Japanese Mythology
The Labors of Yamato: The Dragon
(Part I)
Exulting in his victory Yamato descended the forest-clad slopes of Fujiyama.
Joyous at having regained the Sacred Sword, his heart leaped with a greater happiness. At last he realized that not for love of him but to gain the Sacred Sword had Benten woven her guileful web, and his heart yearned for the faithful Tacibana.
But first, he told himself, he must visit the sorceress to charge her with treachery and theft. He hastened to their trysting place and, gazing into the jade-green water, presently perceived the glitter of her golden scales. Yamato plunged headlong in pursuit of the fleeing siren and the dark wave closed above him.
As a stone cast into a bottomless well sank Yamato, and ever, as he descended, the sea crooned in his ears a sweet yet sorrowful slumber-song bodeful of love and death. Then was he mindful of returning earthward, but of a sudden he felt himself enveloped by the folds of a loathly serpent, and a chill struck to his very heart.
The song of the sea became louder and more articulate till he recognized the voice of Benten: “I hold thee for ever,” sang the siren. “Thrice have I held thee, and thrice hast thou eluded my grasp. Henceforth none may wrest thee from me, save a goddess whom thou shalt acclaim more beautiful, whose love is even greater than mine own.”
Then dim and far, above the endless leagues of jade-green water, Yamato was ware of the Princess Tacibana gently murmuring his name. Through the infinite depths he beheld her lovesome face smiling to him from out the dusky cloud-rifts of her hair.
Then knew Yamato that “the goddess more beautiful than Benten whose love was greater than her own,” was none other than his faithful Tacibana.
Downward, like the tendrils of some miraculous vine, grew the dusky tresses of Tacibana. They enveloped Yamato in a fragrant cloud and enlaced him in the meshes of a silken net. Like strong encircling arms they upbore him, through endless leagues of water, to the sea-swept isle of Enoshima.
Tacibana, pitiful and wan, gazed anxiously upon him. Her warm white hands clasped his in fond solicitude. He strove to speak, but a great weariness overcame him, and he fell upon the breast of his faithful Princess.
When Yamato came to himself, Tacibana had vanished, whither he knew not. “She hath gone for help and will presently come again,” he said within himself, but hours passed, and she did not return.
Distraught by vague forebodings Yamato turned his steps toward Kashiwa-bara.
He found the city in a state of utter panic. Their household chattels piled upon bullock-carts or borne upon their bended backs, the terror-stricken natives were rushing hither and thither as though surprised by a sudden conflagration.
Demanding the cause of their alarm Yamato was informed that a terrific dragon had descended upon the land, slaying cattle, devastating rice-fields, and overwhelming the people with pestilence and death.
When last descried the monster was entering the royal palace, whence lamentable cries had issued telling the fate of its inhabitants.
Yamato hastened thither. All was silent and deserted. From cellar to turret he rushed, calling frantically upon Tacibana, only to find a mass of mangled and lifeless bodies. He searched gardens and outbuildings, following trails of blood, but nowhere could he discern trace of his lost Princess.
Of a sudden he heard a sound as of a priestess chanting, and mounting a Pagoda found Tacibana clad in white vestments waving a wand, and chanting the norito.
Suddenly her voice was whelmed in a terrific uproar. The Thunder God Raiden beat furiously upon his drums; great leaden clouds shut out the sky. Futen, the Wind God, unloosed his tempests, while with a flash of forked lightning, from a rent in the midnight sky, hurtled Susa-no-wo, Dragon of the Sea.
His head was like a camel, his horns were like a stag, and his eyes were glowing coals of fire. Scaled like a crocodile, he brandished a tiger’s paws, armed with the talons of an eagle.
Belching forth the steam of a score of geysers and rearing itself upon its terrible tail, the dragon charged at Yamato.
(Part II)
Dexterously evading the onslaught, he thrust, lunged, and slashed, burying his blade in the dragon’s belly, but in vain; at every stroke he was enwrapped more closely in the great constricting coils.
Thus the battle raged, the reptile answering each stroke with an ever-tightening grip, until it seemed that the hero’s strength would fail. But Yamato, gathering himself in one supreme effort, thrust his sword to the hilt in the dragon’s throat.
With lightning-like convolutions, the monster strove to wrest the blade from the hand of his antagonist, and then with a thunderous battering of wings soared in air. Writhing in its death-throes it hovered a moment, and then fell crashing to earth.
Yamato heard afar the voice of Tacibana chanting: “Henceforth shall all evil and calamity through writhing reptiles for ever disappear, as the wind of morning blows away night’s chill-enfolding mist. As ships sailing from the harbour so shall these evil spirits be borne to the Sea Plain, then swept through the Whirlpool Gate to Yomi, that the earth be rid of them for ever.”
Yamato lifted his weary lids to behold the wondrous smile of Tacibana.
“My divine Lord,” she murmured, “thou hast delivered me for ever from Susa-no-wo.”
“Henceforth, my Beloved,” replied Yamato, “naught may part us. No longer shall our arch-enemy defile the land. Hereafter hath he power alone over the sea.”
Full long and joyously lived Yamato with his ever-loving wife.
One day, in the month of the watery moon, he fared forth upon a foray against the tempestuous Ainos. Loth to hazard the toilsome mountain passes, he chose rather to embark his army upon the sea.
Princess Tacibana, in sore distress that her lord was in no mind to renounce this venture, implored to be permitted to accompany him.
Laughing away her fears, Yamato consented: “‘Tis my last fight,” he declared. “Henceforth will we spend our days in never-ending peace.”
When they had journeyed to the wave-washed shores of Idzu, Yamato exclaimed exultingly: “Why should I fear to encounter Susa-no-wo upon the sea since I have already conquered him on land?”
Whereupon the Sea God, angered at the defiant words of Yamato, raised a mighty tempest. The rains descended and the winds blew and beat upon the ship. Thunderbolts crashed about them and lightning blinded their eyes. Great billows swept the decks, sails were rent in ribbons, and masts were split in twain.
Out of the depths he heard a siren singing: “Reckless Yamato, thou hast adventured upon my ever-verdant Sea Plain and defied my father, the God of Ocean. Therefore shalt thou perish, else another victim be granted me.”
In the seething emerald waters Tacibana beheld a mermaid stretching out moon-blanched arms.
Forgetting his former infidelity, she resolved to sacrifice herself in the place of her beloved lord. “Take me, Benten, to thy watery kingdom, “cried the Princess, then plunged into the foam-flowered waves.
Of a sudden the tempest abated, the sea was calmed, and a snow-white heron soared upward to the sun.
“With thee let me live or perish!” cried Yamato, leaping into the jade-green sea.
Long he battled beneath the wave, groping through the depths for his faithful Princess. At last he rose bearing in his arms a white and lifeless burden. The snow-white spirit of Tacibana had soared to the Eternal Land.
“Alas, my beloved wife!” sobbed Yamato, “may the foam-flowers bloom for ever on thy grave!”
From the lament of Yamato, the eastern province of Japan is still known as Azuma, “Alas! My beloved wife.”
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Thoughts
The style of writing is very descriptive, a little complex, but very beautiful. Here are some perfect examples 1. "gazing into the jade-green water, presently perceived the glitter of her golden scales" 2. "the sea crooned in his ears a sweet yet sorrowful slumber-song bodeful of love and death" are just a few examples 3. (Describing the dragon!) "His head was like a camel, his horns were like a stag, and his eyes were glowing coals of fire. Scaled like a crocodile, he brandished a tiger’s paws, armed with the talons of an eagle." 4. "With lightning-like convolutions, the monster strove to rest the blade from the hand of his antagonist." and 5."Tis my last fight,” he declared. “Henceforth will we spend our days in never-ending peace." - so beautiful, all of it. A romance, tragedy, war story. I like.
The stories instantly reminded me of Hercules 12 labors. Yamato is the Japanese Hercules. The Samurai Hercules. Sounds way cooler haha. Samurai are probably my most favorite warrior fighting it out with maybe Spartans. The dragon story specifically made me think of Beowulf with as they both include great dragons and a scaly beautiful siren. Then I thought of Smaug from the Hobbit... So many thoughts. So many references. Yamato seems an honorable but victory/war-drivin. For glory. That's my motto. Perhaps Yamato might be a warrior in one of my descriptions.
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