The Demon Quelling of Sakanoue no Tamuramaro

While Sakanoue no Tamuramaro was a historical military commander of the early Heian period famous for subjugating the Emishi, later companion tales (Otogizoshi) and oral traditions transformed him into a legendary hero who vanquished fierce demons across the land. Most famously, at Mount Suzuka on the border of Ise and Omi provinces, he is said to have formed a bond with Suzuka Gozen—variously described as a goddess or a demoness—and with her aid, defeated the mountain's fearsome demon, Otakemaru. Konpiraka, who fortified the demon castle of Kumano; the demoness of Mount Maki; Kanatsubute, who terrorized Narazaka; and the Four Demons who served Fujiwara no Chikata—gathered here are the heroes and fierce deities of General Tamura's martial exploits, a legacy of demon-quelling rivaled only by that of Minamoto no Yorimitsu.