Part 15: Mythology Dissection 1
Tax Refund posted:
Woohoo, I can talk about Kaguya now!
Some of you may be going, "Whoa, wait, a rocket ship? What does that have to do with ancient Japanese myth?" I know I did when I first played this game, but in fact, this has been very well foreshadowed.
First, anyone familiar with The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter will recognize Kaguya's story immediately, as it was based on the Bamboo Cutter story. And yes, the whole "Kaguya came from the moon" idea comes from the original tenth-century story, and is not an invention by Clover.
Second, in Japanese tradition, the moon is inhabited not by a man in the moon, but by a rabbit. I think Silver Falcon has already talked about this, but if she hasn't, see here for details. Notice Kaguya's rabbit ears, which have been there all along.
Third, when you first saw Kaguya, did you notice the bubble-like shape around her head? I didn't when I first played through the game, but yes, it's been there all along too. Go back to the part where Okami and Issun first meet her in the Emperor's prison, and you'll see the helmet in her clothing.
I love how much foreshadowing Clover threw into this game.
You have it right! And I'll add to this:
The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter
Kaguya's storyline is based on the well-known Japanese folktale "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter." Also known as "Princess Kaguya." The Kaguya storyline in the game is rather weird, as people have pointed out, but it owes all its weirdness to the source material. Yep, the origianl folktale is just as weird! Interestingly, the story of Kaguya and the bamboo cutter is among the earliest examples of science-fiction. (In the 10th century. Crazy, huh?)
In the story, an elderly bamboo-cutter named Taketori no Okina (The Old Man Who Harvests Bamboo), was harvesting bamboo when he came across a mysterious, glowing bamboo stalk. Curious, he cut it open, and found a tiny baby girl. He and his wife were childless, and had often prayed to the gods to bless them with a child. It seemed the gods had at last answered their prayers! He took the little girl home and he and his wife raised her as their own daughter. They named her Nayotake-no-Kaguya-hime (Princess of Flexible Bamboo Scattering Light).
The Bamboo-Cutter bringing baby Kaguya back to his home.
The blessings of the gods did not stop there for the old bamboo-cutter and his wife. Thereafter, whenever Taketori cut down a stalk of bamboo, he found a small nugget of gold inside! Thus, the old couple became very rich, and they were able to lavishly care for little Kaguya.
Kaguya, though she started out life very small, soon grew into a normal sized, and very beautiful, woman. News of her beauty spread far and wide, and soon caught the attention of five princes, who came to the bamboo-cutters house to seek Kaguya's hand in marriage. Kaguya was less than thrilled about the idea, and neither was her father, who didn't want to lose his only child. The old man and Kaguya concocted a scheme. They would give the princes an impossible task: Kaguya would marry whichever prince managed to find a certain item.
The first prince was given the task of finding the Buddha's stone begging bowl in India (a bit like the Holy Grail, I think). The second prince had to find a jeweled branch from the isle of Horai (a mythical land containing all manner of wondrous things. This is a bit like telling someone to find the Fountain of Youth or El Dorado, I guess). The third prince was tasked with finding the robe of the legendary fire-rat of China, and the fourth with bringing a jewel from a dragon's neck. The fifth prince was given an odd task. He had to find a cowrie (a type of mollusc) which was born from a swallow. I'm guessing this is just a metaphor for an impossible thing.
Three of the princes realized their task was impossible and tried to trick Kaguya and her father. The first brought a very expensive bowl, claiming it was the begging bowl of Buddha. However, Kaguya noticed that the bowl did not glow with holy light, and thus saw through his deception. The second and third princes tried to deceive her in a similar fashion, but Kaguya did not fall for their ruse. The fourth prince was thwarted in his attempts to find the legendary isle by a massive storm, and the fifth prince died trying to complete his task.
After that, Kaguya attracted the attention of the Emperor of Japan himself, Mikado. Mikado came to see the beauty who had enchanted so many princes. He fell in love with her himself the moment he laid eyes on her. He asked for her hand in marriage, but Kaguya refused, saying she was not of his country, and could therefore not go with him. Her parents inquired what she meant by that, but Kaguya wouldn't say.
All through the following summer, Kaguya would gaze up at the full moon, her eyes filled with tears. Again, her parents questioned her odd behavior, but Kaguya would not tell them what was wrong. Finally, she revealed that she was not of this world: she had come from the moon, and wished to return to her home. Her adopted parents were saddened and dismayed by this revelation, but they loved their daughter, and agreed to help her.
As the day of Kaguya's departure drew near, the Emperor sent guards to Kaguya's home, trying to prevent her from leaving. He still loved her, even though she had refused his offer of marriage. However, his efforts were for naught. An embassy of "Heavenly Beings," the Moon People, arrived at the bamboo-cutter's house to convey Kaguya to her true home. The Emperor's guards were blinded by the light given off by the envoys, and were unable to stop them. Kaguya said her farewells to her adopted parents, writing them a letter, and another addressed to the Emperor. She gave the bamboo-cutter and his wife her robe as a momento, and went with the Moon people back to Tsuki-no-Miyako, the Capital City of the Moon.
Kaguya returning to the Capital of the Moon with the emissaries.
Bereft of their only daughter, the bamboo-cutter and his wife took to their beds, sick and weak (presumably to die, though it's not mentioned in the story). The guards returned to the Emperor with the letter Kaguya had written him. Upon reading her letter, the Emperor inquired of his servants "Which mountain is closest to the moon?" One suggested the Great Mountain in the Suruga Province. The Emperor wrote Kaguya a letter of his own and ordered his guards to take it to the summit of that mountain and burn it, hoping his message might reach his beloved Kaguya. He also sent along the Elixir of Immortality, which Kaguya had given him as a parting gift.
In time, the word for immortality (fuji) became the name of that mountain, and so Mount Fuji was named. Legend says that he smoke from the burning letter rises from the mountain to this day (Mt. Fuji is a volcano).
Kaguya
As Tax Refund mentioned, there is a bit of foreshadowing concerning Kaguya's appearance, for those sharp enough to spot it, in addition to making the connection between her and the folktale.
Kaguya's upper body appears to be dressed in a space suit of bamboo. Rabbit ears also sprout from her head. In my 11th Mythology Dissection, I mentioned that rabbits are associated with the moon in Japanese folklore (being why Yumigami, god of the moon, is a rabbit). Kaguya's rabbit ears point to her lunar origins.
Kaguya's official art