Yatsuno Himegami (姫神 八乃 Himegami Yatsuno) is the wife of Oousu no Mikoto and the mother of Yabiko Himegami and Kodama Himegami who originally existed as the god known as Yamata no Orochi.
She was reincarnated seven times, leading her to have eight Maken by the time she encountered Oousu. Additionally, she could summon her previous lives as spirits to assist her. Her shikigami began calling her "Himegami" ("God Princess") over time as they felt it was a more suitable name for her. When Yatsuno died protecting her daughter, all of her former lives became eight shikigami capable of being summoned by Himegami.
Appearance[]
Yatsuno is a beautiful young woman who looks nearly identical to Kodama Himegami as they both have long blonde hair and green eyes. However, Yatsuno is taller, she wears her hair down as opposed to Kodama's pigtails and a much larger bust and a body to die for, in which is why Oousu no Mikoto couldn't take his eyes off her.
History[]
Yatsuno was originally the eight-headed snake of legend known as Yamata no Orochi and the creator of the original "Eight Maken", due to her seven previous incarnations. However, she willingly surrendered her godhood after being seduced by Oousu no Mikoto, the first prince of the Yamato Court, whom she eventually married before giving birth to two children. It was a decision that eventually led to her demise when she and her husband were murdered by Kousu no Mikoto. During the confrontation, she chose to remain by her husband's side because of the happiness he had given her.
Etymology[]
- The name Yatsuno means "eight" (八) (yatsu) and "from" (乃) (no).
- Yatsuno's surname Himegami means "princess, young lady of noble birth" (姫) (hime) and "god, deity" (神) (kami/gami).
- It can also mean "god-princess" backwards.
Trivia[]
- Yatsuno was first introduced as the owner of "The Original Eight" Maken. However, Kamudo wasn't created until after her death. Therefore, it is likely that Habakiri was once considered one of "The Original Eight" before the creation of Kamudo.
- Yatsuno's origin as Yamato no Orochi is likely a reference to the serpent from Japanese legend.