Romance of Old Japan, Part I: Mythology and Legend by E. W. Champney and F. Champney (1917). The Labors of Yamato: The Grotto of Love
The Labors of Yamato both begins with a narrative poem about
the Grotto of Love and has several more poems embedded in the story to propel
it further. This use of poetry as a part of the narrative is indicative of the poetic
influence of the creation/telling of this story and is a tactic of storytelling
that keeps the reader interested. This tactic can also be seen in stories of
Greek Mythology.
“Even as she spake, her beauteous handmaidens
spread before the delighted youth a banquet of rare and delicious dishes such
as he had never known. Sweet ambrosial sake they poured into cups of
frail-stemmed sea-lilies. Heaps of gem-like fruits gleamed on plates of
opalescent anemones. Translucent shells of pearl shed throughout the chamber a
soft silvery light, and entrancing strains pulsated from unseen recesses,
breathing of peace and love.” The detailed imagery in this
string of stories is similar to that used in the Part A of Japanese mythology.
There are a lot of sensory words describing sight, smell, and taste, all of which
allow the reader to vividly picture the setting of this story. I have found that
detailed imagery and vivid depictions seem to be a staple in the world of
Japanese Mythology.
In this story, Yamato tires of his loyal wife and goes off to find
his long-lost siren. He travels far and wide to find this siren and even swims
to the mouth of a cave where he is met by a monstrous dragon. Nothing deters
Yamato from his journey, and finally he is able to reach the siren he has been
longing to see. This meeting between Yamato and the Siren is the first of many
pivotal moments in this story. It is here that another poem is used to describe
the scene before him as he enters the cave. This poem is followed up by the
description of the siren using the detailed imagery mentioned above. To me, the
employment of both of these things to describe this single scene is an indicator
of its great importance. Also, it is this interaction between the two that
prompts Yamato to go on the journey that this story is about. When Yamato asks
the siren to grant him her love, she promptly tells him that he must dare death
to win her love-and thus begins the Labors of Yamato.
This story has similarities to a hero’s journey story in Greek
Mythology (except for Yamato’s corrupt motives) and could be retold in a
similar fashion. I was thinking of changing the story of this quest to make it
more of a noble journey. Maybe Yamato could set off to rescue the sirens from
the dragon or from the sea monster that plagued Odysseus.
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| Enoshima, Blogspot |
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