![]() ![]() In addition to his terrifying number of appendages, his body was long enough to stretch over eight hills and eight mountains! Each head symbolised an element-water, earth, wind, fire, lightning, light, darkness, and venom. Yamata No Orochi Yamata no Orochi was an eight-tailed, eight-headed beast of a dragon, who lived near the Hi River in Izumo City. The best-known stories are the legends of Yamata No Orochi, Watatsumi, and Mizuchi. Japanese dragons were first mentioned in the Kojiki (680 AD) and the Nihongi (720 AD), ancient books containing legends about the origin of Japan. Many of the dragons mentioned in Japanese mythology are inspired by the real-life events of the nation's history or served to teach a lesson against the backdrop of a specific cultural or economic climate. In the book Japanese Mythology by Juro Oyama, Oyama cites that “Japan is a land of myths, folk tales, legends, and folklore”, and “like many other myths, Japanese mythology is set against a backdrop of historical events.” During times of drought in ancient Japan, Buddhist monks held ceremonies to persuade the dragon king to bring rain, perhaps the reason why dragons are also associated with wealth and good fortune, as their power to bring rain guarantees a bountiful harvest. Most Japanese dragons are water-dwelling, associated with rainfall. ![]() ![]() ![]() No more so than in Japanese culture, where dragons symbolise strength and power, and the stories and myths in which they exist tell tales of wisdom, perseverance, good fortune, and wealth. From moral tales passed down through oral storytelling, to incredible CGI fleets of winged beasts on TV and in film, dragons have fascinated human imaginations for thousands of years. Dragons exist in every corner of ancient and modern civilisation. ![]()
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