Tradition: Japanese mythology
Alternative Names: Five-Headed Dragon, Dragon King, Dragon Demon, Poison Dragon
Category: Dragon
The Myth
The Gozuryū was a fearsome dragon with five heads upon a single body, always surrounded by black clouds. It lived in a lake called Fukasawa between Kamakura and Kurage and ruled over the Thunder God, Wind God, Mountain God, and other demons. For roughly seven hundred years, from the age of Emperor Jimmu to the reign of Emperor Suinin, it brought disasters upon the land, causing floods and landslides, killing living creatures, and laying waste to the countryside.
During the reign of Emperor Keikō, the dragon’s cruelty became even worse. It began raining fire upon the land and killing people, forcing terrified inhabitants to hide in caves. Its influence reached even the imperial court: during the reign of Emperor Ankō it manipulated Minister En, while under Emperor Buretsu it manipulated Minister Kanamura, using them to spread evil and bring disorder to the world.
The dragon eventually emerged from the Tsumura sluice gate south of Fukasawa and began devouring human children. The place became known as Hatsukuizawa, “the Valley of First Eating.” A wealthy man living nearby suffered an especially terrible fate: all sixteen of his children were devoured by the dragon. Overcome with grief, he abandoned his home, and the site became known as Chōjazuka, “the Wealthy Man’s Mound.” Other families likewise lost their children and fled, giving another place the name Koshigoe, “Child-Death Crossing.” The dragon’s tyranny spread across eight neighboring provinces, where people were forced to offer their children as sacrifices.
Then, during the reign of Emperor Kinmei, a celestial maiden descended from heaven accompanied by a child. Celestial beings and dragon gods cast stones down from the clouds, stirring up sand from the seabed and raising a new island from the sea. This became Enoshima.
The maiden who descended upon the newborn island was Benzaiten, daughter of the Dragon King of Anavatapta. The five-headed dragon became captivated by her and crossed the water to declare his love. Benzaiten rejected him, telling him that he was unlike the dragon who should be worthy of her: both in heart and in form, he remained a creature who had repeatedly killed living beings.
The dragon was humbled by her words. He vowed to follow her teachings and abandoned his killing. From then on he accumulated virtue through compassion and refrained from harming living creatures.
Benzaiten remained upon Enoshima as Enoshima Myōjin, while the transformed dragon eventually made a final vow. He became a mountain on the opposite shore of the island, known as Ryūkuchi Mountain, and was thereafter enshrined as Koshikata Myōjin, also called Ryūkuchi Myōjin.
Sources
Takahashi, Toshihiro. “五頭竜 [ごずりゅう] (Gozuryū).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). October 21, 2024. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1082934018.html