Homuchiwake and Homudawake, or the Two “Imperial Heirs” in Kojiki

Abstract

There are some tales of the two mythic figures Homuchiwake and Homudawake in Nihon-shoki and Kojiki. Interestingly enough, they appear as an imperial heir in Kojiki although there is no such mention in Nihon-shoki. In the episode of Emperor Suinin, Homuchiwake fails to succeed to the throne because the wrath of the God of Izumo has made him dumb. In the episode of Emperor Chūai, however, Homudawake is destined to be an emperor by the oracle of Amaterasu. Both tales about the succession to the throne roughly correspond to the storyline of other ancient chronicles; a god's descent from heaven after a fierce struggle for the rule of the country. But the two different scenarios of the same plot in Kojiki point to historical contingency which the establishment of a new regime depends on.