Essay: Yamato and Tacibana

(Image Information: The great Yamato-Takeru; Web Source: Wikipedia)

After reading the section on Japanese Mythology, I found it very interesting that there was a Japanese hero who is very much like the great Hercules. What I liked so much about this version of Hercules, was the influence his princess had on him.

We first meet Yamato, the Japanese Hercules, and he is the ultimate warrior. He uses his skill in warfare to defeat many vicious bandits, but besides using his brawn, his also uses his brain. Deceiving the bandit leader into thinking he was a girl, being invited in, and then killing the bandit leader. He successfully rescued his princess, Tacibana.

Next, Yamato meets a beautiful siren. This women appeals so greatly to Yamato that he says he will perform any task to prove his love to her. The siren tells Yamato that he must obtain and bring a golden apple. Yamato, enamored with this siren and completely ignoring his princess, sets out to find said apples. On his quest he comes across a demon boar and defeats it. Then, he is deceived by a group of travelers, and death for him and his men seems certain. It is in his moment of greatest doubt, when he is encircled by flames, a figure comes through the flames. It is the princess, Tacibana. She brings Yamato the grass-cleaving sword, and he uses this sword to save his men.

After he and his men are saved, Yamato tells his savior, Tacibana, that the flames have made her hideous and that she must go home and hide herself until she is beautiful again. Tacibana is heartbroken but listens to her hero, whom she loves unconditionally. Then, Yamato returns to the siren, and again, Yamato is deceived. The siren fools him and takes his sacred sword. Yamato is helped by the goddess Kwannon, and he finally regains the sacred sword.

This cycle repeats, until finally, Yamato realizes that he was a fool and Tacibana’s unending love for him has saved him time and time again. One last time, Yamato travels the sea, after having already defeated the sea god and upsetting him. This time, the sea god, in his own territory, creates a brutal storm and says that he will have Yamato now; in one last show of her undying love for her hero, Tacibana sacrifices herself and jumps into the sea, dying.

These stories with Yamato were very interesting because behind the talented, yet arrogant hero, was a loving, virtuous princess who stood by her man through thick and thin. Its a great love story.