In the beginning heaven and earth were not yet separated, and the world drifted formlessly—like oil floating on water, like a jellyfish adrift. In time the clear, light element rose to become heaven, and the heavy, murky element sank to form the ground.
At that moment, in the High Plain of Heaven (Takamagahara), three deities came into being of their own accord: Ame-no-Minakanushi, the central lord of the heavens; Takamimusuhi; and Kamimusuhi. Together they are called the “Three Deities of Creation.”
All three were solitary gods—born without a partner—and, having appeared, they quietly hid themselves. The world was still unformed, and the great story of the gods was only beginning to stir.
