Daidarabotchi

Daidarabotchi graphic from theKaidan-Hyakki-Zue.

Daidarabotchi(ダイダラボッチ, đại tòa pháp sư)was a gigantic type ofyōkaiinJapanese mythology,sometimes said to pose as a mountain range when sleeping.

Mythology

The size of a Daidarabotchi was so great that his footprints were said to have created innumerable lakes and ponds. In one legend, a Daidarabotchi weighedMount FujiandMount Tsukubato see which was heavier, but he accidentally split Tsukuba's peak after he was finished with it.

TheHitachi no KuniFudoki,a recording of the imperial customs in theHitachi Provincecompiled in the 8th century, also told of a Daidarabotchi living on a hill west of a post office of Hiratsu Ogushi who fed on giant clams from the beach, piling the shells on top of a hill. In the largerIbaraki Prefecture,Daidarabotchi was considered a benevolent giant, moving mountains to aid the people of Ibaraki. InMito, Ibaraki,a 15-meter statue was erected in Ogushi Kaizuka Park to commemorate the yōkai and its myths.

Izumo no Kuni Fudokialso mentions a legendary king of Izumo, Ōmitsunu, who was the grandson ofSusanooand a demi-god. Having the strength of a giant, he performed Kuni-biki, pulling land fromSillawith ropes, to increase the size of his territory.

The Daidarabotchi was also said to reside atMount Togakushi,where there exists a pond on its south side bearing its name.

See also

• Regigigas