Susanoo and the Yamata no Orochi - Japanese

My name is Susanoo, and the crash of a wave and the boom of thunder are in my very soul. I am a god of storms, but my temper once got the better of me, and for causing quite a ruckus in the High Plain of Heaven, I was banished. I tumbled down to the world of mortals and landed in a lush, green land called Izumo. There, under the shade of a weeping willow, I found an elderly couple and their daughter crying so hard it seemed the river beside them was overflowing with their tears. It was here that I learned of a great terror plaguing their village. This is the story of how I faced that terror, a myth that people now call Susanoo and the Yamata no Orochi. "What troubles you so?" I asked, my voice rumbling like a distant storm. The old man, whose name was Ashinazuchi, looked up with weary eyes. He told me of a monstrous serpent with eight heads and eight tails, the Yamata no Orochi. For seven years, this beast had slithered from the mountains to devour one of their daughters. Now, it was coming for their last child, the lovely Kushinada-hime. Looking at their tear-streaked faces, my stormy heart, usually filled with wild energy, felt a pang of sorrow. I saw a chance not just to fight, but to protect. I could turn my destructive power into a shield for these helpless people. "Do not weep," I declared. "I will defeat this monster and save your daughter."

I knew that simply rushing at a creature with eight heads might not end well, even for a god. A monster that vast required more than strength; it required a clever plan. I turned to the parents and said, "If I save your daughter, will you grant me her hand in marriage?" They agreed in an instant, their eyes filled with a desperate hope. To keep Kushinada-hime safe from the battle to come, I used a bit of my divine magic. With a gentle touch, I transformed her into a beautiful, sturdy comb, which I tucked securely into my hair. Can you imagine carrying the person you promised to protect right in your own hairdo? Next, I gave instructions to the villagers. "Build a great fence," I commanded, "with eight gates. Behind each gate, place a huge vat filled to the brim with the strongest, most delicious sake you can brew!" The villagers worked tirelessly, their fear turning into focused action. Before long, the earth began to shake. A terrible hissing sound filled the air, like a thousand snakes whispering at once. The Yamata no Orochi had arrived. It was more enormous than I could have imagined. Its eight heads swayed on necks as long as ancient trees, and its body was so long it stretched across eight hills and eight valleys. Its eyes, sixteen of them, glowed like malevolent red lanterns. But then, a new scent caught its attention—the sweet, powerful aroma of the sake. With a greedy roar, each of its eight heads plunged into a different vat, gulping down the potent drink. Soon, its massive heads began to droop, its hissing turned to snores, and the colossal beast fell into a deep, drunken sleep. This was my moment. I drew my mighty ten-span sword, the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi, its polished steel gleaming in the moonlight.

With the fury of a typhoon, I leaped toward the slumbering beast. My sword was a blur of silver as I swung it with all my might. One by one, I sliced through each of the serpent's mighty necks. I chopped its colossal body into pieces until the nearby river, once clear and sparkling, ran red with the monster’s blood. As I was hacking through one of its thick, scaly tails, my sword struck something incredibly hard. CLANG! The impact was so strong it actually chipped the blade of my divine weapon. What could be tougher than a god’s sword? Curious, I carefully cut the tail open. Nestled inside was a magnificent, gleaming sword, more beautiful than any I had ever seen. This was the legendary Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, the "Grass-Cutting Sword." With the monster finally vanquished, I reversed my magic and returned the comb in my hair to the lovely Kushinada-hime. We were married, and I built a grand palace for us in the peaceful land of Izumo. The incredible sword I discovered went on to become one of the Three Imperial Regalia of Japan, sacred treasures that have symbolized the emperor’s power and virtue for centuries. This tale, first recorded in ancient books like the Kojiki over 1,300 years ago, is more than just a monster story. It shows that true courage is a mix of cleverness and strength, and that the greatest power is the one used to protect others. My storm may have been wild, but it brought peace to Izumo, a lesson that reminds us all that even from chaos, great good can grow.