2 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 67 



this Province. Tlie people ceased tlieir house building, roof covering, enter- 

 taining, social gatherings, singing, playing on instruments, and all other kinds 

 of business. 



This probably came from the tradition of Susano mythology. While Susano 

 was killing the Dragon for the old man and woman, they were watching it, 

 staying near by until the awful monster was dead. In China and Japan there 

 is a widespread tradition that such a dragon has something to do with a dread- 

 ful storm. 



A fuller account of this story is given by Aston.^ 



Susa no wo, the deity of rainstorm and brother of Amaterasu, the sun 

 goddess, in coming on his wanderings to the province of Idzumo, he observed 

 a ohopstick floating down the river Hi, so thinking that there must be people 

 living further up the stream, he went in quest of them, and found an old 

 man and an old woman weeping, with a young maiden set between them. 

 He asked of them, " Who are ye? " The old man replied, " Thy servant is a 

 deity of earth, and his name is Ashinadzuchi, son of the great God of the 

 Mountain. My wife's name is Tenadzuchi, and my daughter is called Kushi- 

 nada hime." He further inquired, "Why weep ye?" He answered, saying, 

 " I have had eight children, girls ; but the eight-forked serpent of Koshi came 

 year after year and devoured them. It is now the time of its coming, 

 and therefore do we weep." " Describe to me this serpent," said Susa no wo, 

 " Its eyes are as red as the winter cherry. It has one body with eight heads 

 and eight tails. Moreover, its body is overgrown with moss, pines, and 

 cedars. Its length extends over eight valleys and eight hills. Its belly is 

 always all bloody and inflamed to look upon." Then Susa no wo said to the 

 old man, " If this be thy daughter, wilt thou give her unto me? " " With 

 reverence be it said," replied the old man, " I know not thy honourable name." 

 " I am the elder brother of the Sun-Goddess, and have now come down from 

 heaven," replied Susa no wo. Then the deities Ashinadzuchi and Tenad- 

 zuchi said, " In that case, with reverence we offer her to thee." Susa no wo 

 straightway took that ■ young maiden and changed her into a many-toothed 

 comb, which he stuck into his hair, and said to the deities Ashinadzuchi and 

 Tenadzuchi, " Do you brew some sake of eight-fold strength. Also make a 

 fence round about, and in that fence let there be eight doors, at each door 

 let there be eight stands, on each stand let there be a sake-tub, and let each 

 sake-tub be filled with the sak6 of eight-fold strength. Then wait." So 

 having prepared everything in accordance with his august bidding, <they waited. 

 Then the eight-forked serpent came, indeed, as had been said, and bending 

 down one head into each of the tubs, lapped up the sake. Hereupon it became 

 drunken, and all the heads lay down to sleep, when straightway Susa no wo 

 drew his ten-span sword from his girdle and slew the serpent, so that the 

 river had its current changed to blood. Now, when he cut the middle part 

 of the tail the edge of his august sword was broken. Wondering at this, 

 he pierced it and .split it open, when he found that within there was a 

 great sharp sword. He took this sword, and thinking it a wonderful thing, 

 reported his discovery to the Sun Goddess. This is the great sword Kusanagi 

 <(Herb-queller). 



Doctor Aston points out the striking resemblance of this story to 

 that of Perseus and Andromeda, and quotes from Sydney HarlancFs 

 "Legend of Perseus" (chapter viii), 



1 W. G. Aston. Shinto : The Way of the Gods, 1905, p. 103f. 



