The myth of Hoori and Hoderi is not just a fairytale about sibling rivalry but a sophisticated political allegory created to provide divine justification for the Yamato imperial court's historical subjugation of the Hayato people.

This episode delves into one of Japan's foundational myths: the story of Hoori and Hoderi, the divine brothers known as the Luck of the Mountains and the Luck of the Sea. The narrative begins with a simple exchange of magical tools that leads to a lost fishhook, a journey to the undersea palace of a Dragon King, and a marriage to a sea goddess. However, this podcast explores the deeper political meaning behind the tale. We will discuss how this story, first recorded in the 8th-century chronicles Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, functions as a political charter to legitimize the rule of the Yamato imperial family. In this episode, we analyze the characters of Hoori as an ancestor of the imperial line and his defeated brother Hoderi as the mythological ancestor of the subjugated Hayato people. The discussion also covers the rich symbolism of key objects like the magical tide-jewels and the irreplaceable fishhook, as well as the myth's lasting legacy in modern Japan through Shinto shrines and local festivals.