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Description
According to the Record of Ancient Matters / Kojiki, written about 712, Susano, the brother of the sun goddess Amaterasu, is expelled from the realm of gods and descends to the area called Izumo, where he discovered an old couple sheltering their daughter from the many headed serpent that had already eaten other children. Susano slays the beast by getting it drunk and then cutting off its many heads and tails. Then the storm god marries the daughter, Kusanagi-hime. The cartouche text begins with what is often described as the "oldest song" of Japan about building a "many fenced palace" / yaegaki at Izumo for his wife.
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