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Yamato Takeru, a MythSource painting
Japanese

Yamato Takeru

01Identity

Yamato Takeru in Japanese tradition

Yamato Takeru-called Prince Yamato Take in Yei Theodora Ozaki’s English retelling-is introduced as a son of Emperor Keiko sent on dangerous missions. He uses disguise and force against western opponents, then defeats another opponent with a wooden sword trick before his father orders him east. At Ise, his aunt gives him the sword of Murakumo and flints; those gifts help him escape a fire trap set by a local governor. After the escape, he names the weapon Kusanagi, the Grass-Cleaving Sword. The story links his survival to quick action and the tools he carries.

On the eastern journey, Ototachibana enters a stormy sea to save Yamato Takeru and the ship. He continues inland, where an encounter with a mountain being leaves him poisoned and unable to walk. Rest at a hot spring restores his strength, and he returns to Ise. The account presents a campaign shaped by imperial commands, the hero’s own resourcefulness and the costly aid of those who travel with him.

SourceJapanese fairy tales: Yei Theodora Ozaki, “The Story of Prince Yamato Take,” Japanese Fairy Tales

Top questions

The quick answers

02The names

The names Yamato Takeru answers to

Yamato Take

Ozaki's source-form name for the hero; the text uses this form in the later campaign narrative.

SourceJapanese fairy tales

Prince Yamato Take

The title and source-form name used for this hero in Ozaki's chapter heading.

SourceJapanese fairy tales

03The myths

The myths of Yamato Takeru

1 myth, with sources recorded for each.

Yamato Takeru’s Campaigns and Return

Prince Yamato Take, second son of Emperor Keiko, is sent west to subdue opponents of the court. He disguises himself as a woman to enter the Kumaso chiefs’ gathering, kills their leaders and receives the name Yamato Take. He then uses a wooden sword trick to defeat another chief. Later his father sends him east. At Ise, his aunt gives him the sword of Murakumo and flints. A governor sets fire to the grass around him, but Yamato Take cuts a path through the burning field and turns the fire away. Afterward, he raises the sword, credits Murakumo with his escape, and names it Kusanagi, the Grass-Cleaving Sword.

On the eastern journey his wife Ototachibana travels with him. When a storm threatens their ship, she enters the sea in a sacrifice that calms the waters and allows Yamato Take to land safely. He continues the campaign, then sets out against a mountain monster. The creature poisons him, leaving him too ill to walk; he is carried to hot springs and gradually recovers. At Ise, his aunt welcomes him back and gives thanks to Amaterasu for his preservation.

Yamato Takeru’s Campaigns and Return, a MythSource painting of the scene