In the Beginning
(Creation)
There were a female goddess named, Amamikyu, and a male god named, Shinerikyu, whom came down from heaven
Amamikyu, without having sexual intercourse, bore three children. The first son became the king; the first daughter became the first priestess; while the second son and third child became the first farmer. The previous explanation of the founding of the Uchinanchu (Okinawan People) was first written down from the oral tradition in 1603 AD. A more detailed version of the story, recorded in 1650 AD, goes like this… the female goddess Amamikyu and male god Shinerikyu, came down from heaven, made the mountains and forests, and "’carried stones and earth to the edge of the sea and planted trees to keep back the waves.’"(Glacken, 1955, p29) Many generations came and went, and then a grandson, Tenteishi, was born. He divided mankind into five classes of people. He made his oldest son, Tenson, the first ruler and his first daughter became the first high priestess (kikoe ogimi) who headed the nuru religious system; his second son the first gentry (anzu) while the second daughter became the first village priestess (nuru); and the third son became the first farmer. This first dynasty is said to have lasted 17,802 years, until 1187 AD.
It is written, that in the 25th generation since the reign of King Tenson, In 1187 AD, the unnamed last king of the Tenteishi royal line was ended by a coup` de ta, at the hand of Riyuu, a cunning vassal. In turn, Riyuu`s reign of power was short lived, marred with soldier revolt and political unrest. It is said that the local people found virtue in the young anji (Warlord) of Urasoe. His Name was Shunten.
More about Shunten, in part ③