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Hallowie29 — Chapter CXV - The Legend of Akamatsu Pond

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Published: 2022-02-18 08:28:13 +0000 UTC; Views: 4952; Favourites: 90; Downloads: 0
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Description The Legend of Akamatsu Pond (赤松の池伝説): In Akamatsu, Tottori Prefecture, there is an old pond surrounded by mountains (Mt. Daisen; 大山). This old pond was build around early Edo period or earlier but never given a name, so people who had seen it, began to call it Akamatsu Pond. There was an old legend about this mysterious pond.

Long time ago, a man who longed for a child, called, Matsuura Tanomo (松浦瀬母), heard a rumor of the god who resided on Mt. Daisen. He and his wife decided to climb up to the mountain and visited the mysterious pond to pray for the god for a child. Not long after that, his wife was blessed with a daughter. They named her, Ohatsu (お初). 

Ohatsu was loved by everyone in her family and blessed with good fortune. However, when she grew up, she caught the eye of the feudal lord Matsudaira because of her unearthly beauty. She didn't want to be married but her father was unable to refuse the lord's order. On the day to send her to the lord's castle, Ohatsu asked to visit Akamatsu Pond to pray for the god. Her parents agreed and let their servants escort her to Mt. Daisen. At the pond, she then walked into the water and began to comb her hair. Her hair became longer and longer, surrounded the pond. Unexpectedly, a big whirlpool appeared and she sank down into water. Her parents and servants panicked and begged for the god to return Ohatsu to them. So then she returned to the water surface once again but her lower body was no more of human's, an enormous snake's instead. She told them that she was originally a snake spirit who resided in this pond. On the day, Tanomo and his wife came to pray for a child, she decided to grant their wish. She transformed herself and lived with them as their daughter. But now it was time for her to return to the pond. She wished them all to be happy and thanked them for taking care of her for so many years in human's wold. Then, she transformed back to her real appearance of the giant snake and dived into the pond. Nobody had seen Ohatsu ever again.

After her disappearance, Tanomo and his wife decided to build a small stoned shrine besides the pond. Many people came to visit the shrine since then. And every year on 18th June, people would hold a festival on Mt. Daisen to worship the god of Akamatsu Pond.

(From HMN-115-赤松の池伝説)
Characters: Ohatsu
Series: Hazy-Mooned Night (Water-well's Moonlight part II)
Colors: Copic markers
Date: 18-02-22
By Hallowie29

*Akamatsu Pond, Tottori: ameblo.jp/sanin-department-sto…
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Comments: 3

Hawkheart29 [2024-04-18 17:01:58 +0000 UTC]

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asabelmori [2022-02-24 07:20:47 +0000 UTC]

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Hallowie29 In reply to asabelmori [2022-02-28 03:58:42 +0000 UTC]

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