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| (Image Information: A statue of Yamato Takeru; Web Source: Britannica) |
Yamato has been infatuated with a siren since before he married his princess. After finding the siren again in the grotto, Yamato says he will do anything for her love; the siren tells him to bring her a golden apple. In this story, the siren tells a story of old Jofuku. This man went to the island of eternal life and successfully returned with a golden apple.
Not much to say about this story other than Yamato is officially the Japanese Hercules (that rhymes). He just uses his sheer awesomeness to defeat terribly things and preform inconceivable tasks.
Here, the great Yamato is actually successfully deceived, but when all seems lost and the fire that encloses him and his comrades inches closer to burning them. Princess Tacibana runs through the fire with a sword that Yamato uses to save them. Tacibana risks her life to save the man she is so devoted to.
Returning to the siren proved a great mistake for Yamato. She deceived him and took his sacred sword. Then lost, the great goddess Kwannon came to his aid. She told him that the sacred sword would be found in the antlers of a stag. With the goddess’s help, Yamato slayed the stag and got the sword back.
Yamato, happy to have the sacred sword in his possession, returned to the siren one last time to charge her with her deception. But the siren was waiting for him, and claimed that he would never leave her until the love of another was greater. Fortunately, that love was Tacibana, and Yamato was saved. When he awoke in his home, Tacibana was nowhere to be found; he waited, but still there was nothing. Finally he found Tacibana trying to protect the city from the evil dragon, Susa-no-wo. It didn’t take long for Yamato to slay the dragon and profess his love for the princess.
One last time, Yamato set out to sea. Tacibana was unsure of how the sea god would react, but Yamato had no fear. He had already defeated Susa-no-wo once, so why not again. Unfortunately, the god was angered by these words and raged a monstrous storm that would kill Yamato unless someone took his place. Of course, ever-faithful Tacibana did, and Yamato was heartbroken.
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