Post by Lady Anastasia on Mar 27, 2007 0:47:30 GMT -5
Yamata no Orochi ("big snake of eight branches"), often called Orochi or the Eight-Forked Serpent (in English), is a dragon- or serpent-like creature in Japanese mythology.
In the ancient Japanese scripture, the Kojiki, after Susanoo is expelled from heaven, According to Kojiki, the Japanese god Susano'o encountered a grieving family headed by Ashi-na-Zuchi in Izumo province. When Susano'o inquired of Ashi-na-Zuchi, he told him that his family was being ravaged by the fearsome Yamata-no-Orochi, an eight-headed serpent of Koshi, who consumed seven of the family's eight daughters and that the creature was coming for his final daughter, Kushinada-hime.
The monster is described as having eight heads and eight tails and eyes as red as winter-cherries. It is so long its body extends over eight valleys and eight hills, its belly is always bloody and inflamed, and its back is covered with moss and hinoki and sugi trees.
Susano'o proceeded to investigate the creature, and after an abortive encounter he returned with a plan to defeat it. In return, he asked for Kushinada's hand in marriage, which was agreed. Transforming her temporarily into a comb (one interpreter reads this section as 'using a comb he turns into [masquerades as] Kushinada hime') to have her company during battle, he detailed his plan.
He instructed the preparation of eight vats of sake (rice wine) to be put on individual platforms positioned behind a fence with eight gates. The monster took the bait and put each of its heads through each gate. With this distraction, Susano'o attacked and slew the beast. He decapitated each head and then proceeded to the tails. In the fourth tail, he discovered a great sword inside the body of the dragon which he called Ame-no-Murakumo-no-tsurugi, which he presented to the goddess, Amaterasu to settle an old grievance.
In the ancient Japanese scripture, the Kojiki, after Susanoo is expelled from heaven, According to Kojiki, the Japanese god Susano'o encountered a grieving family headed by Ashi-na-Zuchi in Izumo province. When Susano'o inquired of Ashi-na-Zuchi, he told him that his family was being ravaged by the fearsome Yamata-no-Orochi, an eight-headed serpent of Koshi, who consumed seven of the family's eight daughters and that the creature was coming for his final daughter, Kushinada-hime.
The monster is described as having eight heads and eight tails and eyes as red as winter-cherries. It is so long its body extends over eight valleys and eight hills, its belly is always bloody and inflamed, and its back is covered with moss and hinoki and sugi trees.
Susano'o proceeded to investigate the creature, and after an abortive encounter he returned with a plan to defeat it. In return, he asked for Kushinada's hand in marriage, which was agreed. Transforming her temporarily into a comb (one interpreter reads this section as 'using a comb he turns into [masquerades as] Kushinada hime') to have her company during battle, he detailed his plan.
He instructed the preparation of eight vats of sake (rice wine) to be put on individual platforms positioned behind a fence with eight gates. The monster took the bait and put each of its heads through each gate. With this distraction, Susano'o attacked and slew the beast. He decapitated each head and then proceeded to the tails. In the fourth tail, he discovered a great sword inside the body of the dragon which he called Ame-no-Murakumo-no-tsurugi, which he presented to the goddess, Amaterasu to settle an old grievance.