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In most cultures demons and dragons reside at the heart of the supernatural, where their distinct status reflects their various cultural roles. This is also true of Japanese culture and folklore, where these creatures play prominent roles. For present-day Japanese, oni (demons or ogres) typically reside in Buddhist hell to punish mortal sinners, but for their medieval counterparts, the oni's role and the space oni occupied were much more flexible. Perhaps a prime example of this is Amewakahiko söshi (Tale of Amewakahiko; fifteenth century), a fictional story that recounts one legendary origin of Tanabata (Festival of the Weaver, the Star Festival), the celebration of the annual meeting of the Weaver Maid and the Cowherd, who represent the stars Vega and Altair, respectively. In this version of the Tanabata story, an oni is standing in the beautiful serene sky. This oni turns out to be the father of a kairyüö (a dragon king of the ocean) who also lives in the sky. This dragon king calls himself Amewakahiko (sometimes Amewakamiko), hence the title.
The plot of The Tale of Amewakahiko is similar to "Cupid and Psyche" by Lucius Apuleius (second century CE). Some scholars in Japan recognize "Cupid and Psyche" as the source of The Tale of Amewakahiko, and others read the dragon king's tale as indigenous to Japan. Although there is no finally persuasive evidence that the Japanese tale was influenced by "Cupid and Psyche," it is worthwhile to examine the Apuleian tale's connection to The Tale of Amewakahiko and to share these different scholarly perspectives from Japan in an English-language publication. Thus in this essay I discuss the various possible origins of the tale. Thinking of The Tale of Amewakahiko in a Japanese folkloric and literary context reveals a specifically medieval Japanese view of space boundaries (or lack thereof) of underground, earth, and heaven that oni and a dragon travel; it also suggests that studies of ancient and classical Japanese literature (periods of ancient and classical literature, 645-1185 CE) by medieval Japanese scholars influenced the choice of the characters' names and their actions in this tale.
Plot and Genre of The Tale of Amewakahiko
One day a huge serpent appears in front of a wealthy family's house. The serpent demands one of the family's...