Momotaro

Many of you probably haven't heard of Momotaro when you talk about myths and legends. The first things that probably pop into your head are Zeus, Hercules, Ra, and gods that share similar ideas to western culture. Momotaro is a myth with a simple plot that also shares similar cultural ideas and moral standards but is unknown to most since it comes from Asia more specifically Japan. Momotaro is bursting with symbolism, culture and ideas we already know but haven't made the connection to yet.

To read the story before continuing you can checkout this link to read.

LINK TO MOMOTARO

Also here is another fabulous video!

Watch this to the end because the narrator makes a great observation about Momotaro and how it became popular.

Isn't it great! So now you've probably realized some common themes that have already been mention in my first post just by reading the text. In the last post, I mention how in mythology a lot of the same ideas are rehashed in order to portray a similar message. Momotaro follows this same idea. It brings up common themes that Icarus and Daedalus experienced in their myths as well. To start off Momotaro represents a son who respects his parents and shows the benefits of following their teachings. This story shows the same message as Icarus expect that Momotaro does listen to his parents and shows the benefits of respecting them. In Japanese culture honoring your elders was a very important part of their culture especially since households usually consisted of extended families.

Now the big theme I talked about last post was the aspect that God will smite you down if you don't obey his word. Momotaro reflects this theme exactly, but some knowledge of Japanese history is required. So in the story Momotaro sets of to stop the demons who have been robbing and terrorizing villagers and disobeying the emperors orders and laws. The emperor part here is important because the emperor was considered descendants of the gods more specifically Amaterasu, the sun goddess. Now Amaterasu was the not only the sun goddess but ruler of the sun and heaven and also considered god of the universe. Now you've probably already made the connection but basically Emperor = god and Momotaro is the one how is punishing those who breaks gods laws or the Oni or Demons.

Friendship is also a common theme in Japanese culture that is referenced. Throughout the story we see Momotaro stopping quarrels and fights between his companions. We can also understand how Momotaro feels about the union because of his speech and the talks they have on the boat. The theme of unity is important here because their unity is need to overcome terrible odds. This theme relates most to Japanese culture during WWII. Momotaro origin dates back to around 1753, but became very popular as propaganda for WWII. Momotaro was represented as the Japanese government and his animal companions were the citizens. The story has the citizens and the government work in unity to fight the oni or in this case America. Even though this story has a simple plot, it does show some reoccurring themes and teachings.

Leave any suggestions or thoughts below in the comments. This is my first time creating a blog and I view this as a learning experience, so I don't mind any criticism. Also if you found anything wrong with what I wrote let me know and I correct it. Thanks for viewing my blog!

Guess what myth is next!!!