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Orochi

Orochi refers to Yamata no Orochi, a legendary eight-headed dragon in Japanese folklore. The name, often translated as the eight-headed serpent, appears in early chronicles such as the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, where the creature terrorizes the Izumo region and demands a yearly sacrifice of young maidens.

In the myth, the storm god Susanoo arrives in Izumo and learns of the dragon. He devises

Cultural significance and legacy: The Yamata no Orochi tale has influenced Japanese art, literature, theatre, and

See also: Yamata no Orochi; Susanoo; Kusanagi no Tsurugi; Kojiki; Nihon Shoki.

a
plan:
the
dragon
is
lured
with
sake
poured
into
its
eight
mouths,
becoming
intoxicated.
Susanoo
then
slays
the
dragon
and
splits
it
into
pieces.
In
the
dragon’s
tail
he
finds
the
Kusanagi
no
Tsurugi,
the
Grass-Cutting
Sword.
He
later
presents
the
weapon
to
Ninigi,
Amaterasu’s
descendant,
where
it
becomes
part
of
Japan’s
Imperial
Regalia
alongside
the
mirror
and
the
jewel.
religious
symbolism,
often
representing
the
triumph
of
order
over
chaos
and
the
provenance
of
the
imperial
lineage.
In
modern
culture,
the
name
Orochi
is
widely
used
for
fictional
antagonists
or
boss
characters
in
various
works,
drawing
on
the
mythic
image
of
an
immense,
multi-headed
serpent.