There are many shrines, big and small, around Japan. While each shrine has its own backstory, there’s no arguing that they all were built to honor¹ someone or something specific. In accordance to this year’s Zodiac sign, I did some research and discovered that there are many shrines in honor of snake deities. Many have their unique stories, sometimes connected to other deities, which natives can visit the corresponding shrines and pray for good fortune and blessings. These include Kanahebisui Shrine in Miyagi Prefecture, Shirohebi Shrine in Yamaguchi Prefecture, and Omiwa Shrine in Nara Prefecture.
For me, the most interesting one I’ve come across is a shrine dedicated to the deity Yato-no-kami (夜刀の神)², which has a very interesting lore regarding it being revered. While considered a folklore, it’s abit different from the ones I’ve read over the years, for it’s more grounded and paints a picture that, with abit of cultural understanding, feels more of summary (albeit with a dash of fantasy) of historical events. For this article, I will discuss about this snake deity, its fabled story, and the general views concerning intended lessons, hidden meanings and other tidbits.
INTRO OF THE HORNED GIANT SERPENT
The tale about Yato-no-kami is an ancient one said to have originally been shared verbally by elders. It is part of numerous stories from ancient Hitachi (present day Ibaraki Prefecture) that were later compiled into a collection called “Hitachi no Kuni Fudoki” (常陸国風土記, Historical Culture of Hitachi Country). In fact, it is told that this collection is viewed as a form of history of this region. In the story of Yato-no-kami, one would think it more of a monster, as it is quite opressive against humans. However, like most folklores of old, this shouldn’t be taken at face value; there are interpretations by analysts who claim there are some important factors of this snake deity, as it is more symbolic regarding the important resource that was beneficial to the people in order to survive, which is water for the farmlands. Like dragons, snakes are also associated with water, so it’s no coincidence that the conflicts the characters in the story have with Yato-no-kami involves this…whether this is made obvious or not. Thus, the reasoning behind Yato-no-kami being worshipped as a god, with a proper shrine being erected in its honor.
Today, the shrine for Yato-no-kami (夜刀神神社, Yato-no-kami Jinja) is part of a larger, overarching shrine called Atago Jinja (愛宕神社) within the fabled valley in modern Namegata City, Ibaraki Prefecture.
THE FOLKLORE
The original text is very old Japanese and not the easiet read due to a lack of modernized structure and an abundance of many archaic words. Fortunately, there are modern adaptations of this, making the tale a more approachable read. For this article, instead of a direct line-by-line translation, I will explain the story simply in English.
This story takes place during the period of Emperor Keitai (around 500s) . In the Imperial residence of Tamaho Palace (玉穂の宮) was a local powerful family that went by the name of “Yahazu” (箭括). The head of the Yahazu family, Matachi (麻多智), is tasked with the advancement of agricultural cultivation in the western fields of Yatsu in Namegata Country (行方郡)³ , making way for farming fields and the establishment of villages there.
Around this time, there appeared Yato-no-kami, a giant horned snake⁴, along with a horde of snake followers⁵. Since they also live in the area, Yato-no-kami and his group caused chaos, preventing agricultural advancement and killing people. It is said that it was a terrible beast of a god, to the point that those who accidently cast their eyes on Yato-no-kami would be cursed, with them and their entire family line being greeted with doom⁶.
Catching news of this, Matachi was furious, and swore to eradicate this nuisance. Donning on his armor and arming himself with a spear, he confronted the snakes and slaughtered many of them. Yato-no-kami was eventually overpowered and retreated to the nearby mountain. Matachi did not give chase into the mountain, but instead he had a type of fencing set up to block the mountain path. He also had a speacial seal placed on the fence called “Shirushi no Tsue” (標の梲), which acted as a ward strong enough to keep the giant snake from returning.
As a sign of victory, Matachi declared in a loud voice towards the mountain that humans would make their homes in the lower lands and establish farms, while Yato-no-kami and its kind would from there on live in the mountains. Matachi would also take up the role as a Shinto priest, along with future generations of his family line continuing this role, giving worship to the giant serpent and appease any hard feelings between them and ensure order to live in harmony. A shrine in honor of Yato-no-kami was built, and worship rituals proceeded. At the same time, farmlands were established, and many villages were built as well.
Years later, during the period of Emperor Kotoku (596~654), an individual by the name of Mibu-no-mura Jiro (壬生連麻呂) was tasked with being lord over the same valley. In order to improve the life of the farmers, he made an order to have embankments made around a body of water in the valley that was viewed as a lake⁷. These embankments would make it easier for water to be obtained and used for the farmlands. It just so happened that Yato-no-kami caught wind of what was happening there. So, in a form of protest, he climbed one of the beech trees that were near the lake, and occupied there in plain view, causing unrest to the workers.
Seeing the commotion, Jiro was brought to anger. He yelled at Yato-no-kami furiously, disregarding its god status. He declared that the lake was essential to the livelihood of the people living close by, and if he catches sight of anything, no matter what it is, that dares to disrupt their way of living by preventing their natural resource, it will be killed by his own bare hands.⁸
In fear of Jiro’s boldness, Yato-no-kami fled from the tree and returned back to where it came from. Completing the project with no more interruptions, Jiro called the lake “Shii-no-ike” (椎野池)⁹, from which farmers could pull fresh water from thanks to the embankments placed.
This is pretty much how the story of Yato-no-kami plays out. On a large scale, it may serve as a subtle hint of the true history of that time: when the unified states of the Empire Kingdom from the south to central Japan were established, orders from the Imperial court were made to loyal followers bearing military strength to further expand the kingdom by making expeditions to the north. In order to do this, those tasked would travel with their force and accimilate more land, either by having natives submit and vow loyality, or being pushed out through violence. Through this, Imperial influence over the span of this island country grew, as well as the influence of these families who not only seized control of different areas, but also managed them.
Due to the reality of such actions, it was not uncommon for written records at that time to be drafted in a more lighter form in the guise of folklore, with demons and deities often representing those that were considered outsiders.
TIDBITS AND ANALYSIS
Along with the actual story are commentaries, which can range from lessons behind the folklore to meanings & symbolism regarding specific individuals. Here we’ll touch upon some of the conversations regarding the origin of Yato-no-kami and its story.
Lesson #1: Readers can interpret this story as representing the early prominent families’ success in surviving and adapting to the wild land. Yato-no-kami plays the role of nature as a whole, being wild and dangerous. The struggles that Matachi and his people had to face is demonstrated in their battle against the giant serpant and its followers. The same for Jiro and the farmers, whom needed a more suitable method for obtaining water for the farmlands, which was through the establisment of a lake. In both cases, the people won, their victory symbolizing them taming nature to the point they could guarantee sustainable life through farm lands and villages.
Lesson #2: This lesson is more geared towards expressing how gods were viewed as reachable in the mountains, while people live within the fields. By tradition, many processions and pilgrimages take place up mountains, where rituals of worship to different gods could take place directly to them. Shrines and dedicated priests are established, even up in the mountains themselves. This is represented by Matachi and his descendents taking up the role of Shinto priests. Around this time, Buddhism has been introduced to Empire Kingdom, and is adapted into the culture, alongside the already-established Shinto belief.
Lesson #3: There is talk about how the tale mirrors other mythical stories regarding the creation of Japan, where man (Matachi) battles against gods (Yato-no-kami), wins, and establishes the makings of a hero. In fact, it’s from this point where Yato-no-kami is compared to Yamata no Orochi (八岐大蛇), the eight-headed serpent defeated by the god casted out of the heavenly realm, Susano no Mikoto (須佐野の尊). While there are some noticeable parallels (i.e. both antagonists are snakes), this comparison is left to one’s personal opinion.
Lesson #4: There are thoughts that this story (along with the entire collection of “Hitachi no Kuni Fudoki” as a whole) was rewritten with an undertone reflecting Confucianism. Did this happen when it was compiled with into the collection of stories of Hitachi? Who knows. However, when compared to other folklore stories, this one has a more broader viewpoint in terms of social structure, development of society, and development of technology. This ranges from the identifying the Imperial ruler, how prominent families assumed roles of land owners and managing the establishment of farmlands and villages, devising means to create bodies of water into usable lakes, and so on. There may be more points that can be analyzed, including the significance of the people’s belief in Shinto. How does this Confucianism viewpoint affect the story? Personally it is hard to say, other than giving the vibe that there is much more realism in how things play out, while other coded points can be deciphered through further research.
Meaning behind the name: What does the “Yato-no-kami” name stand for? If we look at each part of the name, “Yato” is thought to mean “Yatsu”, which was mentioned earlier as the western fields in Namegata and signifies “valley”¹⁰. The name is also said to be a phrase meaning “yachi” (谷地) , which apparently stands for swampy, or low-lying wetland. Such a phrase can be an indication of the conditions of the valley in which Matachi and his people expanded into. Much work must’ve went into making the area fertile enough for farming, which should’ve included a suitable source of clean water.
Significance behind the lake: Let’s turn our attention to the lake Shii-no-ike. This lake was created during Jiro’s time, and has a strong connection to Yato-no-kami. Since it didn’t exist during Matachi’s time, what water source did him and the farmers use? One idea I read tells that rain water that poured down from the mountain where Yato-no-kami had to reside in was used. To ensure this resource could be obtainable, Matachi worshipped the horned serpent. When you think about it, this fits many narratives of old, where shirnes were built for gods in order for the priests to pray and receive good fortune to the land. In this case, snakes are associated with water, thus why Matachi would erect a shrine for Yato-no-kami. Later, as that rain water poured into the vally to form lake Shii-no-ike, a torii (鳥居, Shinto shrine gate) is placed into it in honor of being a sacred resource.
ENDING
This conludes the overview on the folklore of Yato-no-kami. As a whole, the tale plays a significant part in the early development of Japan, as it not only illustrates locals’ belief in deities and their fortune they bestow on them, but also outlines the societal structure at that time. While it may come off as something frightful and menacing, we can view Yato-no-kami as pivotal in the history of Ibaraki Prefecture due to its connection with water.
1) Loosely speaking here, this points to modern times. In the past, there were other purposes for building a shrine, which ranged from protecting a castle, warding away ominous fortune, worshiping an important individual, to appeasing a possible vengeful spirit or demon. The after effect of shrines like these that do survive the test of time is becoming a sanctum where someone or something is worshipped as a deity.
2) Another pronunciation is “Yatsu-no-kami”. The same kanji (夜刀神) is still used for this as well.
3) Namegata Country is one of the areas within Hitachi.
4) It is not explained if it’s a single horn or two horns. Images of Yato-no-kami mainly depict it with 2 horns.
5) In one of the rewrites of the tale, Yato-no-kami is described as a group of snakes, possibly meaning there is not just one serpent representing this deity. Or, this could be interpreted as the god known as Yato-no-kami merely took the form of snakes. This isn’t really made clear, maybe due to the writing style?
6) This is a continuation of the point above, where the true form of Yato-no-kami is so terrifying that it assumes the guise of a horned snake(s), while an individual would be cursed only if they see its true form. Or, it could be interpreted that once it sets its sights on you, it’s so swift that its victim cannot escapte death, which in turn ends that individual’s chance of having future descendants.
7) This body of water, now turned into a lake, was probably a collection of rain water from the very mountain Yato-no-kami resided in. During Matachi’s time, the rain water was gathered for farming, but as the years went by, it accumulated to the point where the people could have a much larger, sustainable source.
8) From what is considered the original text, when Jiro regards killing any threat to the people’s survival, his statement includes “whether fish or insect…”. From further analysis, he mentions these due to them being associated with water, as they can render the lake unusable if not kept in check. Jiro’s tone also includes Yato-no-kami, for it too is viewed as essential for the farmers to get water from the lake. Guess we can see it that, despite his godly status, it’s also susceptible to receiving Jiro’s wrath.
9) This name means something like “lake of the field of beech trees”.
10) Coincidently, “Yatsu no kami” may have been the original pronunciation, which makes it a direct reference to the area Yatsu (谷). Why changed to “Yato”. Possibly to match the phonetics of the kanji in its name (夜刀) properly?