Career

According to legend, in the time of Emperor Sujin (first century A.D.) there was a strong man called Taima no Kehaya who boasted that he could overpower anyone jutted against him. The emperor, hearing of another man of great strength named Nomi no Sukune in the province of Izumo, had him brought to court and arranged for the two to engage in a sumo wrestling contest, from which Nomi no Sukune emerged the victor. This is said to be the origin of Japanese style wrestling.

Nomi no Sukune did not return home but remained in the service of the emperor. According to the custom of the time, when a person of importance died, a number of his or her attendants were buried alive with the body so that they might accompany their lord in death. Emperor Sujin was distressed at this practice, and when the empress died, he asked his courtiers if there were some way that it could be avoided. Nomi no Sukune then sent for a hundred potters from the province of Izumo and had them make clay images of men and horses that could be ranged around the grave mound to take the place of the human beings. This, the legend states, was the beginning of the practice of burying haniwa with the dead.