The Tale of Raiko and the Fearsome Nue (Chimera) - Japanese Mythology

We're to continue the story we started of Minamoto no Yorimitsu - Raiko. The last time, Raiko was tasked with infiltrating a stronghold in Kyoto and confronting the demon Shuten-Doji. Today, we're going to learn about his showdown with the fearsome Nue—a monstrous creature that threatened the very heart of the Imperial Palace. 

In the summer of 1153, Kyoto was engulfed in a profound sense of dread. Emperor Konoe, a figure of great reverence, was stricken by unrelenting nightmares that plagued him every night. His health deteriorated rapidly, and despite the best efforts of the palace physicians and the most fervent prayers, his condition showed no signs of improvement. The source of his ailment was attributed to a malevolent spirit, believed to be visiting the palace in the early hours of the morning.

The situation reached a critical point when, one stormy night around 2 AM, a fierce tempest descended upon the Imperial Palace. Lightning struck the roof, setting it ablaze, adding to the chaos and fear that had gripped the court. In desperation, the Emperor summoned the legendary samurai Minamoto no Yorimasa to confront and eliminate the evil spirit tormenting him.

The grand Imperial Palace, once a beacon of power and serenity, was now engulfed in an ominous shadow of fear and darkness. The bustling court, typically alive with the chatter of advisors, guards, and attendants, had fallen eerily silent. Opulent halls and majestic gardens, the very heart of the empire, were overshadowed by an unspeakable evil. The source of this terror was none other than the Nue, a nightmarish creature born from myth. With a grotesque blend of features from various animals, the Nue struck dread into all who glimpsed it. Its head bore the face of a monkey with glinting, malevolent eyes. The powerful, striped body of a tiger that moved with a terrifying grace, while the legs of a tanuki a raccoon dog, which granted the beast an unsettling agility. Most horrifying of all was its tail, a writhing snake that hissed ominously. The very sight of the Nue inspired sheer dread and despair.

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The Divine Retribution of Izanagi

When Izanami died during the birth of their child, Kagutsuchi, the world of Izanagi was shattered Izanami was not merely a companion; she was his divine counterpart, his muse, and his heart.. The pain of losing her was like a crushing weight on his soul, an agony so deep and profound that it engulfed his entire being. His grief was more than tears and sorrow. Standing beside the lifeless body of his beloved wife, Izanagi was consumed with overwhelming sadness and confusion. 

After his escape and closing off the entrance to the underworld, Izanagi's despair evolved into a fierce, burning anger. In the throes of his intense grief and anger, Izanagi turned his sorrow into a singular, unwavering purpose: divine retribution. The weight of losing Izanami to the fires of childbirth was an unbearable burden, one that twisted his sorrow into the bitter sting of rage. His heart filled with the tempest of his emotions, Izanagi no longer saw Kagutsuchi as a newborn deity, but as the very embodiment of the disaster that had shattered his world. Driven by the depth of his anguish, Izanagi resolved that Kagutsuchi, whose birth had resulted in such irrevocable loss, must be held accountable. To Izanagi's mind, there was no distinction between the unfortunate event and the deity himself. Kagutsuchi symbolized everything taken from him—the joy of his companionship with Izanami, the promise of their shared future, and the comfort of her presence.

In seeking to punish Kagutsuchi, Izanagi believed it was an act of justice, a necessary step to rectify the imbalance caused by Izanami's death. This divine retribution, however grim, seemed the only path left for him to regain a semblance of control over the chaos that had engulfed his life. Kagutsuchi's life thus became the offering Izanagi deemed necessary to restore order and to quench the inferno of his grief. This decision wasn't just about punishment—it was also about the desperate need for closure. Izanagi's determination to slay his own offspring wasn't an easy resolve; it was shaped by the severe demands of divine justice, and the immutable laws of the cosmos that even deities like him could not escape. The tragic irony of targeting Kagutsuchi underscored the complexities of divine relationships, where the line between creation and destruction, life and death, blurred.

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