Yamata no Orochi

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Yamata no Orochi (八岐大蛇, 八俣遠呂智, 八俣遠呂知; ヤマタノオロチ) is a legendary eight-headed and eight-tailed serpent that appears in Japanese mythology. Both the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki record that the kami Susanoo no Mikoto, in order to rescue Kushinadahime, defeated the serpent and that the Kusanagi no Tsurugi, part of the Imperial Regalia of Japan, was found within the serpent's tail. In local tradition, Yamata no Orochi was believed to have survived their encounter with Susanoo and fled to Mount Ibuki, where they were venerated as Ibuki Daimyōjin (伊吹大明神)). Additionally, figures such as Emperor Antoku and Longnü have been identified as incarnations of Yamato no Orochi.

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