Episode 11:
A Couple who Gave their Lives for Ill-fated Love
From the Kojiki, Volume III
“The Rebellion of Princess Medori-no-Miko and Prince Hayabusa-wake-no-Miko”
Osazaki-no-Mikoto (Emperor Nintoku), known as the “Compassionate Emperor,” had four wives, including Empress Iwanohime-no-Mikoto. The word ‘Osazaki’, incidentally, refers to the Eurasian wren.
The emperor wished to marry Princess Medori-no-Miko (Medori literally means ‘female bird’), who was his sister by a different mother, and had his brother, Prince Hayabusa-wake-no-Miko (Hayabusa literally means “falcon”), sent to her as a go-between.
Princess Medori-no-Miko answered Prince Hayabusa-wake-no-Miko when he visited her: “My older sister is already married to the Emperor. But I have heard she has endured suffering because of the jealous Empress Iwanohime-no-Mikoto. I am not going to accept his proposal.” And she continued, “I would rather be your wife, Prince Hayabusa-wake-no-Miko.”
Later on, the Emperor came to see Medori-no-Miko, when she was weaving cloth. She said to the Emperor bluntly, “I am weaving cloth to make a robe for Prince Hayabusa-wake-no-Miko.” Moreover, she composed the following poem and sent it to her intended husband, Hayabusa-wake-no-Miko.
“Hibari wa ameni kakeru, Takayukuya Hayabusa-wake Sazaki torasane” (Skylarks fly high above the sky. The falcon, which flies higher than the wren, should catch it.) The poem suggested that she was encouraging him to rebel against the Emperor.
Having found this out, the Emperor raised his army to capture and kill the couple. Prince Hayabusa-wake-no-Miko and Princess Medori-no-Miko escaped to Mt. Kurahashi (now Mt. Otowa, in Sakurai City). Prince Hayabusa-wake-no-Miko took Princess Medori-no-Miko’s hand and together they climbed the steep slope. Being together with their beloved, they could face any difficult road in front of them.
After crossing over the mountain, they arrived in Uda and went on to Soni. However, before they could reach their final destination, Ise, they were caught by their pursuers, and killed by Yamabe-no-Ootate, who used to serve Medori-no-Miko.
At the end of this dramatic elopement, Soni was the place where the couple met their fate. To the present day, many tourists and couples visit the area to enjoy its scenic beauty. There must have been something that continues to attract the hearts of lovers in this region, in connection with this ancient love story.
Related tourism site:
Soni Plateau (Soni Village, Uda County)
After trying to outrun their pursuers, the couple finally came to their end in Soni Village, Uda County. Soni is a beautiful scenic place, famous for its rugged mountains such as Byoubu-iwa, Yoroi-dake, and Kabuto-dake. The picturesque landscapes of these mountains have been created by nature over a long period of time. Throughout the four seasons, the Soni Highland is rich in natural beauty; the landscape turns into a fresh green meadow in summer, and become thick with silver pampas grass in the autumn. The peaceful village with its ancient love story still attracts couples today.
