who all wanted to marry the princess Yakami. While the brothers were on their way to visit the princess, a flayed hare stopped them and asked them for help. They told the hare to wash in the sea and dry itself in the wind, which naturally caused great pain for it. Ookuninushi then met the hare, and he told it to bathe in fresh water and then roll in the pollen of kama grass. The hare immediately got better, and it revealed its true form as a god. In gratitude, the hare told Ookuninushi that Yakami would be his.

His brothers, who were furious, heated a boulder to white-hot termperatures, and rolled it down a mountain toward him. He thought it was a boar and grabbed it, subsequently burning to death. His mother, Kami-Musubi, revived him backed to life. His brothers then crushed Ookuninushi to death. Kami-Musubi then advised him to take refuge in the underworld instead.

Love to Suseri-Hime

In the underworld, he met the storm god Susanoo and his daughter Suseri-Hime, with whom he shortly fell in love with. Of course, Susanoo was aghast. In response, he sent Ookuninushi to sleep in a room full of snakes. However, Suseri-Hime had given him a scarf, which protected him. When Susanoo sent him to sleep in a room with centipedes and wasps the next night, he was still successfully protected. As a trial, Susanoo shot an arrow into the middle of an enormous meadow, and told him to look for it. Ookuninushi searched and eventually reached the middle of the field, at which point Susanoo proceeded to light the field on fire. A mouse showed Ookuninushi a hole that he could hide in, and also brought the arrow to him.

He became ruler of province Izumo

By now, after all his various attempts of murder, Susanoo was beginning to actually approve of Ookuninushi. One night, after he told Ookuninushi to wash his hair and go to sleep, Ookuninushi tied Susanoo's hair to the rafters of his palace, and fled with Suseri-Hime. He took Susanoo's sword, bow and arrows, and koto with him. When the couple made their escape, the koto brushed against a tree, awakening Susanoo. The god jumped up, and pulled down the palace with his hair. At the borders of the underworld, Susano-Wo almost caught up with the elopers and called out to them, advising Ookuninushi to fight his brothers with Susanoo's weapons. Ookuninushi asked him to make Suseri-Hime his wife, and to build a palace at the foot of Mount Uka, which he agreed to. After the entire ordeal was over, Ookuninushi became ruler of the province of Izumo.

Features

Weapon: Quarterstaff