The vantage point between heaven and the formless waters from whence Izanagi, stirring with his jewelled spear, stirred the waters. As a consequence, the liquid formed clumps, and drops of water falling from the tip of the spear formed the islands, bringing about the creation of the Central Land of the Reed Plains. The Heavenly Floating Bridge is sometimes equated with the Milky Way, though that celestial phenomenon is more usually interpreted as the Heavenly River. The bridge joins the heavenly and earthly realms, though its precise nature is undisclosed.
SEE ALSO:
REFERENCES:
- Aston, William G., trans. 1956. Nihongi. London: Allen and Unwin.
- Philippi, Donald, trans. and ed. 1968. Kπjiki. Tokyo: Tokyo University Press.
SOURCE:
Handbook of Japanese Mythology written by Michael Ashkenazi – Copyright © 2003 by Michael Ashkenazi