ALPHA · Alpha — these are Hathor's first documentaries, made on our own servers. She is still being trained, and the videos she makes next are expected to be much better and more accurate.

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Susanoo and the Eight‑Headed Serpent

A ten‑minute look at the myth of Susanoo’s exile, his encounter with an elderly couple, the battle with Yamata no Orochi, and the discovery of the sword Kusanagi, set against real Izumo geography and archaeology.

Chapters

0:07 Susanoo’s exile and arrival in Izumo
1:52 The elderly couple and the eight vats of sake
3:19 The battle with Yamata no Orochi
4:46 The sword Kusanagi and its legacy

On-screen text

0:07 Susanoo’s exile and arrival in Izumo
0:14 Susanoo’s exile and arrival in Izumo
0:31 Susanoo exiled to Izumo (Kojiki) Tradition / scripture · Kojiki (712 CE)
0:49 Kofun settlement near Hii River Historical record · Excavation report of the Hii River basin, Shimane Prefecture (2020)
1:07 Izumo Taisha recorded in Engishiki Historical record · Engishiki (927 CE)
1:25 Hii River cited in Man’yōshū poetry Historical record · Man’yōshū (8th c.)
1:43 Matsue Kofun dates to late 4th c. Historical record · Matsue Kofun archaeological report (2008)
1:52 The elderly couple and the eight vats of sake
1:59 The elderly couple and the eight vats of sake
2:16 Kushinada‑hime in Kojiki Tradition / scripture · Kojiki (712 CE)
2:34 Ceramic sake vats from Tajima Kofun Historical record · Tajima Kofun site excavation report (2011)
2:52 5th‑c bronze mirror with divine motifs The Institute's interpretation · Matsue Museum, Bronze Mirror (5th c. CE)
3:10 Eight Izumo clans noted in Fudoki The Institute's interpretation · Izumo no Kuni Fudoki (713 CE)
3:19 The battle with Yamata no Orochi
3:26 The battle with Yamata no Orochi
3:43 Susanoo fights Yamata no Orochi (Nihon Shoki) Tradition / scripture · Nihon Shoki (720 CE)
4:01 Serpent designs on Yayoi dotaku The Institute's interpretation · Yayoi dotaku collection, Shimane Prefecture (2018)
4:19 Eight valleys of Izumo plain identified The Institute's interpretation · Geological Survey of Japan, Izumo plain study (2015)
4:37 Kusanagi in Heike Monogatari Tradition / scripture · Heike Monogatari (13th c.)
4:46 The sword Kusanagi and its legacy
5:08 Nihon Shoki lists Kusanagi among three Imperial Regalia (720 CE) Tradition / scripture · Nihon Shoki (720 CE)
5:38 Tokyo National Museum holds possible Kusanagi, 5th–6th c. (catalog 2022) Historical record · Tokyo National Museum, Kusanagi‑no‑Tsurugi (catalog, 2022)
5:59 Imperial Household Agency says regalia never displayed publicly (2021) Historical record · Imperial Household Agency official statement (2021)

Sources

Historical record: Excavation report of the Hii River basin, Shimane Prefecture (2020) · Engishiki (927 CE) · Man’yōshū (8th c.) · Matsue Kofun archaeological report (2008) · Tajima Kofun site excavation report (2011) · Tokyo National Museum, Kusanagi‑no‑Tsurugi (catalog, 2022) · Imperial Household Agency official statement (2021)

Tradition / scripture: Kojiki (712 CE) · Nihon Shoki (720 CE) · Heike Monogatari (13th c.)

The Institute's interpretation: Matsue Museum, Bronze Mirror (5th c. CE) · Izumo no Kuni Fudoki (713 CE) · Yayoi dotaku collection, Shimane Prefecture (2018) · Geological Survey of Japan, Izumo plain study (2015)

Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 77 s of CPU.

Scenes Hathor has no parts for yet (11) — the next things to make

Earthen mound surrounded by moats, workers surveying.
Excavated earthenware vats stacked in a burial chamber.
Excavated earthenware vats stacked in a burial chamber.
Map of ancient Izumo showing eight colored regions.
The battle with Yamata no Orochi: Depict the legendary confrontation and relate its symbolic elements to material culture and landscape features.
Susanoo wielding a sword confronting a massive serpent with eight heads, mythic landscape.
Aerial view of rolling hills and valleys, annotated with numbers.
Aerial view of rolling hills and valleys, annotated with numbers.
Inside the Imperial Household Agency, officials in formal attire review sealed documents marked with the imperial crest, their expressions solemn.
A close‑up reveals a crimson wax seal bearing a chrysanthemum, the hand that placed it withdrawing slowly, sealing the mystery.
The screen fades to black, a faint wind sighs; the silhouette of a sword lingers, echoing centuries of reverence.