Kogo Shūi
Also known as: 古語拾遺, Kogo Shui, Gleanings from Ancient Words, Gleanings from Ancient Matters, Imbe no Hironari's Kogo Shūi
An early Heian compilation by Imbe no Hironari preserving archaic Shinto myths, rites, and clan traditions, especially those of the Imbe. It supplements Kojiki and Nihon Shoki with variant narratives and justifications for ritual offices and regalia.
Description
Composed in 807 CE, the Kogo Shūi defends the antiquity and ritual authority of the Imbe lineage by recounting mythic episodes from the Age of the Gods through the early imperial era. It gathers origin-stories for major rites, sacred objects, and court offices, frequently naming deities tied to crafts, offerings, and the divine regalia. While overlapping with Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, it preserves distinctive variants and adds genealogical and institutional details that emphasize the Imbe role in state liturgy. The work functions as both mythographic memorandum and clan manifesto, articulating how heavenly precedents sanction terrestrial ritual practice.
Historiography
Traditionally attributed to Imbe no Hironari and transmitted in several medieval manuscript lines, the text positions itself as a corrective to omissions in Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. Its rhetoric reflects Heian court politics, notably the Imbe–Nakatomi rivalry over ritual prerogatives. Later Shinto exegetes cited it for antiquarian detail on rites and regalia. Modern scholarship treats it as an independent witness to early myth-ritual traditions and clan historiography rather than a simple epitome.
Date Notes
Presented in Daidō 2 (807) to the imperial court; argues for Imbe clan prerogatives and preserves variants omitted from Kojiki/Nihon Shoki.
Archetypes
Major Characters
- Amaterasu
- Susanoo
- Ōkuninushi
- Ninigi
Myths
- Genealogies of the Kami
- Clan Origins and Divine Grants
- Alternative Izumo Traditions
Facts
- Compiled by Imbe no Hironari in 807 CE during the Daidō era.
- Written to document matters omitted from the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki and to vindicate Imbe ritual privileges.
- Centers on origins of rites, offerings, and regalia rather than continuous annalistic history.
- Preserves variant mythic details, especially about the Rock-Cave episode and preparation of offerings.
- Names craft deities responsible for the Mirror and Magatama, underscoring ritual manufacture.
- Links heavenly precedents to court institutions, legitimizing specific clan offices.
- Provides genealogies for Imbe alongside rival ritual lineages (Nakatomi, Mononobe).
- Cited by medieval Shinto scholars as an antiquarian source on ceremonial practice.
- Acts as an independent witness to early myth-ritual complexes beyond the imperial chronicles.
- Survives in multiple later manuscript lines with minor textual divergences.