『古事記』中つ巻「東征」より
天照大御神の子孫・神倭伊波礼毘古命（かむやまといはれびこのみこと・のちの神武天皇）は、兄の五瀬命（いつせのみこと）とともに、日向（宮崎）の高千穂の宮にいました。しかし、より国をおさめるにふさわしい地を求めて、はるか東方に向かうことを決意します。
日向を立ち、豊国（大分）・筑紫（福岡）・阿岐国（広島）・吉備（岡山）を経て、白肩津（しらかたのつ＝大阪）へたどりついた神倭伊波礼毘古命ですが、ここで登美能那賀須泥毘古（とみのながすねびこ）との戦いにやぶれ、兄・五瀬命（いつせのみこと）は戦死してしまいました。神倭伊波礼毘古命は紀伊半島を迂回し、熊野で霊剣の威力で荒れすさぶ神を倒し、倭（奈良）へと向かいます。
このとき彼は、高木神（たかぎのかみ）から、こんなお告げをうけました。 「天つ神の御子（みこ）よ。これより奥には、荒ぶる神々がたくさんいるから、すぐに踏みこんではならない。今、天より八咫烏（やあたからす）をつかわすので、その導きに従うがよい」
目の前にあらわれた八咫烏のあとをついていくと、一行は吉野川の下流にたどりつきました。そこで魚をとっている人に名前をたずねると、「私は国つ神で、贄持（にえもつ）の子です」と答えました。さらに進むと、光る井戸から、尾のある人が出てきて「私は国つ神で、名は井氷鹿（いひか）です」と言いました。なお山の中に入ると、大きな岩を押し分けて、またも尾のある人があらわれました。「私は国つ神で、石押分（いわおしわく）の子。今、天つ神の御子がおいでになると聞き、参上しました」と言いました。
神倭伊波礼毘古命は、その後の戦いに、ことごとく勝利していきます。宇陀で兄宇迦斯（えうかし）を、忍坂（奈良県桜井市）で土雲八十建（つちぐものやそたける）を倒し、さらに兄・五瀬命の仇（かたき）である那賀須泥毘古や、地元の一勢力であった兄師木・弟師木（えしき・おとしき）をも破りました。
そして高天原から降りてきていた邇芸速日命（にぎはやひのみこと）が「天つ神の御子がおいでになると聞き、参上しました」と、同じ天つ神の御子であることを示す宝物を差し出します。
このように荒ぶる神々を平定し、並みいる敵を退けた神倭伊波礼毘古命は、畝火（うねび）の白檮原宮（かしはらのみや）を営み、神武天皇として天下を治めることとなりました。ここに16年以上におよぶ、長い東征の旅は終わりを告げたのです。
英訳文を表示する（For English）
From the Kojiki, Volume II “Eastern Expedition of Emperor Jimmu”
Kamu-yamato-iware-biko no Mikoto (later known as Emperor Jimmu, a descendent of the Japanese sun goddess Amaterasu-omikami) was living in his Takachiho palace in Himuka, which is now present day Miyazaki Prefecture, with his elder brother Itsuse no Mikoto. However, the brothers decided to move east in order to find a better location for reigning over the entire country.
The brothers left Himuka, and passed through Toyo-no-kuni (now Oita), Tsukushi (now Fukuoka), Aki-no-kuni (now Hiroshima) and Kibi (now Okayama), finally reaching Shirakata-no-tsu (Shirakata Bay in Osaka), where they were defeated in a battle against Tomi-no-nagasune-biko. Itsuse no Mikoto was wounded in the fight and died soon afterwards. Kamu-yamato-iware-biko no Mikoto sailed around the Kii Peninsula and landed in Kumano, where he defeated a savage deity with the help of his divine sword. After the battle, he headed for Yamato (now Nara Prefecture).
Then, Kamu-yamato-iware-biko no Mikoto received a prophecy from Takagi-no-kami: “Son of the Heavenly Deity, do not go deep into the mountains now. There are numerous savage deities there. I will send you the yāta-garasu, a crow with three legs, to serve as your guide. Wait here for the crow and follow it to Yamato.”
The yāta-garasu appeared in front of Kamu-yamato-iware-biko no Mikoto and led him and his party to the lower course of the Yoshino River. There, Kamu-yamato-iware-biko no Mikoto asked a fisherman his name. The man answered, “I’m an earthly deity, and a son of Niemotsu.”Kamu-yamato-iware-biko no Mikoto continued on his journey when a man with a tail came out of a shining well and said, “I’m an earthly deity. My name is Ihika.” When Kamu-yamato-iware-biko no Mikoto went deeper into the mountains, another man with a tail appeared, pushing open huge rocks. He said, “I’m an earthly deity, and a son of Iwa-oshiwaku. I came here because I was told that the son of the Heavenly Deity was coming.”
Thereafter, Kamu-yamato-iware-biko no Mikoto was victorious in every battle he fought. He defeated Eukashi in Uda, Tsuchigumo no Yaso-takeru in Ossaka (now Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture), Nagasune-biko to avenge his elder brother Itsuse no Mikoto, and conquered Eshiki and Otoshiki, brothers from one of the most influential families in the area.
Then, Nigi-hayahi no Mikoto, descended from the heavens to speak with Kamu-yamato-iware-biko no Mikoto, telling him “I heard that the son of the Heavenly Deity was coming, so I came to see him.” He then presented Kamu-yamato-iware-biko no Mikoto with a family heirloom proving that he too was a son of the Heavenly Deity.
After Kamu-yamato-iware-biko no Mikoto finished subduing the savage deities and repelling numerous enemies, he built Kashihara-no-miya―the imperial palace of Kashihara―in Unebi, and started to govern his empire as Emperor Jimmu. His expedition to the east finally came to an end after more than 16 years of travelling.
Yatagarasu-jinja Shrine, Haibara, Uda City In the tale of Kamu-yamato-iware-biko no Mikoto’s expedition to the east, the enshrined deity Taketsunumi no Mikoto was described as being personified by the yāta-garasu who guided and led the future emperor’s army from Kumano to Yamato. Traditions say that Yatagarasu-jinja Shrine was first established in 705, the second year of Keiun, and that clans such as the Otomo clan and the Kamo clan, the supposed descendants of the yāta-garasu, worked hard together to hold religious services there. In recent years, Yātagarasu-jinja Shrine has become known as a shrine for safety and victory in sports. In the shrine’s precincts, there is a statue of the yāta-garasu heading a soccer ball.
八咫烏（やたがらす）神社 【宇陀市榛原】