Japanese god, ancestor of the Mononobe clan
Nigihayahi
Nigihayahi is a Japanese deity mentioned in the Kojiki, the Nihon Shoki and the Kujiki. He is regarded as the ancestor of the Mononobe clan and is linked to the descent of the gods from heaven to earth.
The myth
According to the chronicles, Nigihayahi came down from heaven in a «heavenly rock boat» and married Mikashikiyahime, younger sister of Nagasunehiko, as the Nihon Shoki and the Kujiki relate; the Kojiki names Tomiyahime instead. Accompanied by twenty-five deities, said to be ancestors of the Mononobe lineages, he ruled Yamato with Nagasunehiko's help.
During Jimmu's Eastern Expedition, Nagasunehiko, who claimed to follow Nigihayahi, denounced Jimmu as an impostor. When Nagasunehiko refused to surrender, Nigihayahi killed him and submitted to Jimmu, justifying his act by duty and loyalty. He died before his son Umashimaji was born, and Takamimusubi sent the whirlwind god to carry his corpse back to heaven for a funeral.
Legacy
He appears in the video game Ghost of Tsushima.
Ancient sources: Kojiki, Nihon Shoki and Kujiki, the last considered by many scholars to be a forgery.