Tenko's Sacrifice: Benzaiten

 A discovery made while researching Goddesses!

Tenko's Sacrifice

Tenko is not a woman, it's a heavenly fox. That's what I thought this tsuba guard referenced.

Depicted is Benzaiten, considered to be a manifestation of Amaterasu.

Soh is sacrificing herself when she uses this tsuba guard. She's 'tenko'.

We also receive Tenko's Sacrifice in it the Narusawa Wind Caves, where the Maiden is sacrificed.

However, in Japanese, it's only called Tenko(天后 ). Which means Queen of Heaven. This is a title for Amaterasu! It does not use the kanji for fox.

后 (kō): Means empress or queen
狐 (kō / kitsune): Means fox.

This title 'Tianhou' is also for the Chinese Goddess Mazu. But it's also what Amaterasu is referred to many times. (Mazu is also depicted as wearing red, just like in the tsuba guard)

BUT Tenko is a divine general, one of 12. 

All in all, might be a little hint at the who the Goddess is.

Soh is nothing like Amaterasu.

Soh wearing Amaterau's outfit is ironic as they're opposites. 

Soh doesn't seem to care much for the villagers and sees Yoshiro as a tool to purify her mountain (although she's nice to her sometimes). 

It's implied she warms up to Yoshiro since she ends the pact. (Or does she gain such power, she can longer be defiled?)

You can interact with animals at the base but you have no interaction with villagers or Yoshiro. Aside from ordering them around.
Even if they can't see Soh, they could've added some form of interaction if they wanted to portray an amicable relationship. But she really couldn't care lol

Yoshiro can greet Soh, and the villagers too with a talisman, but Soh herself has no interaction with them. You can't press 'o'.

Ammy, on the other hand, assist everyone in need. Her character left a big impression on people because she's an active God who cares. Her loving and carefree nature inspires.

Soh's attitude is justified though. Humans living in sin and defiling the mountain, your mountain, is not going to leave you with a good impression. Worse is they offer up a young girl regularly so they can continue their ways. (I actually hate them lol)

The human sacrifice made to atone for humanity's wrongdoings is a pure and innocent girl who goes willingly. In myths, human sacrifice of the martyr to absolve humanity must be willing. 

They let the defilement build up so much that a sacrifice is needed. Like letting your house get so dirty and rancid, you need to demolish it.

Defiling the mountain defiles the Goddess and so a Maiden, as her substitute, purifies the mountain and in doing so, the Goddess?

(Also, Cursed Soh is not Amaterasu lol I was so wrong about that idea)

New Mineral Discovered: Amaterasu.

【研究成果】岡山県から新種の鉱物「アマテラス鉱」を発見💎✨
浜根大輔技術専門職員らは、日本の国石であるヒスイの中から新種の鉱物を発見しました。
本鉱物の結晶構造に二面性があったことから、「荒魂」と「和魂」という二面性を持つ天照大神に因んで名付けられましたhttps://t.co/5FZmvQvpV3 pic.twitter.com/KkXEIcCUH7

— 東京大学 物性研究所 (@UTokyo_issp) August 7, 2025

Research Achievement】New Mineral "Amaterasu Mineral" Discovered in Okayama Prefecture 💎✨

Technical Specialist Daisuke Hamae and others discovered a new mineral within jade, Japan's national stone.

Due to the duality in the crystal structure of this mineral, it was named after Amaterasu, the deity embodying the duality of "Ara-tama" (wild spirit) and "Nigi-tama" (gentle spirit).

An exciting discovery.

I posted this here because of Amaterasu but also mentions of the duality of kami.

Since Yoshiro channels the Goddess and Soh is also the Goddess(through the mask?)...

Is Yoshiro the Nigitami, the gentle side, and Soh the Aratama, the wild side?

Ten actually suggested this in his post on the scrolls, for the Moment of Peace scroll. At the time, I agreed for my own personal reasons but now I think now that he was indeed objectively right.

I'll repost here:

The animals that have been cleansed of impurities go to Yoshiro, so this scene can be seen during the day.

Yoshiro is a shrine maiden, and it is a lonely role where she cannot get along with the villagers.

This is a scene where she comes into contact with the animals and feels comforted.

Rabbits, sparrows, deer, and cows are animals that appear in myths and are considered messengers of the gods.

Yoshiro has a halo around her head.

Nigimitama is a name that honors the god's calmness, affection, and harmonious work, and is considered to be the main characteristic of the god.

Aramitama is "constructive, enterprising bravery, and work on the side of creation"*16.

It does not mean a "wild god," but if ara goes too far, it becomes "wild."

Aratama and Nigimitama are terms that refer to certain aspects, so it is not that there are "separate souls" or that the "soul has been split into two"; they are the same spirit.

It is said that "he accomplishes things with a rough spirit and serves with a peaceful spirit," and he accomplishes his tasks by working both actively and passively.

She appears to be enjoying a peaceful time away from the roughness of battle, and Soh, who is not depicted, can be seen as an "aramitama."

If they're both channeling the Goddess, why are they so different? Because of the dual nature of the Goddess!

It's worth noting that Cursed Soh, the defiled Goddess, resembles a fusion of Soh and Yoshiro. 

If Yoshiro walks the Path of the Goddess, appearing to become her, then Yoshiro and Soh ultimately become one. (Since Soh once walked the Path as the previous Spirit Stone belongs to her.)

Mitsudomoe. More Amaterasu proof?

 In my Strange symbols and patterns on the Torii Gates, Soh and Villagers post, I mentioned seeing this symbol:

It's actually a common symbol in Shinto! Called Tomoe. This one in particular is mitsudomoe. 

I kept seeing the red lines...unaware that there's three magatama shapes in this symbol!

It is also commonly displayed on banners and lanterns used in festivals and rituals related to Amaterasu-ōmikami,who in the Kojiki confronts her brother Susanoo when he usurps her terrain on earth by dressing as an archer, adorned with magatama beads and 'an awesome high arm-guard' (itu nö takatömö).

Tomoe also is a personal name, dating at least back to Tomoe Gozen (巴御前), a famous female warrior celebrated in The Tale of the Heike account of the Genpei War. In Kyoto's Jidai Matsuri festival, she appears in the Heian period section of the procession in samurai costume, and parades as a symbol of feminine gallantry.

Remember Soh's title as Gozen? Thought it was cool...(but probably irrelevant here)

Her forehead reminds me of Yoshiro's.

So, the festivals are celebrating Amaterasu...is the Goddess Amaterasu then?

Look at how the symbol is presented:

3 layers. 3 magatama. Yoshiro in the center. 

Yoshiro, Soh, the Goddess?

Going back to 'Amaterasu dressing like an archer', look:

During the festival, bows are out. At Korai Valley, I think.

Are the Amaterasu references just references or is it the identity of the Goddess? Is the Goddess the Amaterasu of the Kunitsu-Gami world?

I took more photos of the lanterns. They are usually by Yoshiro's tent or buildings.

These two symbols are often seen together.

The bottom one is magatama merging with the middle 'sword'. The implication being the Goddess merging with Maidens...

Doesn't it also make you think of the impurity pattern?

Mitsudomoe lanterns are also on the Cherry Tree!

Festive drums?