Tide jewels
The earliest texts record an ancient myth that the Sea Deity (海神, Watatsumi) presented the tide jewels to his son-in-law Hoori aka Yamasachihiko (Prince Luck-of-the-Mountain).
After living three years in the undersea Ryūgū-jō 竜宮城 "dragon palace castle", Ryūjin presented Hoori with his brother's fishhook and the tide jewels, and arranged for him to take his sea-dragon bride back to land.
If thou do thus, thine elder brother will certainly be impoverished in the space of three years, owing to my ruling the water.
If thine elder brother, incensed at thy doing thus, should attack thee, put forth the tide-flowing jewel to drown him.
Hereupon [His Augustness Fire-Subside] gave the fish-hook [to his elder brother], exactly according to the Sea-Deity's words of instruction.
When he had thus been harassed, he bowed his head, saying: "I henceforward will be Thine Augustness's guard by day and night, and respectfully serve thee.
"[3]The c. 720 CE Nihon shoki 日本書紀 "Chronicles of Japan" or Nihongi 日本紀 has several references to tide jewels.
Chapter 8 ("Emperor Chūai") has a legend that Empress Jingū found a Buddhist nyoi-ju 如意珠 lit.
The first Nihongi version[6] is consistent with the Kojiki, except that Hoori learns that Toyotama-hime is pregnant before, instead of after, returning home to Japan.
… When Hiko-hoho-demi no Mikoto returned to his palace, he complied implicitly with the instructions of the Sea-God, and the elder brother, Ho-no-susori no Mikoto, finding himself in the utmost straits, of his own accord admitted his offence, and said: "Henceforward I will be thy subject to perform mimic dances for thee.
If thy elder brother is angry, and has a mind to do thee hurt, then produce the tide-flowing jewel and drown him therewith.
Now Hiko-hoho-demi no Mikoto, having received the jewels and the fish-hook, came back to his original palace, and followed implicitly the teaching of the Sea-God.
The former context says that in the 2nd year (193 CE) of Chūai's reign, he started an expedition against the Kumaso rebellion in southern Kyūshū and made preparations at Toyora (Nagato Province).
In the 8th year (199 CE), they sailed to Tsukushi (Chikuzen and Chikugo Provinces), and their ships were met by a Kuma-Wani 熊鰐 "bear shark/crocodile" sea-monster with a decorated sakaki tree (see tamagushi).
Kuma-wani addressed the Emperor, saying: "It is not the fault of thy servant that the august ship is unable to advance.
When the Empress saw these fishes and birds sporting, her anger was gradually appeased, and with the flowing tide she straightway anchored in the harbour of Oka.
Empress Jingū worshiped and sacrificed to the gods, and conducted a type of fishhook divination in Hizen Province.
Presently a great wind blew from a favourable quarter on the ships under sail, and following the waves, without the labour of the oar or helm, they arrived at Silla.
[14] According to this legend, which is unsupported by historical evidence, the King of Silla surrendered after being astonished by the tsunami and terrified by the invading fleet.
The c. 1195 CE Mizukagami 水鏡 "Water Mirror", which is a collection of historical tales, confabulates the Nihongi legends about the tide jewels and Jingū conquering the Koreans.
[15] This text uses some different names, Sāgara 沙竭羅 (one of the 8 Dragon Kings) for the Sea God, and Koryo 句麗 or Koma 蓋馬 for the Korean kingdom Goguryeo.
In the year 200, when the Empress Jingō (200–269) arrived in Korea, she took some sea water in her hand and prayed from far to the god of Kashima (in Hitachi) and Kasuga (Takemikazuchi ...).
Then came the gods of Kasuga and Sumiyoshi and Suwa, clad in armour and with helmets on their heads, to the Empress's ship.
While the Korean warships were put up in battle array, the pearl of ebb, thrown into the sea, made the water suddenly dry up.
Tamatori was supposedly an ama diver who married Fujiwara no Fuhito and recovered a precious jewel that the Sea God stole.
After many failed attempts, Ama was finally successful when the dragon and grotesque creatures guarding it were lulled to sleep by music.
She cut open her breast to place the pearl inside for safekeeping the resulting flow of blood clouded the water and aided her escape.
[19] In addition, the Ōwatatsumi-jinja 大海神社 in Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka and the Mekari-jinja 和布刈神社 in Moji-ku, Kitakyūshū purportedly housed the original tide jewels.
Indonesian mythology from the Kei Islands and Minahassa Peninsula strongly resemble the Japanese Hoori-Hoderi legend according to Visser, however, the tide-flowing jewel motif is replaced by torrential rain-making: "the hero of the Minahassa legend by his prayers caused the rain to come down in torrents upon his evil friend.
[22] "Several stories from the Pacific islands", adds Andrews, "involved controlling the tides with jewels owned by the dragon-king who guarded them in his palace under the waves.
