Shuten-doji and the Slaying of the Oeyama Oni: Minamoto no Raiko, the Poisoned Sake and the Sword Dojigiri
In the Heian capital, noble ladies began to vanish one after another. When the onmyoji master Abe no Seimei divined the cause, he declared that no human was responsible: the culprit was Shuten-doji, the chief of the oni who lived on Mount Oeyama, and his band of demons.
Shuten-doji is sometimes counted with Tamamo-no-Mae, the nine-tailed fox, and Emperor Sutoku among Japan’s three great supernatural figures. He is described as a giant with flame-red hair and horns, living in a mountain hall with stolen treasures and the ladies he had carried off.
Behind this frightening tale, some scholars also read the rise of the samurai class and conflict over mountain resources. This article follows the legend first, then looks at how it has been interpreted.
Minamoto no Raiko and the Four Heavenly Kings
Hearing the people’s suffering, Emperor Ichijo ordered the renowned warrior Minamoto no Raiko (Yorimitsu) to subdue the oni. With him went four retainers, later known as the Four Heavenly Kings: Watanabe no Tsuna, Sakata no Kintoki, Usui Sadamitsu and Urabe no Suetake.
The enemy held a mountain fortress guarded by many oni, and a frontal attack would have meant disaster. So Raiko prayed at the shrines of Iwashimizu Hachiman, Sumiyoshi and Kumano. Three old men are said to have appeared and given him two gifts:
- Jinben-kidokushu: a divine sake that is a medicine to humans but robs oni of their strength.
- Helmets: protective headgear blessed to turn away the fangs of demons.
Hiding their weapons in the packs carried by wandering mountain ascetics, the party disguised themselves as yamabushi and climbed into the misty mountains.
The Banquet in the Demon’s Hall
At the iron gate, the party asked for a night’s lodging as lost pilgrims. Though suspicious, Shuten-doji lowered his guard after tasting the sake that Raiko offered, and welcomed them in.
Drunk, the demon king is said to have told how he had been raised as a temple boy before being driven away to live on Oeyama. As the night went on, the poisoned sake took effect, and the oni fell asleep one by one. Shuten-doji himself slept in his inner chamber, snoring like thunder, his great strength sealed.
The Blade Dojigiri Yasutsuna
Raiko and his men cast off their monks’ robes, put on armor and drew swords forged by the master smith Yasutsuna of Hoki province. Surrounding the sleeping giant, Raiko brought down his blade with all his strength and cut off the demon’s head in a single stroke.
According to the legend, the severed head still flew through the air and tried to bite Raiko’s own head. Raiko was protected by his divine helmet, and the Four Kings pierced the head with spears and swords, finally defeating the demon.
The sword came to be called Dojigiri Yasutsuna, “the Doji-Cutter.” It is ranked first among the Five Great Swords under Heaven (Tenka Goken) and is kept as a National Treasure at the Tokyo National Museum.
What May Lie Behind the Myth
The tale of Shuten-doji cannot be read simply as history. But folklorists and historians have suggested several ways of reading the oni:
- The Oeyama area has long been associated in legend with the mining and smelting of metals.
- The “oni” may stand for mountain peoples or groups of metalworkers who did not follow the court, or for bandits who resisted taxes.
- Horns and red skin have been linked to the look of figures lit by the fires of ironmaking.
These are only interpretations. What is certain is that the story was passed down as a heroic tale of the Minamoto clan’s might and became the subject of picture scrolls, Noh, kabuki and puppet theatre.
Color the World of Yokai
Frightening and fascinating, oni and yokai have long been favorite subjects of picture scrolls and woodblock prints. The Mori no Akari Series offers a yokai coloring set with color samples as a download edition. The product name in the store appears in Japanese.
▶ View Hyakki Yagyo no Utage, Download Edition Set 01
Related Reading
- The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons: History and Yokai
- The Beauty of the Japanese Sword
- What Is Hyakki Yagyo? A Japanese-Style Halloween with Yokai Coloring Pages
References
- Komatsu Kazuhiko, Shuten-doji no Kubi, Chuo Koron Shinsha, 1997
- Takahashi Masaaki, Shuten-doji no Tanjo, Chuko Shinsho, 1992
- Kondo Mizuki, Hyakki Yagyo no Keifu, Yoshikawa Kobunkan, 2008