Kiichiro OBATA argues that, in ancient times, Sana no miyatsuko was the family in charge of mining mercury in this area, and vaporized mercury caused throat disorders among the people due to long-time aspiration of the material; and this job-related disease, as a result, came to connect the legendary Homutsuwake no mikoto with the tale of their ancestor Aketatsu no o.
尾畑喜一郎は佐那造が古代の水銀採掘に携わった人々であるとし、気化した水銀を長時間呼吸することによって喉の病を患い、その職業病が誉津別命と曙立王の伝承を結びつけたとしている。