What does Amaterasu mean?

Amaterasu Omikami means 'the great divinity illuminating heaven'. Amaterasu is the sun goddess and most important deity of the Shinto religion.

What is the power of Amaterasu?

The power of Amaterasu, the Shinto sun goddess, is to bring light to all the world. If she is angry, as when she retreated to a cave after an argument with her brother Susanoo the storm god, then the world is left in darkness.

What is Amaterasu the god of?

Amaterasu is the goddess of the Sun in the Shinto religion. She rules Takama no Hara, the High Celestial Plain or Heaven.

What is the relationship between Amaterasu and Susanoo?

The Shinto goddess Amaterasu is the elder sister of Susanoo, the storm god. Amaterasu constantly argued with her mischievous brother and finally exiled him from heaven.

Amaterasu

Server Costs Fundraiser 2024

Help our mission to provide free history education to the world! Please donate and contribute to covering our server costs in 2024. With your support, millions of people learn about history entirely for free every month.

$3926 / $18000

❤ Donate

Definition

Amaterasu Omikami ('the Great Divinity Illuminating Heaven') is the sun goddess and most important deity of the Shinto religion. Amaterasu is the ruler of Takama no Hara (the High Celestial Plain), the domain of the kami or spirits. The most important Shinto shrine in Japan, the Ise Grand Shrine or Jingu, is dedicated to Amaterasu.

More about: Amaterasu

Timeline

4 BCE
Traditional founding date of the Ise Grand Shrine in honour of the Shinto goddess Amaterasu.
712 CE
The Kojiki is written, a collection of oral myths forming the basis of the Shinto religion.
720 CE
The Nihon Shoki is written, a collection of oral myths forming the basis of the Shinto religion.
c. 807 CE
Imibe-no-Hironari writes the Kogoshui, a collection of oral myths forming the basis of the Shinto religion.