Ajisukitakahikone (also Ajishikitakahikone or Ajisukitakahiko) is a kami in Japanese mythology. He is one of the sons of Ōkuninushi and the tutelary deity of Kamo.

Name

The god is referred to both as 'Ajisukitakahikone-no-Kami' (阿遅鉏高日子根神; Old Japanese: Adisuki<sub>1</sub>takapi<sub>1</sub>ko<sub>1</sub>ne-no<sub>2</sub>-Kami<sub>2</sub>) and 'Ajishikitakahikone-no-Kami' (阿遅志貴高日子根神; Man'yōgana: 阿治志貴多迦比古泥能迦微; O.J.: Adisiki<sub>2</sub>takapi<sub>1</sub>ko<sub>1</sub>ne) in the Kojiki, while the Nihon Shoki consistently calls him 'Ajisukitakahikone-no-Kami' (味耜高彥根神). Renditions of the name found in other texts include 'Ajisukitakahiko-no-Mikoto' (阿遅須枳高日子命; Izumo Fudoki), 'Ajisukitakahikone-no-Mikoto-no-Kami' (阿遅須伎高日古尼命神; Harima Fudoki) and 'Ajisukitakahikone-no-Mikoto' (阿遅須伎高孫根乃命; Izumo-no-Kuni-no-Miyatsuko no Kan'yogoto).

Aji (O.J. adi) may mean either "excellent" (cf. aji "taste, flavor") or "flock, mass, many", while shiki (O.J. siki<sub>2</sub>) is variously interpreted either as a corruption of suki (O.J. suki<sub>1</sub>, "spade" or "plough"), a derivation from the Baekje word suki "village", a word meaning "blade", or a place name in Yamato Province. (One factor that complicates a proper interpretation of the name is that ki<sub>1</sub> and ki<sub>2</sub> are thought to be different syllables in Old Japanese.) likewise, William George Aston (1896) merely commented that there is "no satisfactory explanation of this name." Donald Philippi (1968) proposed two possible interpretations of the name: "Massed-Ploughs High-Princeling Deity" or "Excellent Shiki High-Princeling Deity" (with 'Shiki' being understood here to be a toponym).

Mythology

Parentage

The Kojiki describes Ajisukitakahikone as one of the two children of the god Ōkuninushi by Tagori-hime, one of the three Munakata goddesses, the other being Shitateru-hime (also known as Takahime).

He is frequently portrayed as a baby who is unable to sleep. and Moyama Tenjin Shrine (喪山天神社, Moyama-Tenjinja) in Ōyada, Mino City.

Ajishikitakahikone, still fuming, then flew off, the radiance that exuded from him being such that it illuminated the space of two hills and two valleys. , wishing to reveal to the mourners her brother's identity, then composed the following song in his honor:

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! Man'yōgana (Kojiki)|| || Japanese|| || Old Japanese || || Modern Japanese (Rōmaji) || || Translated by Donald Philippi

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| Ame<sub>2</sub> naru ya<br/>Oto<sub>2</sub>-tanabata no<sub>2</sub><br/>unagaseru<br/>tama no<sub>2</sub> misumaru<br/>misumaru ni<br/>anadama pa ya<br/>mi<sub>1</sub>tani<br/>puta watarasu<br/>Adisiki<sub>2</sub><br/>Takapi<sub>1</sub>ko<sub>1</sub>ne no<sub>2</sub><br/> Kami<sub>2</sub> so<sub>2</sub>

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| Ame naru ya<br/>Oto-tanabata no<br/>unagaseru<br/>tama no misumaru<br/>misumaru ni<br/>anadama ha ya<br/>mitani<br/>futa watarasu<br/>Ajishiki<br/>Takahikone no<br/>Kami zo

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| Ah, the large jewel