Who was Tamamo-no-Mae?
Q: Who was Tamamo-no-Mae?
A: Tamamo-no-Mae was a legendary figure in Japanese mythology and folklore. In the Otogizoshi, a collection of Japanese prose written in the Muromachi period, she was said to be a courtesan under the Japanese Emperor Konoe who was renowned for her beauty and intelligence.
Q: What made Tamamo-no-Mae so special?
A: Tamamo-no-Mae's body mysteriously always smelled wonderful, and her clothes never became dirty. She answered every question posed to her, whether about music, religion, or astronomy. Because of her beauty and intelligence, everyone in the Imperial Court adored her.
Q: Why did Emperor Konoe become ill?
A: Emperor Konoe suddenly and mysteriously fell ill after some time had passed. An astrologer told him that Tamamo-no-Mae was the cause of his illness because she was actually an evil fox with nine tails (kitsune) trying to take over the throne.
Q: How did Miura-nosuke kill Tamamo-no Mae?
A: The fox appeared to Miura-nosuke in a dream as the beautiful young woman again and begged for its life but he refused. Early the next day, hunters found it on the Plain of Nasu and Miura shot it with an arrow killing it instantly.
Q: What happened to Tamamo no Mae's spirit after death?
A: After death, Tamamo no Mae's spirit became Hoji which haunted Sessho seki or Killing Stone until Genno performed certain spiritual rituals which caused Hoji to surrender and swear not to haunt it anymore.
Q: What is Matsuo Bashō's famous book about?
A: Matsuo Bashō's famous book is called The Narrow Road to the Deep North (Oku no Hosomichi) which tells of visiting Sessho seki where Tamamo no Mae died.
Q: What does it mean when Sessho seki split on March 5th 2022?
A: When Sessho seki split on March 5th 2022 many people humorously said that this meant that Tamamo no Mae is now free however there is also a more general belief that this could be an omen of impending tragedy
