The story of the Japanese Sun Goddess Amaterasu is probably reflecting historical events rather than mythology. There is no corresponding story in other mythologies, despite the fact that she is associated with the restore and rebirth of nature.
According to Japanese mythology, she was the daughter of the god Iza-nagi who ruled the Higher Celestial Plain. She was supposed to be the supreme deity who would reign over the world. Her grandson Ninigi-no-Mikoto managed to pacify and, in some extend, to unite Japan. The first emperor of Japan was Jimmu, a great-grandson of Ninigi-no-Mikoto. His sword and mirror became the Japanese imperial regalia. The Imperial House of Japan is supposed to be descendants of Jimmu.In this beautiful Saga we find two interesting things: her name and her two brothers. Her name is supposed to mean "Brightness of heaven". The Japanese people and I are speaking different languages as a result of the confusion of the tongues by Enlil/|Yahweh in Babylon, 3463 BCE. Now if her name means "Brightness of heaven" then some part of the name must mean "Brightness" and some other part must mean "heaven". Consequently, the Japanese language must contain some words from the language of the gods. Despite that, I believe the meaning of her name is some remainder of the original meaning.
The name Amat-E-Ra-Su is of the type "add words to create a meaning". Amat means "Mother", E means "House", Ra means "Bright", and Su could be just a suffix, or it could also have been Zu, which means "Know". Then Amaterasu could mean either "Mother of the Bright House", "House of the Bright Mother", or "House of the Bright Mother who knows".
It is possible that the "Ra" comes from the Sun-god Ra of the Egyptians. Ra/Marduk wandered all over the Earth, as he said, "from where the sun goes up to where the sun settles down". The last time, we know he traveled around the world was when he left Babylon around the year 2000 BCE, waiting for the sign of the Ram to appear in the skies. The new epoch, the shifting of the celestial Bull to the celestial Ram, would also initiate the shifting of power from Enlil to Marduk. We assume that he was not traveling alone but with some followers, perhaps both Anunnaki/Titans and Earthlings.
We have a good description of the castle of the Indian sages in the valley of Kashmir from the "The life of Apollonius of Tyana" by Philostratus. Not long from the castle, there is a little town by the name Sri-Nagar that means "the home of Sri-Naga", the "Serpent King". The serpent was considered as a symbol of wisdom and it was associated with Enki and his son Ningishzidda. Besides, the name "Iza-Nagi" is supportively similar to "Sri-Naga".
The connection between the "Nagas" of India (wise serpents, healers) and the "wise serpents" of Egypt is not only obvious, but also supported by Iarchas, the leader of the Sages at the time of Apollonius' visit. He told Apollonius that the origin of their knowledge was in Egypt. Marduk's brother Thoth was also known in Mesoamerica as Quetzalcoatl, the "feather Serpent" and we are not surprised to find the term "Nagas" (healers) even in Mexico.
Not long from Sri-Nagar, there is the ruin of the ancient Temple of the Sun. The temple was probably the work of Marduk (the sun god of the Egyptians) and his followers. Perhaps some of them chose to stay there and the Brahmans Apollonius visited could have been Igigi/Titans, or their descendants, who ran away after they had been defeated by Zeus (Enlil). Mythology is often mediating historical events!
The "brothers" of Amaterasu were the storm-god Susanoo and the moon-god Tsukuyomi. They were probably symbolic enemies rather than her brothers. The storm-god Ishkur/Adad was the enemy of Marduk as well as his brother Nannar/Sin, the moon-god. Both were sons of the supreme god Enlil. Amaterasu was probably the wife, or daughter of the Sun-god Marduk. The story of Amaterasu has been permanently intertwined in human history. The Sun disc is the emblem of the Japanese flag. We have no reason to disbelieve the Imperial House of Japan claiming that they are the descendants of the Sun-goddess. Remember that mythology (oral traditions) was the only way to record history!http://www.planet-of-gold.com Planet-of-gold.com Author's web site
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