Dragons

Dragons

Currently this page will aim to serve as a place to gather the different Dragons on the website.

Further down the line we will change this page to include the imagery and culture behind them in Japan.

Currently we have the following Dragons listed on the site:

Yamato no Orochi

• • For more information see: Yamata no Orochi

Yamata no Orochi (ヤマタノオロチ, also 八岐大蛇 , 八俣遠呂智 or 八俣遠呂知, 大蛇) was a giant serpentine Dragon mentioned in the Shinto Mythologies in association with Susano-o. The Dragon and Susano-o can be found in old texts such as the Kojiki and Nihongi.¹²

The appearance of the Dragon in the Nihongi states that it had an eight forked head and tail, red eyes, and upon its back grew firs and cyprus trees. The body was so long it filled eight valleys and covered eight hills.¹ The Kojiki states the beast came from Koshi Province and had eyes like red cherries, eight heads and tails, with a body the length of eight hills and valleys; covered with cypress trees. Additionally it says that blood oozed out its stomach constantly.²

Dragon Kings

• • The Dragon King of Lake Biwa – Dwelling in Lake Biwa he is seen in the Folktale My Lord Bag of Rice. He is described as having red hair, a crown in the shape of a dragon’s head and a sea-green dress patterned with shells.³
  • The Dragon King of the Sea (Ryūjin) – Father of Otohime Sama, living in Ryūgū-jō. He is seen in the Folktale Urashima Tarō the Fisher Lad.³

Yokai

• • • A yōkai known as the Shokuin is depicted in the Konjaku Hyakki Shūi.⁴

Others

• • An Unnamed Dragon – We see this Dragon included in the tale of the The Shinansha.³

Footnotes

1. Aston. W.G. (1896) “Nihongi Volume 1: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to AD697”. Tuttle Publishing.
2. Yasumaro. O, translated by Gustav Heldt. (2014) “Kojiki. An Account of Ancient Matters”. New York: Columbia University Press.
3. Ozaki, Y.T. (1903) “Japanese Fairy Tales” USA: Cavalier Classics.
4. Yoda, H. and Alt, M. (2016) “Japandemonium: Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopaedia of Toriyama Sekien.”. New York: over Publications, Inc.

	Check out the Japan Archives, our Japanese History Podcast. Instagram (Japan): @japan_archives
	Check out our Gaming Channel on Youtube. Instagram (Minecraft): @mycenria
	Find the website useful? Please consider donating to help up keep the website running.