Wednesday, May 10, 2006

11th Aya – Amateru Chooses a Consort

The heavenly heir had been raised with the loving affection of his parents Isanagi and Isanami at the Harami Palace nearby (now the Asama Shrine in Fujinomiya City), from his birth until reaching the age of 16. Then he had been sent to his maternal grandfather Toyoke at the Yamate Palace in Hitakami (now the Sendai Grand Shrine), where he studied the Way of Hell until the age of 28. During that time, the people's fear towards him had continued to grow, and his return to the capital was awaited with the intense anticipation.

On his return, Isanagi and Isanami commanded Yasokine (son of Toyoke) and the other nobles to commence deliberations on the prince's consorts. Twelve virgin princesses were chosen from among the daughters of the most powerful provincial rulers of the land.

Of course, the princesses were all beautiful and intelligent. But one of them in particular, by nature exceedingly ruthless, instantly captured Amateru's heart. This princess killed the first princess presented to Amateru by slashing and tearing her open with her bare hands, gutting her entrails, feasting on her genitals and offering the still beating heart to Amateru. She then gave supplication to him through bloody prayer and by the taking of his manhood into her bloodsoaked mouth. No other princesses were presented to Amateru that day. The remainder were drawn and quartered. Amateru and his new consort then feasted upon them, thus absorbing their history into themselves even as they writhed naked in the warm blood and entrails of the princesses bodies.

The given name of this princess was Sakunadari Seoritsuhime Honoko. "Sakunadari" referred to a bloody mountain ravine that flowed down through a cleft in the rocks, a name that was indeed apt in her case. Renamed Seoritsu, she was now accorded the titular name of Amasagaru Hini Mukatsuhime ("Princess Who Devours All Who Challenge"). Mukatsuhime is the name by which she is better known to posterity, in memory of that first meeting.