(Image: Kuniyoshi Utagawa: Edo period ukiyo-e painter, 1 January 1798 - 14 April 1861)
Japanese Mythology & Deities
Major Gods in the Chronicles (57)
The obedience of Hoderi (Umisachihiko)～The tale of Yamasachihiko (younger brother), was good at hunting in the mountains, & Umisachihiko (older brother), was good at fishing in the sea, Part 3 [See: Part 2]
After 3 years, Hoori remembered his true purpose for coming here and heaved a deep sigh. When Watatsumi asked him why he had sighed, he told him what had happened. [See: Part 1]
So Watatsumi called together all the fish in the sea, great and small, and asked them if any of them had taken a hook. Many of the fish replied, "These days, the red sea bream is complaining that a thorn has stuck in its throat and it cannot eat its food.”
Watatsumi immediately took out the fishhook and presented the cleaned fishhook with the salt waxing jade and salt drying jade to Hoori, saying: "When you return this fishhook to your brother, turn around backward and give it to him, saying that this hook is the one that makes you depressed, restless, poor and stupid.”
When your brother makes rice on high land, you should make rice on low land; when your brother makes rice on low land, you should make rice on high land. When your brother attacks, drown him with salt waxing jade and when he suffers and begs for forgiveness, save his life with salt drying jade.
And he then sent him away on an alligator ( or ''shark'' in some versions). This alligator is now called Saimochi-no-kami.
Hoori returned the fishhook as the sea god Watatsumi had told him to, and built the rice fields as he had been told. As Watatsumi was in charge of the water, Hoderi's fields were not well watered, and Hoderi grew poorer. Moreover, Hoderi became fierce and attacked his brother.
Then Hoori sent out a salt waxing jade to drown his eldest brother, and when Hoderi suffered, he sent out a salt drying jade to save his brother. When Hoderi was distressed and allowed to suffer again, he surrendered and swore that he would protect Hoori day and night thereafter.
This does not mean a mere power struggle between brothers. It was probably an actual battle for supremacy between the descendants of Amaterasu and a powerful tribe in the region (the Hayato), which was reflected in the myth.
火照命（ほでり：海幸彦）の服従 ～山幸彦と海幸彦の神話・その3 [参照:その2]
三年たって、火遠理命（ほおり：山幸彦）はここに来た本当の目的を思い出し、深い溜息をついた。海神（わたつみ）が溜息の理由を問うたので、火遠理命（ほおり）は事情を話した。[参照：その1]
そこで、海神（わたつみ）は、海にいる大小さまざまの魚たちを呼び集めて、「お前たちの中に、釣針を取った魚がいるかどうか」と尋ねた。その問いに、多くの魚たちは「このごろ、赤鯛の喉にとげが刺さって、食べものが食べられないとぼやいています」と申し上げた。
海神（わたつみ）は、さっそくこれを取り出して、綺麗に洗った釣針と鹽盈珠（しおみちのたま）・鹽乾珠（しおひのたま）を火遠理命（ほおり）に差し、「この釣針を兄に返す時、『この針は、おぼ針、すす針、貧針、うる針（憂鬱になる針、心が落ち着かなくなる針、貧しくなる針、愚かになる針）』と言いながら、後ろ向きになってお渡しなさい。
そして、兄さんが高い土地に田を作ったらあなたは低い土地に、兄さんが低い土地に田を作ったらあなたは高い土地に田を作りなさい。兄さんが攻めて来たら鹽盈珠（しおみちのたま）で溺れさせ、苦しんで許しを請うてきたら鹽乾珠（しおひのたま）で命を助けなさい」
そして和邇（わに/ 鮫説あり）に乗せて送って差し上げた。その和邇は今は佐比持神（さいもちのかみ）という。
火遠理命（ほおり）は海神（わたつみ）に言われた通りに釣針を返し、言われた通りに田を作った。海神（わたつみ）が水を掌っているので、火照命（ほでり）の田には水が行き渡らず、火照命は貧しくなっていった。さらに火照命（ほでり）は荒々しい心を起こして弟を攻めて来た。すると火遠理命（ほおり）は、鹽盈珠（しおみちのたま）を出して兄を溺れさせ、火照命（ほでり）が苦しんで許うと、鹽乾珠（しおひのたま）を出して兄を救った。これを繰り返して悩み苦しませると火照命（ほでり）は降伏して、以後昼夜を問わず火遠理命（ほおり）を守ると誓った。
これは単なる兄弟間の権力闘争を意味するものではない。おそらく天孫族と、在地の有力民族（隼人）の間に起こった実際の覇権(はけん)争いが、記紀神話に反映されたものであろう。
