Kushinadahime (クシナダヒメ)
Kushinadahime is a goddess that appears in Japanese Mythology (Shinto religion). "Kojiki "(Records of Ancient Matters) gives her name as "櫛名田比売" in Chinese characters and "Nihonshoki" (Chronicles of Japan) gives it as "奇稲田姫."
Mythological Description
She appears in a setsuwa (anecdotes) about Yamatanoorochi (eight-forked-snake). Among eight daughters of Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi, she was the last to leave them for marriage and became the wife of Susano (Deity in Japanese Mythology). According to the Kojiki, she gave birth to Yashimajinumi (whose descendent is Okuninushi - the chief god of Izumo in southern Honshu Island, Japan, and the central character in the important myths set in that region) and according to Nihonshoki she gave birth to Onamuchi no mikoto (Okuninushi).
Having been exiled from Takamanohara and arriving in Izumo, Susano met the couple Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi, who each year had daughters who were taken and eaten by a beast called Yamatanoorochi (eight-forked-snake). He promised to kill the Yamatanoorochi in return for being given Kushinadahime. After killing the Yamatanoorochi, Susano searched for a place to live in with Kushinadahime and built a palace in Suga.
Some suggest that Susano was exiled from a country outside Hinokuni (or Korean Peninsula).
Explanation
Her name is generally interpreted as "奇し稲田姫," which means a mysterious goddess of rice fields as Nihonshoki describes. Although some give different Chinese characters like "串蛇," this interpretation is believed to be incorrect. Others suggest that Yamatanoorochi was the god of a river and that she was originally a shrine maiden serving the god by giving her name a Chinese character meaning comb and depicting her as a shrine maiden wearing a comb.
She is mentioned in Chapter Iishi-gun of "Izumo no kuni fudoki" (the topography of Izumo Province) under the name of Kushiinadamitoyomanura-hime. In addition, Engishiki jinmyocho (List of shrines, Engishiki) of Kushiinadaki-hime-jinja Shrine (Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture) describes that it was erected and dedicated to the spirit of Kushiinadaki-hime, who was believed to be the same goddess.
Worshiped as a goddess of paddy fields, she is enshrined in Hiromine-jinja Shrine (Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture), Hikawa-jinja Shrine (Omiya Ward, Saitama City), Susa-jinja Shrine (Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture), Yaegaki-jinja Shrine (Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture), Suga-jinja Shrine (Unnan City, Shimane Prefecture), Yasaka-jinja Shrine (Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City), Kushida-jinja Shrine (Imizu City, Toyama Prefecture), Kushida-gu Shrine (Kanzaki City, Saga Prefecture) and shines named Hikawa-jinja Shrine all over the country. Many of these shrines are dedicated to her along with her husband, Susano and descent (or son), Okuninushi.
Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture has Kushida-jinja Shrine but it is dedicated to Ohatanushi no okami, Amaterasu Omikami (the Sun Goddess), and Susano no omikami. However some suggest that Kushinadahime was originally enshrined in it.