Myths and Legends of Japan by F. Hadland Davis(part 1)
I have started reading this lovely and self-explanatory non-fiction book.
In it I have found, among other things, what I believe is the birth of shonen action manga. In Susa-no-o and the Serpent, the titular hero randomly comes across a family being terrorized by an 8 headed serpent. It also had 8 tails and trees growing on it's back, and was the size of 8 hills and 8 valleys(I guess "bigger than an island" or something like that just didn't take long enough to relate.) Susa-no-o filled 8 tubs with sake, and the serpent drank them all and passed out(must've been really big tubs) Susa-no-o then "drew his ten-span sword and chopped the great monster into little pieces" and as he was hacking at a tail, his sword caght on something, and he found a sword called Murokumo-no-Tsurugi, which he decided was a divine sword. In other words, a guy with a giant sword(well, ten-span SOUNDS really big...) was wandering and killed a giant monster while saving people and then he found an even BETTER sword(but he didn't keep it...he gave it to the gods.)
I am positive that there is a manga or anime based on this.
I have also read the section on Yoshitsune(well...at least the first one, in case there's more.) Apparently, when Benkei went out to get wood, he came back with pine trees. Also, when Taira Tomomori's ghost confronts Yoshitsune in legend, he was accompanied by HIS ENTIRE ARMY. Now, as much as I treasure my ghost Abe Hiroshi, I feel I would treasure him leading a ghostly horde even more. I feel ROBBED dorama gods, ROBBED. Oh, and apparently Oshitsunes jumping around like a little jumping bean in battles is also part of the legend. But apparently, the Taira's are also really evil and villainous in legend, too...I prefer the more noble version in the drama.
I'm also interested in two stories that bear a lot of resemblance to Greek mythology.
As part of Izanagi and Izanami's legend, Izanami is ill after giving birth to Kagu-Tsuchi, the Fire God, and forbids Izanagi to see her. Izanagi objected, though, so he lit a fire(she fled to the Land of Yomi, which is perpetually dark) and was disgusted because "his once beautiful wife had become a swollen and festering creature." Of course, she doesn't go "oh my love, now we can never be together" like someone else did, and instead got pissed and sent demons after him. It's what you get for not listening to your wife when she's going through post-partum depression and is a goddess.
There's also Yorimasa, where a monster was tormenting the emperor at night, and the hero slew the giant monster with his awesome archery skills. The emperor kept the skin for all time(the thing was part ape, part dragon, part tiger, part serpent and part bird) and Yorimasa got a Special Sword and got to marry the hottest chick around.
Not exactly Eros and Psyche or Jason, but I couldn't help but notice some similarities.
I am only 44 pages in. Expect more such posts.
In it I have found, among other things, what I believe is the birth of shonen action manga. In Susa-no-o and the Serpent, the titular hero randomly comes across a family being terrorized by an 8 headed serpent. It also had 8 tails and trees growing on it's back, and was the size of 8 hills and 8 valleys(I guess "bigger than an island" or something like that just didn't take long enough to relate.) Susa-no-o filled 8 tubs with sake, and the serpent drank them all and passed out(must've been really big tubs) Susa-no-o then "drew his ten-span sword and chopped the great monster into little pieces" and as he was hacking at a tail, his sword caght on something, and he found a sword called Murokumo-no-Tsurugi, which he decided was a divine sword. In other words, a guy with a giant sword(well, ten-span SOUNDS really big...) was wandering and killed a giant monster while saving people and then he found an even BETTER sword(but he didn't keep it...he gave it to the gods.)
I am positive that there is a manga or anime based on this.
I have also read the section on Yoshitsune(well...at least the first one, in case there's more.) Apparently, when Benkei went out to get wood, he came back with pine trees. Also, when Taira Tomomori's ghost confronts Yoshitsune in legend, he was accompanied by HIS ENTIRE ARMY. Now, as much as I treasure my ghost Abe Hiroshi, I feel I would treasure him leading a ghostly horde even more. I feel ROBBED dorama gods, ROBBED. Oh, and apparently Oshitsunes jumping around like a little jumping bean in battles is also part of the legend. But apparently, the Taira's are also really evil and villainous in legend, too...I prefer the more noble version in the drama.
I'm also interested in two stories that bear a lot of resemblance to Greek mythology.
As part of Izanagi and Izanami's legend, Izanami is ill after giving birth to Kagu-Tsuchi, the Fire God, and forbids Izanagi to see her. Izanagi objected, though, so he lit a fire(she fled to the Land of Yomi, which is perpetually dark) and was disgusted because "his once beautiful wife had become a swollen and festering creature." Of course, she doesn't go "oh my love, now we can never be together" like someone else did, and instead got pissed and sent demons after him. It's what you get for not listening to your wife when she's going through post-partum depression and is a goddess.
There's also Yorimasa, where a monster was tormenting the emperor at night, and the hero slew the giant monster with his awesome archery skills. The emperor kept the skin for all time(the thing was part ape, part dragon, part tiger, part serpent and part bird) and Yorimasa got a Special Sword and got to marry the hottest chick around.
Not exactly Eros and Psyche or Jason, but I couldn't help but notice some similarities.
I am only 44 pages in. Expect more such posts.