Story source: Romance of Old Japan, Part I: Mythology and Legend by E. W. Champney and F. Champney (1917).
The Labors of Yamato – The Grotto of Love
Yamato grew tired of his wife and sought out the siren he once sought out and missed. He thought of her and wanted to find her.
He dove into the rough waters of the great grotto and plunged deeper until he found a cave. A cave that others told one would never return. He then heard a beautiful voice and continued on into the cavern.
He made his way farther into the cave until he found a place that was bountiful with splendor. There was sweet sake poured into sea-lilies, heaps of fruits. There were pearls that glowed lighting the chamber with a soft glow.
Yamato was entranced by the beauty of it all. Then he looked up and cast his eyes upon the siren, whom he was searching for. She sat and played the lute with ease. Yamato was instantly infatuated with her competence. He became obsessed and confessed his need to be with her.
She returned saying that to be with her would surely kill him. Yamato did not hesitate for he would do anything to be with her for even a moment. The siren then told him to sail to Horaizan and retrieve the golden apple of immortal youth then we will have unending love.
The Labors of Yamato – The Golden Apple
Long ago a man named Jofuku, a court physician, decided to set out to get the golden apple. He was worried that he would soon die. First he tells the King what he will do and the he is pleased. He finds a boat and sails off in search of the Isle of Life Eternal. Many years passed and finally he found the Tree of Life where there was a portal to an enchanted forest, which floated on the ocean. He was there for 5 years and he did not age. Then one day a stork flew to the island.
He then road the stork back to the kingdom. The king had since passed and Jafuko became the king everlasting.
The Demon Boar
When Yamato returned home he asked everyone where this golden apple may be found. No one knew and he became frustrated. No one could satiate his desires. He grew tired of his wife, he did not enjoy his hobbies or his companions.
One day the country of his people told him about a demon boar that raged on and killed many. It terrorized the country and needed to be dealt with. Yamato delighted in this distraction and set forth on the journey to find this boar immediately.
Yamato brought with him some huntsmen and they trekked with determination in their hearts up and up into the mountains. They went through very difficult terrain until they finally found the boar. Yamato’s men fearlessly charged toward the beast and were quickly slain by the boar. This made Yamato grow very angry. He charged towards the boar and was thrown from his horse. Death was near but he gathered all his strength and jumped over the boar as it ran towards and grabbed it by the tail and cut it from the boar’s spine. The boar then tumbled over the mountain side blind with pain.
The Grass-Cleaving Sword
After killing the boar Yamato and his remaining men went to a nearby field to hunt for dear. Yamato began hearing voices and thought he was going crazy. He then heard it again and suddenly flames began to take over the moor where they were hunting.
The flames made the deer and horses scared and they began to trample the men. To stay alive they had to slay them. The fire grew even larger and death seemed close. A fair maiden then began running towards Yamato and to save her he drew his sword and cut down all the grass surrounding them to make a safe area.
The Sacred Sword
Once Yamato withdrew his princess from the flames and they were on their way home he heard the siren’s voice again. He told his princess to ride home and he left to find the siren once more. Yamato swam towards the cavern and a sea dragon tried to attack him. The siren screamed at him that he not harm her guard. She quickly realized the dragon was her father Susanoo and he was trying the steal Yamato’s sacred sword.
The siren led Yamato into her cavern and fed him a large feast. She then played a beautiful song on her lute that made him fall asleep. When he woke there was no one there and his sword was gone. He was distraught as he swam back. He made for his return to his princess but he got lost in the forest.
Yamato desperate as ever fell upon his knees and prays to the gods and goddesses to help him find his way and his trusty sword. A gleaming light then came upon him and told him his sword was in the antlers of a demon stag and that he must kill this animal and retrieve it before Susanoo gets to it.
Yamato without weapon began to feel very hopeless. As he was walking through the forest he found a strong stalk of bamboo and made a lance with it. As soon as he was finished he heard the footsteps of a stag. Yamato got to high ground to get a better vantage point and found that the stag was making its way towards the lake. The stag then got into the water and began to swim. Once this happened Yamato swam after it and stabbed the stag through the heart and retrieved the sword with a smile.
The Dragon
Once Yamato had the sword he wanted to go back to his princess but first he had to go to the siren and set things right. He swam in the sea until he found her. She sang that he would not be released unless there were someone more loving and beautiful than she. He immediately thought of his princess, Tacibana. He thought of her and he rushed back to his village where there was wreckage all around. A dragon had come to the village and killed many people and burned down most of the city. He searched everywhere for his lost princess and finally he heard her voice again.
She was chanting wand in hand the norito. There was a sudden roar and through the sky Susanoo Dragon of the Sea charged at Yamato.
Yamato dove out of the way and slashed this way and that towards the dragon. His strength was dwindling when he used all the power he had left to drive his sword into the dragon’s throat up to the hilt. The dragon flew back in agony and dropped back into the ocean.
Yamato then found his faithful Tacibana and they embraced feeling very happy that both were safe.
Time went on and Yamato was setting out one last time to battle. Tacibana wanted to at least go with him and he said not to be silly. While they were out on the ocean the siren spoke to Yamato wondering how he dare attack her father and then come to sea. The water was crashing all around them and tearing their boat apart. Yamato’s wife then came to the siren and said take me and do not harm my love.
The siren did just this and the sea calmed once more. Yamato then dove in after her and looked all around. He found his princess but a hollow shell that had already passed.
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| Enoshima |
The Labors of Yamato – The Grotto of Love
Yamato grew tired of his wife and sought out the siren he once sought out and missed. He thought of her and wanted to find her.
He dove into the rough waters of the great grotto and plunged deeper until he found a cave. A cave that others told one would never return. He then heard a beautiful voice and continued on into the cavern.
He made his way farther into the cave until he found a place that was bountiful with splendor. There was sweet sake poured into sea-lilies, heaps of fruits. There were pearls that glowed lighting the chamber with a soft glow.
Yamato was entranced by the beauty of it all. Then he looked up and cast his eyes upon the siren, whom he was searching for. She sat and played the lute with ease. Yamato was instantly infatuated with her competence. He became obsessed and confessed his need to be with her.
She returned saying that to be with her would surely kill him. Yamato did not hesitate for he would do anything to be with her for even a moment. The siren then told him to sail to Horaizan and retrieve the golden apple of immortal youth then we will have unending love.
The Labors of Yamato – The Golden Apple
Long ago a man named Jofuku, a court physician, decided to set out to get the golden apple. He was worried that he would soon die. First he tells the King what he will do and the he is pleased. He finds a boat and sails off in search of the Isle of Life Eternal. Many years passed and finally he found the Tree of Life where there was a portal to an enchanted forest, which floated on the ocean. He was there for 5 years and he did not age. Then one day a stork flew to the island.
He then road the stork back to the kingdom. The king had since passed and Jafuko became the king everlasting.
The Demon Boar
When Yamato returned home he asked everyone where this golden apple may be found. No one knew and he became frustrated. No one could satiate his desires. He grew tired of his wife, he did not enjoy his hobbies or his companions.
One day the country of his people told him about a demon boar that raged on and killed many. It terrorized the country and needed to be dealt with. Yamato delighted in this distraction and set forth on the journey to find this boar immediately.
Yamato brought with him some huntsmen and they trekked with determination in their hearts up and up into the mountains. They went through very difficult terrain until they finally found the boar. Yamato’s men fearlessly charged toward the beast and were quickly slain by the boar. This made Yamato grow very angry. He charged towards the boar and was thrown from his horse. Death was near but he gathered all his strength and jumped over the boar as it ran towards and grabbed it by the tail and cut it from the boar’s spine. The boar then tumbled over the mountain side blind with pain.
The Grass-Cleaving Sword
After killing the boar Yamato and his remaining men went to a nearby field to hunt for dear. Yamato began hearing voices and thought he was going crazy. He then heard it again and suddenly flames began to take over the moor where they were hunting.
The flames made the deer and horses scared and they began to trample the men. To stay alive they had to slay them. The fire grew even larger and death seemed close. A fair maiden then began running towards Yamato and to save her he drew his sword and cut down all the grass surrounding them to make a safe area.
The Sacred Sword
Once Yamato withdrew his princess from the flames and they were on their way home he heard the siren’s voice again. He told his princess to ride home and he left to find the siren once more. Yamato swam towards the cavern and a sea dragon tried to attack him. The siren screamed at him that he not harm her guard. She quickly realized the dragon was her father Susanoo and he was trying the steal Yamato’s sacred sword.
The siren led Yamato into her cavern and fed him a large feast. She then played a beautiful song on her lute that made him fall asleep. When he woke there was no one there and his sword was gone. He was distraught as he swam back. He made for his return to his princess but he got lost in the forest.
Yamato desperate as ever fell upon his knees and prays to the gods and goddesses to help him find his way and his trusty sword. A gleaming light then came upon him and told him his sword was in the antlers of a demon stag and that he must kill this animal and retrieve it before Susanoo gets to it.
Yamato without weapon began to feel very hopeless. As he was walking through the forest he found a strong stalk of bamboo and made a lance with it. As soon as he was finished he heard the footsteps of a stag. Yamato got to high ground to get a better vantage point and found that the stag was making its way towards the lake. The stag then got into the water and began to swim. Once this happened Yamato swam after it and stabbed the stag through the heart and retrieved the sword with a smile.
The Dragon
Once Yamato had the sword he wanted to go back to his princess but first he had to go to the siren and set things right. He swam in the sea until he found her. She sang that he would not be released unless there were someone more loving and beautiful than she. He immediately thought of his princess, Tacibana. He thought of her and he rushed back to his village where there was wreckage all around. A dragon had come to the village and killed many people and burned down most of the city. He searched everywhere for his lost princess and finally he heard her voice again.
She was chanting wand in hand the norito. There was a sudden roar and through the sky Susanoo Dragon of the Sea charged at Yamato.
Yamato dove out of the way and slashed this way and that towards the dragon. His strength was dwindling when he used all the power he had left to drive his sword into the dragon’s throat up to the hilt. The dragon flew back in agony and dropped back into the ocean.
Yamato then found his faithful Tacibana and they embraced feeling very happy that both were safe.
Time went on and Yamato was setting out one last time to battle. Tacibana wanted to at least go with him and he said not to be silly. While they were out on the ocean the siren spoke to Yamato wondering how he dare attack her father and then come to sea. The water was crashing all around them and tearing their boat apart. Yamato’s wife then came to the siren and said take me and do not harm my love.
The siren did just this and the sea calmed once more. Yamato then dove in after her and looked all around. He found his princess but a hollow shell that had already passed.
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