| Yamata no Orochi | |
|---|---|
Eight-headed dragon | |
 An eighteenth century depiction ofSusanoo slaying the eight-headed dragon, Yamata-no Orochi. Woodblock print byTorii Kiyomasu II. |
Yamata no Orochi (ヤマタノオロチ, also written as 八岐大蛇,[1] 八俣遠呂智[1] or 八俣遠呂知[2]) is a legendary eight-headed and eight-tailed serpent that appears inJapanese mythology. Both theKojiki andNihon Shoki record the serpent as being slain by the godSusanoo, in order to rescue the goddessKushinada-hime. It is also noted that theKusanagi-no-Tsurugi, one of theThree Sacred Treasures, was found within the serpent's tail.
In local tradition, Yamata no Orochi was believed to have survived their encounter with Susanoo and fled toMount Ibuki, where they were venerated asIbuki Daimyōjin (伊吹大明神). Additionally, figures such asEmperor Antoku and theNāga Maiden have been identified as incarnations of Yamata no Orochi.
The nameYamata no Orochi (八俣遠呂智 in theKojiki,[1] 八岐大蛇 in theNihon Shoki[1]) is variously translated as "Eight-Forked Serpent",[3] "Eight-Headed-Serpent"[2] and "Eight-Headed Dragon",[4] withorochi (大蛇) being used in modernJapanese to refer to a large snake or dragon.[4]
Orochi is derived from theOld Japaneseworöti, however itsetymology is enigmatic.[5] While Western linguists have suggested thatworöti is aloanword fromAustronesian,Tungusic, andIndo-European languages,[5] the more likely etymologies put forward by Japanese scholars argue that it comes fromoro (尾ろ; "tail"),ō (大; "big/great"), or dialectaloro (峰ろ; "peak/summit"), in addition tochi (霊; "god/spirit"), possibly being a cognate withmizuchi, (蛟; "water spirit/dragon") andikazuchi (雷; "[god of] thunder").[6]
Yamata (八岐/八俣; "eight-forks/branches") on the other hand, may be related to other instances of "eight" (八, read as eitheryatsu orhachi) in Japanese literature, used to mean "many" or "several", for example:yata (八咫; "long/large"),yae (八重; "many-layered") andyashima (八洲; "many islands", i.e.Japan).[3][4]
The earliest record of the Yamata no Orochi myth comes from theKojiki, the oldest extant source ofJapanese mythology, completed in the year 712 byŌ no Yasumaro at the behest ofEmperor Tenmu andEmpress Genmei.[7]
After being banished fromTakamagahara, the godSusanoo (須佐之男) descended to a place called Torikami (鳥髪[a]) in the land ofIzumo, where he found a chopstick floating down the River Hi (簸川, known today as theHii river). Taking this as a sign that there must be people living nearby, Susanoo traveled upstream and came across an elderly couple and a young girl, all of whom were weeping. The old man introduced himself asAshinazuchi (足名椎), anearthly deity and child of the mountain godŌyamatsumi. His wife was Tenazuchi (手名椎) and his daughter wasKushinada-hime (櫛名田比売). Originally the couple had eight daughters, but every year an eight-headed serpent fromKoshi (高志之八俣遠呂智,Koshi no Yamata no Orochi) had appeared and devoured one of them. Now only Kushinada-hime remained and she was soon to be eaten too, for this reason the three of them wept.[9][10][11] When questioned on the serpent's appearance, Ashinazuchi described it as such:
“Its eyes are like red cherries (赤酸醤,akakagachi[b]) and it has eight heads and eight tails. Covered in moss, cypress and cedar, it spans eight valleys and eight peaks, and when you look at its belly you see blood oozing out everywhere.”[12][13]
Revealing his identity as the younger brother of the goddessAmaterasu, Susanoo agreed to slay the serpent in exchange for Kushinada-hime's hand in marriage, to which Ashinazuchi gladly accepted. Thereafter, Susanoo transformed Kushinada-hime into a comb, which he stuck in the locks of his hair, and instructed Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi to brew "eightfold-refinedsake" (八塩折之酒,Yashiori-no-Sake). They were also told to build a fence with eight gates, and to place a vat of thesake at each gate. After which they were to await the serpent's arrival.[12][14][15]
So they prepared everything as he told them to, whereupon the eight-headed serpent appeared, just as the old man had said it would. Straightaway it dipped a head in each cask and drank up thesake. Then it became drunk and fell asleep. And so the mighty Susanoo unsheathed thesword ten hand spans long (十拳剣,Totsuka-no-Tsurugi) that was girded by his side and hacked the serpent to pieces until the River Hi ran red with its blood. When he sliced off the middle tail, the blade of his mighty sword snapped off. And so, thinking this strange, he cut the tail open with the tip of the stub of his mighty blade and looked inside to find a keen-edged broadsword there. So he took the broadsword, marveling at it, and presented it to the Great August Deity Amaterasu with his account of what had happened. This is the broadswordGrass Cutter (草那藝之大刀,Kusanagi-no-Tachi).[16][17]
The sword that Susanoo extracted from the serpent's tail, also called theKusanagi-no-Tachi, is counted among thethree imperial regalia of Japan.[18] The other two treasures being theYata-no-Kagami andYasakani-no-Magatama.[19]
Following theKojiki, theNihon Shoki, compiled in the year 720 under the supervision ofPrince Toneri,[20] includes six different accounts of Susanoo's deeds following his exile from Takamagahara. Of these six variants, four make mention of Susanoo slaying the mythical serpent.[21]
Having been banished from heaven, Susanoo (素戔嗚) descended to the headwaters of the River Hi, in the province of Izumo, where he heard the sound of weeping from upstream. Following this sound, Susanoo encountered an old man and woman caressing and lamenting over a young girl. When questioned by Susanoo, the elderly man introduced himself as an earthly deity named Ashinazuchi (脚摩乳), his wife was Tenazuchi (手摩乳), and their daughter was called Kushiinada-hime (奇稲田姫). The couple formerly had eight daughters, but they had been devoured year after year by an "eight-forked serpent" (八岐大蛇,Yamata no Orochi), and the two grieved that Kushiinada-hime was soon to be eaten too. In response, Susanoo asked for Kushiinada-hime's hand in marriage, which Ashinazuchi agreed to. He then turned Kushiinada-hime into a comb, which he hid in the knot of his hair, and made Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi brew eight-foldsake (八醞酒,Yashiori-no-Sake). The two were further instructed to build eight cupboards, in each of which they set a tub of thesake, and to await the serpent's arrival.[22][23]
When the time came, the serpent actually appeared. It had an eight-forked head and an eight-forked tail; its eyes were red, like ground cherries (赤酸醤,akakagachi); and on its back, firs and cypresses were growing. As it crawled it extended over a space of eight hills and eight valleys. Now when it came and found thesake, each head drank up one tub, and it became drunken and fell asleep. Then Susanoo drew the Ten-Span Sword (十握剣,Totsuka-no-Tsurugi) which he wore, and chopped the serpent into small pieces. When he came to the tail, the edge of his sword was slightly notched, and he therefore split open the tail and examined it. Inside there was a sword. This is the sword which is calledKusanagi-no-Tsurugi (草薙剣; "Grass-Mowing Sword").[22][24]
TheNihon Shoki also notes that, according to one account, the original name for the sword wasAma-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi (天叢雲剣; "Sword of Gathering Clouds of Heaven"):
It perhaps received this name from the clouds constantly gathering over the place where the serpent was. In the time of theImperial Prince Yamato-dake its name was changed toKusanagi-no-Tsurugi.[24] Deciding not to appropriate the sword for himself, Susanoo submitted it as a gift to thegods of heaven.[22][24]
After his exile from Takamagahara, Susanoo came down to the headwaters of the River E (愛之川), in the province ofAki. There he encountered a god by the name of Ashinazu-Tenazu (脚摩手摩), and his wife, Inada-no-Miyanushi-Susano-Yatsumimi (稲田宮主簀狭之八箇耳), who was pregnant. The two deities lamented that, though they had bore many children, whenever one was born an eight-forked serpent came to devour it. Now that they were about to have another, they grieved that it would also be eaten. Hearing this, Susanoo proclaimed that he would slay the serpent for them, and instructed the two deities to take all manner of fruits and brew from them eight jars ofsake.[22][25][26]
The two gods, in accordance with his instructions, preparedsake. When the time came for the child to be born, the serpent came indeed to the door, and was about to devour the child. But Susanoo addressed the serpent, and said: “Thou art truly an awful god. How could I dare neglect to feast thee?” So he took the eight jars ofsake, and poured one into each of its mouths. The serpent drank it up and fell asleep. Susanoo drew his sword and slew it. When he came to sever its tail, the edge of his sword was slightly notched. He split the tail open and examined it, when he found that inside it there was a sword. This sword is calledKusanagi-no-Tsurugi.[27]
According to this passage, the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi was held at the village of Ayuchi (吾湯) inOwari, where it was the god venerated by theHafuribe[c] ofAtsuta (熱田祝部). Additionally, the sword that Susanoo used to slay the serpent, called theOrochi-no-Aramasa (蛇之麁正[d]), was held atIsonokami Shrine. The child that Inada-no-Miyanushi-no-Susano-Yatsumimi gave birth to, named Inagami-Furukushi-Nada-hime (真髪触奇稲田姫), returned to Izumo where she grew up at the head of the River Hi. Susanoo later took her as his wife and had by her a child, whose descendant wasŌnamuchi-no-Mikoto.[22][25]
Susanoo wished to favor Inada-hime, and so asked Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi for her hand in marriage. However, the two requested that he first slay a great serpent (大蛇), which had stone firs growing on each of its heads, and mountains on each of its sides.[22][27]
Susanoo thereupon devised a plan. He brewed a poisonoussake, which he gave it to drink. The serpent became drunk, and fell asleep. Susanoo forthwith took his sword, calledOrochi-no-Karasabi (蛇韓鋤; "Serpent'sKara Blade"[e]), and severed its head and severed its belly. When he severed its tail, the edge of the sword was slightly notched, so he split the tail open and made examination. He found there another sword, which he calledKusanagi-no-Tsurugi.[30][31]
The passage likewise claims that the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi was located within the province of Owari, though the Orochi-no-Karasabi is instead said to be held by theKanbe[f] of Kibi (吉備神部). The mountain at the upper reaches of the River Hi in Izumo is also noted as the location in which the serpent was slain.[22][29]
In response to Susanoo's unruly behavior, all the gods imposed on him a fine of a thousand tables [of offerings], leading to his banishment from heaven. Susanoo, accompanied by his sonIsotakeru-no-Kami [jp] (五十猛神), therefore descended to the land ofSilla where he dwelt at a place calledSoshimori [jp] (曾尸茂梨). Wishing not to stay in this land however, he formed a boat out of clay and embarked eastwards across the sea, until he arrived at Mount Torikami (鳥上之峰,Torikami no Take) at the headwaters of the River Hi in Izumo.[22][29][28]
Now there was in this place a serpent which devoured men. Susanoo accordingly took his sword, calledAma-no-Hahakiri (天蠅斫; "Heavenly Fly-Cutter"[g]), and slew this serpent. Now when he cut the serpent’s tail, the edge of his sword was notched. Thereupon he split open the tail, and on examination, found within it a divine sword.[32][33]
Susanoo decided not to keep the blade for himself, and sent his descendantAma-no-Fukine-no-Kami [jp] (天之葺根神) to offer it up to Heaven. Henceforth, the sword was known asKusanagi-no-Tsurugi.[33][34]
The slaying of Yamata no Orochi is further recounted in theSendai Kuji Hongi, a record of Japanese history supposedly written by the legendaryPrince Shōtoku.[35] The antiquity and authorship of the text were brought into question during the seventeenth century however, and theKujiki instead appears to have been a later creation, incorporating elements of theKojiki,Nihon Shoki andKogo Shūi.[35] Moreover, the elaborate mythical origins attributed to theMononobe lineage suggest that the text was authored by a member of the clan.[36]
Due to this composite nature, the text largely reiterates elements from the above mentioned accounts of Yamata no Orochi, such as Susanoo's descent to the land of Soshimori in Silla alongside his son Isotakeru, his arrival at Mount Torikami at the headwaters of the River Hi in Izumo (though the text simultaneously states that he arrived at the headwaters of the River E in Aki), and his marriage to Kushiinada-hime.[37] However, theKujiki also notes that, when Susanoo tricked the eight-forked serpent from Koshi (高志八岐大蛇) into getting drunk on thesake brewed by Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi, he chopped the serpent into eight pieces. From these eight pieces emerged eight thunder [gods] (八雷), who ascended to heaven.[37][38]
In book eleven of theKakuichi-bon (覚一本) edition of theHeike Monogatari, compiled in the year 1371 by theblind monkAkashi Kakuichi,[39] a retelling of the Yamata no Orochi myth is included in the chapter titledTsurugi (剣; "The Sword"[40]):
In that far-off time, Susano-o-no-Mikoto descended to the headwaters of the river Hi in the province of Izumo, and there he met a pair of earthly deities named Ashinazuchi, the husband, and Tenazuchi, the wife. They had a beautiful daughter called Inada-hime. All three were weeping.
“Why do you weep?” Susano-o-no-mikoto asked. To this question they replied: “Once we had eight daughters. The serpent swallowed all of them except the one that you see here, and soon it is to have her too. This serpent's eight heads and tails slither over eight peaks and valleys. On its back grow queer plants and trees. Its years number uncounted thousands, and its eyes are like the sun and moon. Every year it devours humans. Children mourn their parents, eaten; parents mourn their eaten children. Whether south or north of our village, cries of mourning never cease.”
Moved to pity, the god changed their daughter to a pristine comb and concealed it in his hair. He filled eight tubs withsake, made a likeness of her, and stood it up on a high place. Thesake reflected her form. The serpent, thinking she was real, drained the tubs to the last drop and lay there drunk, dead to the world. The god drew theTotsuka sword from the scabbard at his waist and fiercely slashed the serpent to pieces. One tail, though, he could not cut. This struck him as strange. He slit the tail open lengthwise. peered inside, and discovered there a spirit sword, which he took and presented to the Sun Goddess.
“This,” she said, “is the sword that I dropped long ago on the High Plain of Heaven. While it was in the serpent's tail, thick cloud always covered the land, so it bore the nameAma-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, 'Sword of Celestial Cloud'.”[41]
According to the epic, the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi was lost during theBattle of Dan-no-Ura afterTaira no Tokiko threw herself, andEmperor Antoku, overboard while carrying the blade.[42] As such, it was believed that Yamata no Orochi had reincarnated as Emperor Antoku to retrieve their stolen sword:
So they pronounced themselves, and one learned doctor[h] added, “The great serpent slain of old by Susano-o-no-mikoto, at the headwaters of the river Hi in the province of Izumo, so profoundly desired the spirit sword he had lost that, in token of his eight heads and tails, he took the form of the eightieth human sovereign and, in the person of an emperor in his eighth year, took it back and dove with it to the bottom of the sea.” In the depths of the ocean abyss, the sword was now the Dragon God's prize. Naturally, no one could expect to see it again in the human realm.[43]
The identification of Yamata no Orochi with Emperor Antoku may stem from the belief in which the latter was a reincarnation of theTaira clan's tutelary deity, Itsukushima Daimyōjin[i] (厳島大明神), as noted in theGukanshō, composed about a generation after the Battle of Dan-no-Ura by the Buddhist monk and poetJien.[45] Itsukushima Daimyōjin was herself understood to be the third daughter of theDragon King Sagara,[46] and the sister of bothEmpress Jingū and Toyohime[j] (淀姫).[48]
Emperor Antoku is additionally acknowledged as the reincarnation of Yamata no Orochi in thenoh playKusanagi (草薙), in which the monkGenshin is told of how the serpent assumed the identity of Emperor Antoku to reclaim the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.[49] Yamata no Orochi is then said to have reappeared to impede Yamato Takeru in his conquest of eastern Japan.[49]
Due to the prominence of the River Hi (簸川, now called theRiver Hii) in the Yamata no Orochi myth, scholars have often interpreted the serpent as a personification of the river itself.[50] Moreover,Miura Sukeyuki [jp] views the tale as a conflict between culture and nature, regarding Yamata no Orochi as a river god, symbolic of nature, andSusanoo as a representation of the "culture" that brings new order.[51] Following this interpretation, the myth can be seen as dealing with agriculture, specifically wet-rice cultivation, withKushiinada-hime (奇稲田姫; "Lady Wonderous Rice Paddy") symbolizing arice field, and the annual sacrifice ofAshinazuchi and Tenazuchi's daughters serving as a contract with the river god to ensure good harvest.[50] In a similar vein, the myth has also been interpreted as dealing with flooding, as the River Hi frequently burst its banks prior to its course being redirected during theEdo period.[50] The Victorian anthropologistEdward Burnett Tylor for instance, stated that Yamata no Orochi was understood as an eight-mouthed river, adding that: “the story seems really that of the wind and the flood.”[52] Though, by Tylor's own admission, no Japanese sources actually recognize Susanoo as a god of winds.[52]
Dragons are also frequently linked to bodies of water in Indian, Chinese and Japanese folklore, and were believed to serve as providers and withholders of rain.[50] In particular, Yamata no Orochi has been compared to the Chinesejiaolong, a malevolent river-dwelling dragon, distinguished from the "real dragon" which was said to be benevolent and provided rain and fertility.[53] Furthermore, theJiaolong is noted for its ability to assume numerous forms, including that of a sword.[54] The notion of theKusanagi-no-Tsurugi being retrieved from Yamata no Orochi's tail may also reflect an ancient folk belief, that appears in oral traditions throughout Japan, in whichpotholes were drilled by dragons ascending to heaven with the sharp swords growing from their tails.[55]
According to David Weiss, the conception of the dragon as a water god that must be propitiated to ensure sufficient water supply for agriculture, and to prevent floods, seems to form the oldest layer of the widespread "dragon-slayer" myth,[53] classified as type 300 in theAarne–Thompson–Uther Index,[56] which he identifies the slaying of Yamata no Orochi as an articulation of.[57]
Other scholars have instead associated the Yamata no Orochi myth with the arrival of advanced metalworking techniques from theKorean peninsula.[58] In these moreeuhemeristic explanations, Susanoo is typically regarded as the ancestral deity, or leader, of a group of metalworkers, often of Korean descent, while Yamata no Orochi may be explained as a mountain spirit that was responsible for causing rainstorms and floods.[58] According to this view, the landslides that resulted from such flooding would have brought rich deposits ofiron sand to the surface that were, in turn, made into swords.[58] As such, the swords made from this iron may have been viewed as parts of the mountain spirit's tail, in its serpent form.[58] Though these interpretations have been criticized as regarding myths as nothing more than "the allegorical representation of actual historical events and persons," which miss the many layers of meaning that constitute myth.[58] Instead, Weiss argues, it is more likely that the introduction of new metalworking techniques added an additional layer of meaning to a preexisting narrative.[58]
Lending some credence to themetallurgical interpretations of the myth is theIzumo no Kuni Fudoki [jp] (出雲国風土記; "Topography of theIzumo Province"), which notes that the most significant center of iron production in Izumo was theNita District.[59] The same region that serves as the setting for the Yamata no Orochi myth in both theKojiki and theNihon shoki.[59] TheIzumo Fudoki also suggests a connection between Susanoo and metalworking, with the text attributing two sons to Susanoo, named Tsurugi-hiko (都留支日子; "Sword Prince") and Tsuki-hoko-tooyoru-hiko (衝杵等乎而留比古; "God of the Penetrating Halberd").[59] Moreover, the township ofSusa, from which Susanoo is said to have received his name, is situated inIishi District, which served as one of the centers of iron production in Izumo during theNara period.[59] As a result, it is not implausible that Susanoo may have been a deity venerated by metalworkers in the Izumo province.[60]
Authors such asŌbayashi Taryō [jp] have also drawn parallels between the Yamata no Orochi myth and similar tales from other cultures, e.g. the slaying ofCetus byPerseus,[61][62] with Taryō concluding that the various dragon-slayer myths of Asia and Europe can be traced back to a common origin.[62] He further suggests that the dragon-slayer myth was transmitted to Japan alongside metallurgical techniques from the area to the south of the lower reaches of theYangzi River, possibly via southern Korea.[62] However, the lack of documented Korean tales comparable to the Yamata no Orochi myth make it difficult to postulate a transmission of the narrative via the Korean peninsula.[63]
A link between the Yamata no Orochi myth and Korea may be suggested by two of the names attributed to Susanoo's sword;Orochi-no-Aramasa (蛇之麁正) andOrochi-no-Karasabi (蛇韓鋤), which are both derived from the Korean peninsula.[63] Additionally, a variant of the myth provided in theNihon Shoki states that Susanoo crossed over to Izumo from the Korean kingdom ofSilla.[63]Roy Andrew Miller andNelly Naumann have also drawn a connection between the wordkusanagi and theKoreankurŏng'i (구렁이; "a large snake/serpent"), and further reconstructed theOld Korean formkusïnki, "which was then borrowed intoOld Japanese to appear there askusanagi."[58]
The Yamata no Orochi myth places particular emphasis on the discovery of the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, which was revered as one of thethree imperial regalia, perhaps reflecting its central importance to the narrative.[64] Weiss has suggested the discovery of the sword may have been a late addition, made by the scribes writing down the imperial chronicles at theYamato court, in order to explain the origin of one of the imperial regalia.[65] The association of the myth with Izumo would therefore reflect the court’s perception of Izumo as an important center of metallurgical expertise and metal production, which had to be linked to the ancestors of theimperial family in order to strengthen their claim to hegemony over the region.[65] The fact that theIzumo Fudoki makes no mention of the slaying of Yamata no Orochi has additionally led many scholars to argue that the narrative was fabricated at the imperial court, and is not based on any local tradition.[59]
In local belief surroundingMount Ibuki, Yamata no Orochi was thought to have survived their encounter with Susanoo and taken refuge on the mountain, where they came to be deified as Ibuki Daimyōjin (伊吹大明神).[66] This same deity was also responsible for the death ofYamato Takeru,[67] who succumbed to illness after his encounter with the mountain god:
Yamato Takeru no Mikoto (日本武尊), having returned back again toOwari, straightway took to wife a daughter of the Owari House, by nameMiyazu-hime (宮簀媛), and tarried there until the next month. Here he heard that on Mount Ibuki inŌmi there was a savage deity. So he took off his sword, and leaving it in the house of Miyazu-hime, went on afoot. When he arrived at Mount Ibuki, the god of the mountain took the shape of a great-serpent (大蛇), and posted himself on the road.
Hereupon Yamato Takeru no Mikoto, not knowing that it was the chief god who had become a serpent, said to himself: “This serpent must be the savage deity’s messenger. Having already slain a chief god, is a messenger worth hunting after?”
Accordingly he strode over the serpent and passed on. Then the God of the mountain raised up the clouds, and made an icy rain to fall. The tops of the hills became covered with mist, and the valleys enveloped in gloom. There was no path which he could follow. He was in a state of panic and knew not whither to turn his steps. However, braving the mist, he forced his way onwards, and barely succeeded in escaping.[68][69]
Ibuki Daimyōjin is additionally noted as being the father ofShuten Dōji in the Narapicture book (奈良絵本,Nara Ehon)Ōeyama (大江山).[66][70] According toŌeyama, the god of Mount Ibuki, whose true identity was Yamata no Orochi, impregnated the daughter of Lord Sugawa (須川殿) due to his nightly visits. Upset by the news of his daughter's pregnancy, Lord Sugawa summoned various religious specialists to exorcize the spirit. This angered the mountain god, who in-turn caused Lord Sugawa to fall ill. Subsequently, in an effort to pacify the deity, Yamata no Orochi came to be worshiped as Ibuki Daimyōjin.[71]
Owing to Buddhist reinterpretations of Susanoo's slaying of Yamata no Orochi, the latter also came to be identified with theNāga Maiden of the Lotus Sutra.[72] TheNihon Shoki Sanso [jp] (日本書紀纂疏), written in the fifteenth century byIchijō Kaneyoshi, for instance, mentions the belief in which the Nāga Maiden served as an avatar of the eight-headed serpent.[72] Though according to theShaku Nihongi, it is instead Susanoo's wife,Kushinada-hime, who is identified with the daughter of theDragon King.[72] In his explanation of the deities enshrined atGion-jinja (祇園神社), Kaneyoshi additionally speculates that Jadokkeshin (蛇毒気神; "Deity of the Poisoned Snake Breath"[73]), alternatively read asDadokuke-no-Kami,[74] is an incarnation of Yamata no Orochi.[75]
“Third is Dadokuke-no-Kami (蛇毒気神), which I suspect is an incarnation (化現,kegen) of the eight-forked serpent (八岐大蛇,Yamata no Orochi).”[76]
Jadokkeshin is herself an obscure deity who is noted in the writings ofKujō Michiie as the consort ofGozu Tennō,[77] a god of epidemics that was commonly conflated with Susanoo during the medieval period.[78] In later works however, Jadokkeshin is typically included among the eight children of Gozu Tennō andHarisaijo [jp], known as the Hachiōji (八王子; "Eight Princes").[77][79] The eight princes were collectively venerated as protective figures, identified at times with both theeight dragon kings [jp] (八大龍王) and theeight generals [jp] (八将神), the latter of whom served as directional deities inOnmyōdō.[80] Among the eight generals, Jadokkeshin corresponded to the astral deityHyōbi [jp] (豹尾),[81] and was further identified as a manifestation ofSanbō Kōjin in theHoki Naiden [jp] (簠簋内伝).[77] Jadokkeshin also appears to have been worshiped separately, outside of the group formed by the eight princes,[82] and is characterized as both a god of pestilence (行疫神,gyōyakujin)[75][79] and a placenta deity (胞衣神,enagami).[81]
Furthermore, Jadokkeshin features prominently in the narratives surrounding Gozu Tennō. In theGozu Tennō Shimawatari Saimon (牛頭天王島渡り祭文), a ritual text recited during theFlower Festival (花祭り,Hana-matsuri) held atOkumikawa [jp],[73] after marrying Harisaijo and rearing seven children in theDragon Palace, Gozu Tennō is said to have traveled to Japan with his family and eighty-four thousand retainers.[73] Along the way they encountered a monstrous red snake, that claimed to be their abandoned daughter Jadokkeshin.[73] TheHokishō [jp] (簠簋抄), a commentary on theHoki Naiden written in theEdo period,[83] elaborates on this further, stating that Jadokkeshin was born from the discarded placentas of her seven brothers.[81]
Jadoku (蛇毒; "snake's poison") said: “I came into being from the gathering of placentas and menstrual blood that were thrown away in the Pond of Reverse Blood (血逆の池,Ketsugyaku no Ike).”[79]
No extant depictions of Jadokkeshin are known.[81] However, theHonchō Seiki makes mention of a statue of Jadokkeshin, which was destroyed by the fire that broke out at Kankei-ji (観慶時, a Buddhist temple overseeing the Gion Shrine) in 1070.[75][84]
To this day, the Yamata no Orochi myth still plays a significant role in the culture of theShimane prefecture.[85] Yamata no Orochi is depicted in the logo ofSusanoo Kankō [jp] (スサノオ観光; "Susanoo Sightseeing"), a major bus company based inIzumo City, alongside the logo ofMatsue's professional basketball team;Shimane Susanoo Magic.[85] The biggest highway loop in the prefecture,Okuizumo Orochi Loop [jp] (奥出雲おろちループ), and a major street in Izumo City, Orochi Street (おろち通り), are also named after the serpent.[85]
Susanoo's slaying of Yamata no Orochi is reenacted as part ofIwami Kagura [jp] (石見神楽), a kind of folk theater popular in the western part of Shimane (formerly theIwami province), in whichOrochi (大蛇) is the most popular and regularly performed play.[86][87]
Yamata no Orochi also appears prominently in media. The 1963 filmThe Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon (わんぱく王子の大蛇退治,Wanpaku Ōji no Orochi Taiji,lit. "The Naughty Prince's Slaying of Orochi") for instance, is based loosely on the mythology surrounding Susanoo, and features his fight with Yamata no Orochi during the film's climax.[88] Additionally, the video gameŌkami features the eight-headed serpent Orochi as an antagonist.[89] The game deviates from mythological accounts however, as the player characterAmaterasu is the one tasked with defeating Orochi, while Susanoo plays a supporting role.[89] In thefighting gamesThe King of Fighters, Orochi is regarded as the "Will of Gaia" that will destroy the world upon its resurrection. The leadsKyo Kusanagi and his rivalIori Yagami inherited the powers of theImperial Regalia of Japan needed to defeat the demon while the supporting characterChizuru Kagura remains as the guardian of the seal when the creature is defeated.[90][91]
「蛇毒気神、疑ふらくは是、八岐大蛇の化現か」
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| Japanese creation myth | ||
| Takamagahara mythology | ||
| Izumo mythology | ||
| Hyūga mythology | ||
| Human age | ||
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| Mythological weapons | ||
| Major Buddhist figures | ||
| Seven Lucky Gods | ||
| Legendary creatures | ||
| Other | ||