The Cherry Tree is linked to the Maidens. The mikoshi is made from it.
Its lore says it took on the impurity from fallen trees only to become defiled in the process.
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| 八面王 |
太古より生きる御神木。山の伐採により木々が穢れるのを憐れむかのように、自らに穢れを集め続けていると言われている。その御神木の先端は「顔」と呼ばれ、時折表情を変えるという。その情景を見た村人は八つの面を持つ蛇のような木として恐れた。
Does it remind you of anyone...?
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| Beautiful even while suffering. A dignified beauty... |
Especially since the Maidens are lone 'blossoms' until they become cherry blossoms after walking the Path.
So now...I suspect cherry blossoms are not associated with the Mountain Goddess but with the Maidens and their sacrifice.
The lone plum blossom goes onto join the rest of them, and together they are a group of cherry blossoms.
But Yoshiro with Soh by her side isn't a lone flower. Is that why her symbol is a cherry blossom?
Or are they considered Cherry Blossoms because of the sacrifice of the Cherry Tree?
The ending picture here:
Is the Goddess definitely associated with the sun?
The power of purification is compared to the radiance of the sun, after all...and then there's the mirrors.
Oh, and Yatsurao has feet! I hate it.
And an ear? Or ears.
The big ears remind me of...
Look at what Yatsurao's 'face' is wearing...
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| Gold pattern |
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| A change of coloring, |
Is it not the same?
Her flaps remind me of:
It can also turn a different coloring, like Nanamagari, which is also related to the Maiden.
(Buuut, I haven't checked if other Festering Seethe change colors when they do special attacks.)
The mikoshi, carved from Yatsurao, bears similarities to the head of Nanamagari:
八面王 also means 'Eight Headed King' and Nanamagari has 8 hands.
Even stranger, many of her hands resemble the growth of hands on the Main Shrine where Soh's body/former spirit stone is held.
There's also this odd interaction:
I've updated the following posts with more information on what I called the 'Goddess' symbol:
The two symbols in Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess: Yoshiro's Emblem and the Shrine Emblem.
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