🌊Kojiki Reboot Part 3 Episode 5: The Night I Was Told Not to Look — The Dragon Palace Childbirth
Life in the Dragon Palace was quieter than I had imagined.
Yamasachi (Hoori) thought to himself as he walked down the corridor of the palace, lined with pillars of seashells.
“...The bottom of the sea is such a peaceful place.”
Fish swam like beams of light, and
the ripples of the water swayed on the ceiling.
The flow of time also felt a little slower than it did on land.
Beside him was Toyotamahime.
She was the daughter of the sea god Watatsumi, and
the princess of this Dragon Palace.
At first, Yamasachi had been bewildered by the completely different culture, but
now he had grown accustomed to this place.
The food was luxurious.
The living quarters were comfortable.
There was no conflict.
And—
Toyotamahime was there.
Yamasachi (inner voice)
“...Well, it’s no wonder I don’t want to go back.”
It was a very honest sentiment for a human to have.
🌊However, change comes suddenly
One day.
Toyotamahime said quietly.
“Hoori.”
“Yes?”
I am going to have your child.
Yamasachi paused for a moment.
...Huh?
It is your child.
It was only natural, but
for him, it was sudden news.
However, Toyotama-hime's expression was slightly serious.
However—
Here, she said
something very important.
I have a request.
Yeah.
When I give birth, please do not look at me.
Yamasachi tilted his head.
Huh?
Please do not look.
...Is it that serious?
Absolutely.
When told this much,
it actually makes me curious.
Humans are that kind of creature.
🌊The Night of Childbirth at the Dragon Palace
The day of the birth.
In a room at the Dragon Palace,
a large birthing hut was built.
The people of the sea stepped outside,
watching over it in silence.
Toyotama-hime went inside,
and said to Yamasachi.
"It's a promise."
Yamasachi nodded.
"I won't look."
"Absolutely?"
"Absolutely."
The door closed.
A voice could be heard from within.
The sound of water.
Breathing.
And then—
The presence of something large moving.
Yamasachi waited in the hallway.
However.
Human curiosity
has not changed since the age of the Kojiki.
Yamasachi (inner voice)
"…If it's just a little…"
Through a crack in the door,
he peeked inside.
And then—
He saw it.
🌊What was there
was not human.
A massive body.
Scaly skin.
A long form.
A Yahiro-wani.
In other words—
The form of a giant sea god.
A shark, or perhaps a crocodile.
It was the true form of the sea god.
In that form, Toyotama-hime was
giving birth to a child.
Yamasachi-hiko gasped involuntarily.
“...!”
At that moment.
A voice came from inside.
“...You saw, didn't you.”
The door opened.
Standing there was
Toyotama-hime, who had returned to her human form.
But,
her expression was slightly sad.
🌊Parting
Toyotama-hime said quietly.
“In truth, I did not want you to see.”
I am not angry.
I am simply sad.
"I am a creature of the sea."
"You are a person of the land."
"That is why there was a boundary."
Yamasachi could say nothing.
Toyotama-hime continued.
"But I entrust our child to you."
She lifts up the newborn child.
His name is—
Ugaya-fukiaezu.
This child would later
become the ancestor of the kings of Japan.
Toyotama-hime says one last thing.
"I will send my younger sister to the land."
"To raise the child."
And then she
quietly returned to the sea.
The waters of the Dragon Palace ripple.
Yamasachi
could only watch her back as she departed.
📜Kojiki Point for this episode
In the Kojiki,
scenes where one is told "do not look" appear many times.
It is not a secret.
It was the idea that
the world has boundaries.
The world of the heavens,
the world of the earth,
the world of the sea.
In each,
there are lines that must not be crossed.
🌿 When translated to the modern day
No matter how close you are to someone,
you cannot understand everything about them.
There are some relationships between people
that only last because there is a little bit of distance.
The Kojiki
speaks of this quietly.
🌊 To be continued
(Episode 6: 'The Sea Princess's Younger Sister — Tamayori-hime and the Ancestor of Jimmu')
―― Yoshi Press ――
A series that retells ancient myths with modern sensibilities.
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