Reading Notes: Japanese Mythology B
The Labors of Yamato - The Grotto of Love: Yamato (male) was married to Tacibana (female). He worried that she was too devote, and he thought she was tedious and of little worth. One day he went out hunting to get away from her, and he heard an eerie sound coming from a grotto. There was a legend about this grotto, claiming that it would pull people in with its beauty, and then never releasing. He swam towards it nonetheless. When he stepped onto land, a dragon appeared underneath his feet. When he got further in he saw nothing but beautiful sights, gems, coral, and other mystical things. He was then greeted by a mermaid who told him that he was in the presence of Benten, the female Goddess of Deathless Love. She told him to seek for the golden apple.
The Labors of Yamato - The Golden Apple: This story is about the legend of a physician named Jofuku, who traveled to the Isle of Life Eternal, and found the Tree of Youth Immortal. This is where the golden apple was from. Once the man had gained the apple, he took on an immortal life, but could never return to his native land.
The Labors of Yamato - The Demon Bear: When Yamato returned to his home, he demanded his servants to conduct research about the golden apple, so that he could retrieve it. But when he asked his servants if they knew about it, none of them did. He then asked around in the city, the fisherman, the sailors, and others, and none of them had heard of it. He grew distressed. When his wife Tacibana saw his distress, she asked him about it. [nothing is said of this after]. One day the king was confronted by some country folk who told him the tale of a possessed boar whom was roaming around the land. He then decided that his next best move was to kill the beast. He went out riding, and was greeted by a high priestess who had been eagerly awaiting his coming. She gave him information about the boar, and he set out to find it. When he came upon it, he charged at the beast on his horse, but the horse became impaled in the boars tusks, and Yamato fell to the ground. He quickly hid behind a tree that was wedged between the beast, and a large cliff. He stayed calm and quickly lunged towards the beast with his sacred sword and grabbed the beast by the tail, and sliced it off. The beast screeched in pain and hurdled off of the cliff to its certain death.
The Labors of Yamato - The Grass Cleaving Sword
In this story, Yamato and his men were out after a hunt or journey of some kind and as they were sleeping, a great fire appeared. He woke up quickly and so did his men. Then the deer of the area became wild from the fire and started trampling on the horses and his men. He quickly told his archers to take out the wild beasts, but then he saw a womanly figure running through the flames. When the figure finally appeared in front of him, it was Tacibana, and she was completely scorched. He quickly grabbed his sacred sword and with a swing of it, he cleared an area in the grass that remained untouched by the fires.
Bibliography: E.W. Champney and F. Champney, Romance of Old Japan, Japanese Mythology
The Labors of Yamato - The Golden Apple: This story is about the legend of a physician named Jofuku, who traveled to the Isle of Life Eternal, and found the Tree of Youth Immortal. This is where the golden apple was from. Once the man had gained the apple, he took on an immortal life, but could never return to his native land.
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| The Golden Apple was no easy feat to retrieve credit: Pikrepo |
The Labors of Yamato - The Demon Bear: When Yamato returned to his home, he demanded his servants to conduct research about the golden apple, so that he could retrieve it. But when he asked his servants if they knew about it, none of them did. He then asked around in the city, the fisherman, the sailors, and others, and none of them had heard of it. He grew distressed. When his wife Tacibana saw his distress, she asked him about it. [nothing is said of this after]. One day the king was confronted by some country folk who told him the tale of a possessed boar whom was roaming around the land. He then decided that his next best move was to kill the beast. He went out riding, and was greeted by a high priestess who had been eagerly awaiting his coming. She gave him information about the boar, and he set out to find it. When he came upon it, he charged at the beast on his horse, but the horse became impaled in the boars tusks, and Yamato fell to the ground. He quickly hid behind a tree that was wedged between the beast, and a large cliff. He stayed calm and quickly lunged towards the beast with his sacred sword and grabbed the beast by the tail, and sliced it off. The beast screeched in pain and hurdled off of the cliff to its certain death.
The Labors of Yamato - The Grass Cleaving Sword
In this story, Yamato and his men were out after a hunt or journey of some kind and as they were sleeping, a great fire appeared. He woke up quickly and so did his men. Then the deer of the area became wild from the fire and started trampling on the horses and his men. He quickly told his archers to take out the wild beasts, but then he saw a womanly figure running through the flames. When the figure finally appeared in front of him, it was Tacibana, and she was completely scorched. He quickly grabbed his sacred sword and with a swing of it, he cleared an area in the grass that remained untouched by the fires.
Bibliography: E.W. Champney and F. Champney, Romance of Old Japan, Japanese Mythology
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