[Akita] What is the legend of Hachirotaro? Introducing three episodes that even Akita residents don't know much about.

In AkitaHachiro Taro, the dragon god of Hachiro Lagoonturned from a human into a dragon and lived in Hachirogata.Princess Tatsuko of Lake TazawaUntil I got married toHachirotaro legendare left in various places.

In this article, we will introduce three stories from among the many legends of Hachiro Taro that even Akita residents are not familiar with.

[Episode 1] Hachirotaro's broken heart

The story of Hachiro Taro marrying Princess Tatsuko of Lake Tazawa is well known, but it is not well known that he was in love with another woman before that.

However, in the legend of Hachiro Taro, after Hachiro Taro settled in Hachiro Lagoon, Hachiro Lagoon would freeze in the winter, so he searched around for a lake that would not freeze.Kitaura of OgaIt is located in a place calledIchinomegataandthe goddess who lives thereThere is a story that he noticed and started going there.

The goddess of Ichinomegata is in trouble, and a master archer from Kyoto,Masayasu Takeuchi YagoroI asked him to drive Hachirotaro away.

Masayasu asked the goddess where he should aim to get rid of Hachirotaro, and the goddess said,Hachirotaro appears on a black cloud from the top of Mt. Kanpu.I answered that I should shoot an arrow with that in mind.

Masayasu prepared his ancestral bow and arrows, hid himself in a Mikasa pine tree on the banks of Ichinomegata, waited for Hachirotaro to appear, and fired his arrows at the exact moment a black cloud appeared.

The arrow hit Hachirotaro, so he pulled it out of his body and said,This grudge will always leave one eye on even the seventh generation of descendants.'' he said as he threw the arrow back at Shinyasu.

The arrow hit Masayasu's left eye, and his left eye was disabled from then on until his seventh generation of descendants.It is said that.

After this, Hachirotaro gave up on the goddess of Ichinomegata and started going to Princess Tatsuko.All the carp living in Ichinomegata have one eye.

Not only does Hachirotaro lose his heart, but he is also forced to give up on Ichinomegata, where he had thought he could live in the winter, so it's a bit pitiful, but from the perspective of the goddess of Ichinomegata, she's courting him for a place to live. It also looks like it's been broken, so it can be said that it's the result of dividing pain.

[Episode 2] The inn where Hachirotaro stayed

In the Hachiro Taro legend, Hachiro TaroThe accommodation I stayed at when going to Ichinomegata and Lake TazawaThere remains a story about.

LocationOga、Kamiyodogawa、Saimyoji Temple、Nakagawa、Jinguji Temple、Tsuchikawa、Akita CityThere are many different legends within Akita Prefecture, but the one thing that all the legends that have been passed down in each region have in common is,Taboo not to look” style of conversation.

``Taboo not to watch'' is a story where people are forbidden to watch someone doing something, but because they violate it, they end up facing tragic consequences and horrible consequences. It can also be found in many Japanese myths and folk tales.

In the legend of HachirotaroHachirotaro stays in the form of a monk.death"Never look into the room'', but the family accidentally saw Hachiro Taro sleeping, and from then on, Hachiro Taro stopped coming to stay, and other guests stopped coming, and the inn became obsolete. is.

[Episode 3] “The Legend of Hachiro Taro” recorded by Masumi Sugae in “Lake Jukuma”

A traveler and naturalist of the late Edo period.Masumi Sugaein August 1807“Towada no Umi” is a travelogue written about the area around Lake Towada.Stayed at the lead mine in the middle of the day,The story of Nansobo and HachirotaroI'm listening.

Regarding the legend of Hachirotaro, Hachirotaro, who was a matagi, entered Mt. Okuse with his friends, and after eating as much char as his friends, he became thirsty, drank water until he felt thirsty, and lost his human form. There is a story left in Tokuma Lake where he asked his friends to hand over the minogasa he was wearing to his parents and compatriots.

``Towada no Umi'' is included in Akita Series Bessatsu 1.For those who want to read the original text,National Diet Digital CollectionLet's take a look at it.

Reference: Cultural Heritage Online “Lake Tokuma”

Reference: National Diet Library Digital Collection “Akita Series Special Collection No. 1”

summary

In the Hachiro Taro legend, the story of Hachiro Taro taking the form of a dragon, becoming the lord of Hachiro Lagoon, and marrying Princess Tatsuko is famous, but it turns out that there are many interesting episodes in other legends passed down in Akita Prefecture. I did.

Please refer to this article and learn about the various legends of Hachiro Taro.

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