APIFantasy | Myth and Folklore Anthology

Japanese Mythology - Legend #1: Tamamo no Mae

TAMAMO NO MAE / SESSHO-SEKI / THE KILLING STONE

Tamamo no Mae is one of the most famous kitsune in Japanese mythology. She was a nine-tailed fox and one of the most powerful yokai (i.e., spiritual being) to ever exist. She was also labeled "Abe no Yasunai." She was born around 3,500 years ago, spending her time to become a powerful sorceress and eventually, a golden fox with great magical power. She used her abilities as a female kitsune and sorceress to influence human political affairs.

In Shang Dynasty China, she called herself Daji and disguised herself as a beautiful woman, going as far as becoming King Zhou's favorite concubine. She eventually brought disaster and caused the collapse of the Shang Dynasty. She escaped persecutors and fled to India in 1046 BCE.

In Magadha, India, she became Lady Kayō, a consort of King Kalmashapad (who was known in Japan as Hanzoku). She charmed him to do unspeakable things like killing priests. Eventually, the King's mind was purified by Buddhism, so she fled back to China.

She arrived during the Zhou Dynasty and gave herself a new name: Bao Si. She became one of the most desirable women in all of China, so she ended up becoming King You's concubine. She used her tricks to remove Queen Shen from her position and make her queen. However, she still was unhappy. In order to please her, King You resorted to evil tactics that all nobles abandoned him. He was killed and Bao Si was captured. In 771 BCE, the Zhou Dynasty ended, but Bao Si managed to escape her persecutors' clutches once again. She hid for many years, known to resurface as Wakamo in the 700s and stow away on a ship to Japan.

In the 1090s, she appeared to the humans a human baby, where a married couple would find her and take her in as their daughter. They named this baby Mikuzume. Her beauty and intelligence captivated everyone, so much so that she ended up reading poetry to the Emperor when she was just seven-years-old.

When she turned eighteen, there was a terrible storm that hit the palace, while they celebrated at a poetry and instrument recital held in Mikuzume's honor. A bright light emanated from her body, filling the room with light when the candles went out, and everyone thought she was a holy creature. From that day, she was named Tamamo no Mae and Emperor Toda declared her his consort.

Soon after, the Emperor became deathly ill. An onmyōji known as Abe no Yasunai was summoned to read the Emperor's fortune and detected he was marked by a bad omen. He gathered several high priests and monks to pray for the Emperor, but it was to no effect. When Abe no Yasunai read his fortune again, he discovered that Tamamo no Mae was the cause of the Emperor's illness. She was shortening the Emperor's life span so she could take over as the ruler of Japan.

To confront Tamamo no Mae, they prepare the most secret and powerful spell for all onmyōji, Taizan Fukun no Sai. Unaware of what they had planned, they invited her, thinking that an evil spirit couldn't participate in a holy ritual. She was initially reluctant, but they told her she would be perceived well in court and be liked more among the nobles, so she accepted. During the ritual, she recited the words, but when she waved the ceremonial staff, she disappeared, proving Abe no Yasunai's divination.

The Emperor summoned the best warriors to find and kill her. An army of 80,000 purified soldiers pursued her and found her when they reached the town of Nasuno. However, every time they found her, she would outsmart them with her tricks. This continued for several days, but the warriors refused to give up.

One night, one of the soldiers (Miuranosuke) had a dream in which a beautiful girl appeared to him, asking him to save her. He refused and woke up to try to search for Tamamo no Mae with his soldiers. The next day, they finally caught her by shooting an arm, killing her. However, her evil didn't vanish upon her death. One year after she died, so did Emperor Konoe. The year after, Emperor Toba died too. This ignited the Fujiwara-Minamoto rivalry, which eventually led to the Genpei War, the end of the Heian period, and the rise of the first shoguns. Her spirit also possessed a giant boulder that killed every living thing that approached or touched it.

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