Some of the earliest records we have of Japanese mythology come from the Kojiki - a compilation of history, mythology, and folktales. The Kojiki was ordered written by the Empress Gemmei in the 700’s. Perhaps it is because the Kojiki was commissioned by an Empress that it sometimes reads like propaganda for the Imperial family. Examples of this can be seen in the Emperors being descended from Amaterasu herself, along with Susano bestowing the sword Kusanagi upon the Imperial family. The story of Yamato-takeru is another such example.
Yamato-takeru is the son of Emperor Keiko. Historical documents show that Yamato-takeru was a real prince, but his tales are often of mythical proportions. This is not uncommon to find in mythology; the Romans deified their Emperors and interwove physical deeds with mythic stories. The same can be said of the Egyptians, who worshipped their pharaohs as gods, and the Mesopotamians, whose kings - notably Gilgamesh - interacted directly with the gods. This can make what actually occurred difficult to distinguish from the embellishments added to the tale.
I’ll leave it to the historians to separate fact from fiction. Instead, I’d like to tell you some of Yamato-takeru’s tales.
Yamato-takeru was born Ōsu, the second son of Emperor Keiko. One day his elder brother Ōusu was sent to fetch two beautiful sisters to wed the Emperor. Ōusu instead fell in love with the sisters and married them himself, sending two other women in their place. When the Emperor realized the deception, he ordered Ōsu to bring his brother to be punished. Ōsu instead killed his brother, ripping off his arms and brutally murdering him.
The Emperor was impressed by Ōsu’s strength, but he also feared the brutality of his son. Keiko decided to utilize Ōsu’s strength (and keep him out of the palace) by having him quell uprisings around the kingdom. It was a rebel member of one such uprising that called Ōsu “Yamato-takeru”, meaning “brave Yamato”. (Yamato was the clan name of the Emperor’s family). Ōsu was pleased with the moniker and adopted it as his own.
The Emperor continued to send Yamato-takeru out to defeat his enemies, including the armies of nearby countries. On one such trip, Yamato-takeru was given the sword Kusanagi. (Depending on the version of the story, the blade was gifted to him by either his father or his aunt, the high priestess of Amaterasu. One wonders how she came to own the blade...) Kusanagi was a magical blade that allowed its wielder to defeat armies single-handedly - a skill that Yamato-takeru used to slay his father’s enemies.
“Kusanagi” means “cutter of grass”, and the blade was aptly named. Once, a group of enemies of Japan that Yamato-takeru attacked set fire to a field of grass, trapping the hero. He was able to use his sword to cut through the grass and slay his foes.
Yamato-takeru somehow found the time to marry amidst his adventuring. The story of his wife is one of my favorite in Japanese mythology. During a sea voyage a storm arose. Rather than allow her husband and the ship’s crew to perish, Yamato-takeru’s wife offered herself as a sacrifice to the sea god. Her death calmed the storm, allowing Yamato-takeru to survive.
Unfortunately, the hero did eventually perish. Whilst climbing a mountain, Yamato-takeru insulted a beast he encountered. Unbeknownst to him, the beast was actually a god in disguise. (Remember this the next time you want to insult a random animal!) The god created a hailstorm that proved to be too much for the weary Yamato-takeru, who died trying to escape it. His soul is said to have turned into a white bird that flew away from the mountaintop.
Some of the stories of Yamato-takeru’s exploits can be confirmed from ancient history texts. Other parts are found only in the Kojiki. It is the tales that are found in both that interest me the most, with their unique blend of history and mythology. Regardless of what is solely myth and what history, I hope you enjoyed reading about Yamato-takeru’s adventures.
I’ll be back on Friday with a post about Hase-Hime, a Japanese folktale character who was supposed to represent the ideal young woman. Until then, please feel free to comment below or email me with any thoughts you have on Yamato-takeru. I’ll see you next post!
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