Yatagarasu

Yatagarasu (八咫烏, yatagarasu) is a divine three-legged crow. In East Asian mythologies the three-legged crow is most often associated with the sun and in the Nihon Shoki, was the envoy of the highest sun god, Amaterasu Oomikami, who is the sister of Tsukuyomi no Mikoto.

Yatagarasu in Touhou

In the Touhou Project, the Yatagarasu was a deity that Kanako Yasaka persuaded Utsuho Reiuji into eating part of its spirit to gain its power. As Yatagarasu is the avatar of Amaterasu Oomikami, the sister of the founder of the moon capital, Tsukuyomi (along with Eirin Yagokoro), Watatsuki no Yorihime made a warning about the crow, although Watatsuki no Toyohime noted that it did not have the features of Yatagarasu.

The Yatagarasu is thought to have been a raven that lived in the sun; sunspots are said to be its form, visible to humans. The sun is a divine flame, thus the powers of the Yatagarasu will never burn out, and are thus difficult to control. As Utsuho is extremely dumb, she made the perfect vessel for channeling its power.

Characters under this Bestiary

  • Yatagarasu
  • Utsuho Reiuji (Now houses part of its divine spirit in her body)

See Also