The Dragon-Slayer and his Rival

The Dragon-Slayer and his Rival

     After Susa-no-wo had been banished from heaven, he descended on Tori-kami, beside the river Hi, in the province of Idzumo. A chopstick came floating down the river, so he knew that people were dwelling near, and he set out to search for them. He soon met an old man and an old woman who were weeping bitterly; between them walked a lovely maiden.
     "Who are you?" asked Susa-no-wo.
     The old man made answer: "I am a god of earth, son of a mountain god, and my name is Ashi-na-dzu-chi ('foot-stroker'); this woman is my wife, and her name is Te-na-dzu-chi ('hand stroker'); the maiden is my daughter Kush-inada-hime ('Miraculous-rice-field-sun-maiden')."
     v"Why do you weep?" asked Susa-no-wo.
     Said the old man: "I have had eight daughters, but each year the eight- forked serpent (dragon) of Koshi has come and devoured one after the other. I weep now because the time is at hand to give Kush-inada-hime to the serpent."
     "What is the serpent like?"
     "Its eyes are red as the winter cherry; it has a body with eight heads and eight tails, and on its body grow moss and trees. It is so long that it stretches over eight valleys and eight hills. Its belly is constantly bloody and inflamed."
     "If this maiden is your daughter," said Susa-no-wo, "will you give her to me?"
     "You honour me," the old man made answer, "but I do not know your name."
     "I am the dear brother of the sun-goddess, and have just descended from heaven."
     "Most obediently do I offer my daughter to you," the old man said with reverence.
     Susa-no-wo then transformed the girl into a comb, which he placed in his hair. Having done this, he bade the old couple to brew rice-beer (sake). They obeyed him, and he asked them to construct a fence with eight gates and eight benches, and to place on each bench a vat filled with the beer.
     In time the eight-forked serpent came nigh. It dipped each of its heads into each of the vats, drank the sake, became drunk, and then lay down and slept. Susa-no-wo drew his two-handed sword, and cut the serpent in pieces. The Hi River turned red with blood.
     When Susa-no-wo cut the middle tail his sword broke. He marvelled at this. Taking the point of the sword in his hand, he thrust and split, and looked inside, and found a keen-cutting blade within this tail. He took it out and sent it to his sister, Ama-terasu, the sun-goddess. This sword is the Kusa-nagi-no-tachi (the "herb-quelling" dragon-sword).
     Susa-no-wo afterwards built a house in the land of Idzumo, at a place called Suga. Clouds rose up from that formed an eight-fold fence for husband and wife to retire within the house. Then he appointed the maiden's father to be keeper, or head-man of the house.
     In this nuptial house children were born to Susa-no-wo and the young woman he had rescued from the dragon. These children included Oho-toshi-no-kami (Great Harvest deity), Uka-no-mitama (The August Spirit of Food), and Ohonamochi ("Great Name Possessor"), the god of Idzumo, who could assume snake form or human form at will.