Research: Izanagi and Izanami
Through my previous researches I came acrosse the names 'Izanagi' and 'Izanami' several times and as i had mentioned in other posts, they seem to play a big role in the Shinto religion. Therefore, I though that I should do further research regarding these two gods. This will inform my work and I will be able to incorporate them more easily into my paintings.
Izanagi and Izanami
According to the japanese mythology written in the Nihon Shoki ("Chronicle of Japan") and the Kojiki ("Records of Ancient Matters"), Izanagi-no-Mikoto ("He-who-invites") and Izanami-no-Mikoto ("She-who-invites"), brother and sister, are the divine couple in charge of the creation of the Japanese islands. Furthermore, they gave brith to many other important kami. For these reasons, they are considered to be the primordial kami of Shinto religion.
Izanagi-no-Mikoto is considered the father of many Shinto rituals such as marriage and misogi (禊 - a ritual of purification in which it is washed the entire body). But the is also the father of many other kami such as Amaterasu, for example, who now is the ruler of Heaven.
The creation myth
It is said that before the heavens and world being formated, only existed a dark chaos with particles of light floating. As time went by, these particles reached the top of the darkness and formed Takamagahara (高天原, "Plain of High Heaven" or "High Plain of Heaven"). The chaos and darkness that was left eventually combined and formed a mass which became the Earth.
With the formation of the Plain of High Heaven, the first three kami - Amenominakanushi, Takamimusubi and Kamimusubi - appeared. Izanagi and Izanami were the eighth generation of kami. It was the older generations that assigned them to bring order and structure to the floating chaos (the world). In order for them to accomplish such task, they were given a jewelled spear entitled Amenonuhoko (天沼矛, "Heavenly Jewelled Spear"). With this sword they churned up the darkness and as result it formed the sea and the first island of Japan - Onogoro-shima - where the kami built a home and where it was host their marriage ceremony.
Kobayashi Eitaku (1885), Izanagi and Izanami preparing to summon land from the sea with their spear´
The two kami decided to marry and procreate. In order to do complete their marriage ritual they constructed a pillar entitled Ame-no-mihashira (which means "Pillar of Heaven") and then the palace Yahiro-dono. Izanagi and Izanami circled this pillar in oposite directions and when they met, Izanami wrongly spoke first (but they mated anyway). As a consequence, their first two children had deformities - the first was the kami Hiruko, who was abandoned and sent to the sea; the second was the island of Awa. For this reason, they asked the older generations of kami what went wrong in the ritual, they answered that Izanagi should have spoken first. Following the instructions that were given to them, they performed the ceremony and this time they were successful.
However, their happiness didn't last long - by giving birth to the kami of fire, Kagutsuchi, Izanagi was consumed by the flames and burned to death. Izanagi, full of rage, killed Kagutsuchi by cutting his head off.
The Descent to Yomi
In order to rescue Izanami, Izanagi wento to the Land of the Dead - Yomi-no-Kumi - a placed full of monsters. Once he was in there he saw the silhouette of Izanami who appeared to be normal. However, when a light show her body it was a corpse full of demons as if they were maggots. Seeing this, Izanagi tried to run away from his wife, who sent demons to catch him. While he was retreating he blocked the entrance and she was not able to escape. For this reason, Izanami became the queen of the Land of the Dead and Izanagi the god of the land of the living.
Afterwards, Izanagi had to perform a purification of ritual so that he would clean himslef of the impurities of Yomi-no-Kumi, it was in this ritual that the three Rulers of the Heaven (Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi and Susanoo)
According to my research, Izanagi and Izanami are commonly represented in art during 'The Creation' moment in which they are stading with their spear while stirring to the ocean. This will help me to create the final drawing since in my previous skecth I did not use any of these elements in my composition as you may seen: 
Now that I have already made my research, I know which elements I should incorporate in my drawing in order to better represent these two kami.
Reference:
Catwright M. (2012) Izanami and Izanagi [online] World of History Encyclopedia, Available from: https://www.worldhistory.org/Izanami_and_Izanagi/ [Accessed 14.05.2021]
Wright G. (n.d.) Izanagi [online] Mythopedia, Available from: https://mythopedia.com/japanese-mythology/gods/izanagi/ [Accessed 14.05.2021]
Maguire S. (2018) The Story of Izanagi and Izanami: A Japanese Creation Myth [online] Owlcation, Available from: https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/IzanagiandIzunami [Accessed 14.05.2021]
Perkins M.(2020) Japanese Mythology: Izanami and Izanagi [online] Learn Religions, Available from:
https://www.learnreligions.com/japanese-mythology-izanami-and-izanagi-4797951 [Accessed 14.05.2021]
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