Orochi

大蛇 The Giant Serpent

1 Source and/or Related Material

Nihon shoki

2 Author

Kanze Nobumitsu

3 Repertoire

Hōshō, Kongō, Kita

4 Synopsis

Coming to Izumo Province (Shimane), the trickster God Susano’o (waki) encounters an old couple (shite, tsure) and their daughter, all weeping inconsolably. They tell him that an eight-headed serpent has been coming each year to devour one of their daughters, and it will be coming soon to take their very last daughter. Susano’o offers to kill the serpent if they will give him their daughter’s hand in marriage. They agree, so Susano’o gets to work: he prepares eight vats of wine and has the girl stand above the vats so that her reflection appears on the surface of the wine. A tree spirit (ai) comes and retells the story in plain speech. Finally the serpent (nochishite) appears, the wind howls, the waves rage, and earthquakes rumble. Trying to eat the girl’s reflection, the snake drinks the wine instead. Susano’o kills the drunken serpent and finds in its tail the magical Sword of Billowing Clouds.