The origin of Iwami's name

Shimane Prefecture was created in the Meiji era to replace the previous provinces, and was formed from the 3 provinces of Izumo, Oki, and Iwami. I live in the Iwami area. Iwami is written with the kanji (chinese characters) for "STONE" and 'LOOK', and I have often wondered about the origin of this name. On a recent visit to a shrine in Hamada I was able to learn one version of the origin.

A long, long time ago the people of this area were suffering from the depredations of an evil eight-colored snake. (There are obvious parallels here with the 8-headed snake of Izumo, Yamato no Orochi). A local goddess AMENOTOYOTARASHIKARAHIME did battle with the evil snake, but its evil was too powerful and Amenotoyo was overcome. Just in the nick of time help arrived. Raining down from the sky fell thousands of ofuda (paper charms). A god to the east (Izumo) had decided to help. His name was YATSUKAMIZUOMITSUNUNOMIKOTO, and they were his ofuda. He was a giant, and in this local story he is credited with performing the Kunibiki feat.

The power of the ofuda did the trick, and the snake was weakened. Regaining her strength, Amenotoyo rose up and slew it. As she sliced off its head, it flew through the air, over the mountains, and landed at a place where there is now a village named Yairoishi (8 colored stone).

Now, for reasons that I am not clear about, Amenotoyo decided that to keep protecting the people in the future she would turn herself into stone, which she promptly did. Still watching from afar, Yatsukami was so impressed with Amenotoyo's act that he decided that people should be reminded of it, so he named the area LOOK AT STONE, which is why the people around the shrine in Hamada refer to their kami as Stone Goddess.

Apparently there are at lkeast 4 other stories that explain the origin of Iwami's name, and if I come across any of them I will add them.

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