Yamato Takeru

• Period: Legendery Period
• Occupation: Prince
• Family: Emperor Keikō (father), Emperor Seimu (brother), Yamato Hime (aunt), Miyazu Hime (wife) Futajirihime (wife)

Yamato Takeru

Yamato Takeru (小碓命, Prince Ōsu) (The Brave of Yamato) is known to have been the second son of Emperor Keikō, said at the age of 16 to have torn apart one of his brothers after he insulted their father. He is mentioned in the Kojiki, Nihongi and Hitachi Fudoki¹.

He is known to have been the husband of Futajirihime.³³

Military Exploits

After this display of devotion to his father, he went on to lead many military campaigns against barbarians, at first being sent to subjugate the Kumaso. To infiltrate the Clan he disguised himself as a woman, the clothes given to him by his aunt Yamato Hime. Reaching the clan he kills the two brothers who lead them, killing the first during a feast and the second after he runs away stabbing him in the buttocks. As he dies he gives the Prince the name Yamato Takeru¹.

His next job was to subdue the people and kami of the periphery of their realm, the Yemishi. He travels there accompanied by Takehiko, Takehi no Muraji and Nanatsukahagi. Once more he visits his aunt who gives him this time the sword Kusanagi and flints for lighting fire.

On his way he visits Princess Miyazu Hime, promising to marry her when he returns. Before reaching Emishi he reaches Sagami (Nihongi gives the name, Suruga) encountering a chieftain there who tries to kill him in a grass fire. He mows the grass around him with the sword, lighting a backfire to escape and then kills the chieftain. Takeru then sails across Sagami Bay to subdue the Emishi.

Crossing the bay a kami living in the water becomes angry, and so a princess travelling with him at the time sacrifices herself to appease the kami so Yamato may continue.

Death

Eventually, he returns and marries Miyazu Hime and attempts one more exploit, leaving the magical sword behind. He leaves to subdue the kami living on Mount Ibuki barehanded. Climbing the mountain, he mistakes a boar as the kami messenger and ignores it, but it was actually the kami. It summons a hailstorm which dazes Takeru, killing him later after he descends the mountain near Otsu where he had left another sword by a pine tree. The Emperor filled with grief had him buried under a tumulus.

His soul escapes in the form of a giant white bird, stopping at two places before reaching Heaven¹.

Footnotes

1. Littleton. C.S. (1995) “Yamato-takeru: An Arthurian Hero in Japanese Tradition”. Asian Folklore Studies, Vol. 54, No.2, pp.259-274.
2. Yasumaro. O, translated by Gustav Heldt. (2014) “Kojiki. An Account of Ancient Matters”. New York: Columbia University Press.
3. Chamberlain, B. H. (1932) “Translation of the Kojiki.” Kobe: J.L. Thompson & Co.

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