8 Cedars

"Unnan City: Yahonsugi" I stopped by in April 2024 when I was touring the places related to the Yamata no Orochi legend by motorcycle. 50m west of Hii Shrine, there are several cedar trees of uniform height. Once upon a time, Susanoo no Mikoto, after killing a large snake, cut off its head and buried it in the ground. This is the place where it is said that they buried it and planted eight cedar trees on top of it. There were as many cedar trees as there were eight heads. (The current cedars are said to have been replanted after the floods in the early Meiji period.) By the way, it is said that the true identity of Orochi is the Hii River, and the legend is said to have been created to resemble a large serpent. The Ibi River is a first-class river that runs from Okuizumo through Unnan City and flows into the Sea of ​​Japan at the prefectural border of Shimane and Tottori. In the Kojiki, it is referred to as the Hikawa River, and it is believed that it was a river that brought large amounts of sediment through floods. In addition, the eight-pronged serpent is an image of this river, which frequently floods, and it is said that the ``extermination'' by Suho no Mikoto was in other words, the river's flood control. Interesting.

This is said to be the place where Susanoo-no-Mikoto buried the eight snake heads and planted a cedar tree after defeating the eight-pronged snake. There is a legend that the horns and bones of an eight-pronged serpent washed up at Onotsu Shrine in Tsunomori on the north shore of Lake Shinji in Matsue City, and the name Tsunoyori is said to be the origin of this place's name. When the Hii River flooded, did the snake head that flowed from this area reach its destination? Even though I am an amateur, it was a good opportunity for me to reflect on the past.

Yahonsugi Unnan City It is said that after Susano-onomikoto defeated Yamata-no-Orochi, he buried its eight heads and planted eight cedars on top of them. Over the years, this cedar has been washed away many times by floods of the Hii River, but it has been replanted each time, and the current cedar is said to have been planted after the flood in 1873. I am.

There were eight cedar trees. Am I the only one who feels like the size of the cedar doesn't match the times, even though it's a nice big cedar? (＞人＜;)

A cedar tree said to have been planted on the site where the eight heads of Yamata no Orochi were buried. The cedars seem to have been replanted in the Meiji period.