Dragon of Izumo

Serpent of Koshi / Yamata-no-Orochi / Susa-no-wo / Dragon of Izumo / Susan-o-no-o-no Mikoto  Return to the Japan Page Region: Japan Time Period: 712 AD and before References in Literature: Kojiki ("Record of Ancient Things")  Sources: Dragons and Dragon Lore, Nature of Spirit, Spirit of Nature, Python, DenCity, WaterDragon/famous.html,Illiana, China and Japan, pg 345, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons, pg 106, An Instinct for Dragons Yamata-no-oroshi was an eight-headed dragon with eight tails, that stretched over eight valleys and eight hills. Some sources say that "eight" means many, so it may have had even more heads Eyes of red Trees and brush grew on its back Had a soft spot for eating virgins Story comparable to the Babylonian Tiamat myth where Susa-no-wo = Marduk and the Dragon of Koshi = Tiamat of the Babylonian creation epic. Some sources claim it to have only 7 heads A good version of this tale is told at Realm of Imagination and by Nukapai. In One Version: But when it came time to devour a particular maiden, a warrior happened along to champion it by building a circular wooden enclosure with eight gates and a platform at each gate. On each of these platforms, the warrier placed a barrel of pears, and when the serpent came to drink, he fell asleep in the trap and the warrior cut off all his heads. In Another Version: The Hero Susano was traveling through Izumo province in Japan when he came across a weeping couple. They said that their daughter, Kushinada, was to be sacrificed to the dragon with eight heads that filled the whole valley. Susano, of course, offered to rescue her if she agreed to marry him. She did, and he killed the dragon, cutting off his many heads. In a Third Version: The couple that Susano comes across had already sacrificed seven other daughters to the fearsome dragon, and their last, the beautiful Kushinada, was next.  In order to trick the dragon, Susano had the couple prepare eight sake jars which he put on eight platforms surrounded by a fence. By this means, the dragon became drunk and Susano chopped of his heads and seven of his tails.  Much to his surprise, though, inside the seventh tail was the sword Kusanagi which he presented to his sister Amaterasu and which is now a National Treaure. After the dragon is slain, the River Hi is "changed into a river of blood". In the Fourth Version: The dragon is called the Dragon of Izumo and Susanowo is given a first name: Takehaya. The main difference in this is that the sword that he pulls from the dragon's tail, Kusanagi-no-tsunegi (The Grass-cutting Sword) was given to Ama Terasa who, in turn, gave it to her descendent, the First Emperor. Other variations include one where the hero turns the girl into a comb and puts her/it in his hair. Personal Comment:  "If Nations won't cooperate with the "穏やかなドラゴン" will laugh in anguish." Hahaha.... Save the Planet Stop Using Plastic!