There is a theory claiming that Hime-gami was the original local deity enshrined at Usa and that Hachiman was brought in later, and another theory that Hime-gami is one of the three Munakata goddesses or Ichikishima-hime-no-mikoto, but recent theories have emerged that claim Hime-gami to have been Himiko or Amaterasu (Sun-goddess).
八幡神は外来神で比売神はそれ以前に宇佐に祀られていた地主神だという説や、比売神は宗像三神または市杵島姫命であるという説、近年では比売神は卑弥呼でありアマテラスであるという説も登場している。