Izanagi

Izanagi and Izanami, the original human pair, were responsible for spewing forth islands from the sea, which they inhabited with their progeny, the many deities who roam the Japanese countryside. Izanami died while carrying the fire-god, and Izanagi was just so sad that he was adamant on resurrecting her. As a result, he traveled to Yomi, the gloomy region of death, in order to retrieve his wife. Unfortunately, Izanami had consumed Yomi's meal and therefore could not return.

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Izanagi, yearning to see his wife, ignited a lamp. He discovered, to his dismay, that her once-beautiful corpse had deteriorated and was covered in maggots. He fled the underworld in dread, pursued by Izanami, who longed for her husband's return. Izanagi eventually arrived on earth and blocked the underworld's entrance with a massive rock. "I will slaughter a thousand live animals each day," his enraged wife said. "Then I will produce 1,500 new lives each day," Izanagi said. Thus, the narrative concludes with lifelong estrangement and hate.

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Origin: Mythology of Japan

The name of the tale: The story of Izanagi and Izanami