OROCHI

Name:  Orochi

Features:  Dragon with 8 heads & 8 tails

Source:  Japanese Mythology 

Habitat:  Asia





This young maiden eating dragon had eight heads and eight tails.  Its body was large and long enough to cover eight valleys and eight mountains.  Its belly was also large, constantly bloody looking and inflamed.

Moss, fir and cypress trees grew along the ridges of its back.  This evil mythical serpent was enormous and had red piercing eyes.

After existing on a diet of young maidens for several years, this mythical dragon was finally slain by Susanoo.

Susanoo originally resided in the Plain of High Heaven but was expelled for tricking his sister Amaterasu, the sun goddess.  He descended to earth on the mountain of Torikami next to the waters of Hi River of Izumo Province.

While there, he came across an older couple and their daughter.  Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi, who were resident earthly deities, were weeping over the fate of the last remaining daughter, Inadahime.

After courteous introductions, Susanoo inquired as to why they were so filled with grief.  Ashinazuchi explained how he once had eight daughters and that every year the eight headed dragon would appear and devour one.  Now, he and his wife were in sadness for the time of sacrifice was soon approaching once more.

Susanoo asked the elderly couple if they would consider offering their last remaining daughter to him instead.  The couple agreed and Susanoo quickly transformed their daughter into a closed tooth comb which he placed in his hair for safe keeping.

He then asked the couple if they had access to or also produced some rice wine.  He then instructed them to build a fence with eight gates - each with a platform to hold a vase full of eight-fold refined liquor.  The older couple did as they were told and waited.

The evil eight-headed serpent came, just as he always did all the years before.  The dragon caught the scent of the potent wine, was drawn to it, drank all eight vases and became so drunk he fell asleep.  That is when Susanoo took the opportunity to get rid of Orochi once and for all by cutting him up into many smaller pieces.

As he was cutting the middle of one of the serpent’s tails, Susanoo’s sword broke.  Thinking this was odd; he investigated and found the great sword Kusanagi embedded inside the serpent’s tail.  He then presented the unexpected discovery to his sister, Amaterasu.


more articles on Japanese mythology. . .

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