Mizuchi

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Mizuchi 蛟 was a Japanese dragon and water deity.

The name mizuchi (from Old Japanese midzu-chi) is written with several Japanese kanji, usually the Chinese characters for jiao 蛟 "4-legged dragon" and qiu 虬 or 虯 "hornless dragon". Daniels (1960:157) notes that rain-controlling Japanese snake deities are sometimes called dragons, but cautions that for okami and mizuchi, "it is unsafe to deduce their forms from the Chinese characters allotted to them."

The Nihongi contains the earliest references to mizuchi river-gods, written once with the kanji 虬 and once with the Man'yōgana transcription mizuchi 水父 "water-father". Two contexts from the semi-legendary era of Emperor Nintoku (traditional dates 313-399 CE) concern river engineering projects that angered mizuchi.

The first (supposedly 323 CE) records a human-sacrificial victim who saved his life by tricking the mizuchi with unsinkable calabashes.

Moreover in order to prevent the overflowing of the Northern river the Mamuta embankment was constructed. At this time there were two parts of the construction which gave way and could not be stopped up. Then the Emperor had a dream in which he was admonished by a God saying: "There is a man of Musashi named Koha-kubi and a man of Kahachi named Koromo no ko, the Muraji of Mamuta. Let these two men be sacrificed to the River-God and thou wilt surely be enabled to close the gaps." So he sought for these two men, and having found them, sacrificed them to the River-God. Hereupon Koha-kubi wept and lamented, and plunging into the water, died. So that embankment was completed. Koromo no ko, however, took two whole calabashes, and standing over the water which could not be dammed, plunged the two calabashes into the mid-stream and prayed, saying: "O thou River-God who hast sent the curse (to remove which) I have now come hither as a sacrifice. If thou dost persist in thy desire to have me, sink these calabashes and let them not rise to the surface. Then shall I know that thou art a true God, and will enter the water of my own accord. But if thou canst not sink the calabashes, I shall, of course know that thou art a false God, for whom, why should I spend my life in vain?" Hereupon a whirlwind arose suddenly which drew with it the calabashes and tried to submerge them in the water. But the calabashes, dancing on the waves, would not sink, and floated far away over the wide waters. In this way that embankment was completed, although Koromo no ko did not die. Accordingly Koromo no ko's cleverness saved his life. Therefore the men of that time gave a name to these two places, calling them "Kohakubi's Gap" and "Koromo no ko's Gap." (tr. Aston 1896:1,281-2)

De Visser (1913:139) concludes, "From this passage we learn that in ancient times human sacrifices were made to the dragon-shaped river-gods." Foster (1998:1) suggests this is "perhaps the first documented appearance of the water spirit that would become known popularly in Japan as the kappa." In Japanese folklore, the kappa is considered more of a mischievous water sprite than a deadly dragon.

The second context (379 CE) similarly records using calabashes to trick a mizuchi and slay it.

This year, at a fork of the River Kahashima, in the central division of the Province of Kibi, there was a great water-dragon (mizuchi) which harassed the people. Now when travellers were passing that place on their journey, they were sure to be affected by its poison [flooding], so that many died. Hereupon Agatamori, the ancestor of the Omi of Kasa, a man of fierce temper and of great bodily strength, stood over the pool of the river-fork and flung into the water three whole calabashes, saying: "Thou art continually belching up poison and therewithal plaguing travellers. I will kill thee, thou water-dragon (虬). If thou canst sink these calabashes, then will I take myself away, but if thou canst not sink them, then will I cut thy body to pieces". Now the water-dragon changed itself into a deer and tried to draw down the calabashes, but the calabashes would not sink. So with upraised sword he entered the water and slew the water-dragon. He further sought out the water-dragon's fellows. Now the tribe of all the water-dragons filled a cave in the bottom of the pool. He slew them every one, and the water of the river became changed to blood. Therefore that water was called the pool of Agatamori. (tr. Aston 1896:2,138)

William George Aston contrasted the Japanese river-god mizuchi with river-dragons in other cultures, including Chinese Jiaolong, Indian Nāga, Aztec Tlaloc, and Greek Gorgon.

The River-Gods have no individual names. They are called generally midzu-chi or water-father. Japanese dictionaries describe the midzu-chi as an animal of the dragon species with four legs. Hepburn, in his 'Japanese-English Dictionary', calls it a large water-snake. The difference is not material. … Rivers have their favourable and their maleficent aspects. On the one hand they furnish water for irrigation, and on the other they cause destruction and loss of life by their floods, metaphorically expressed by the serpent's poison. The River-Gods are prayed to for rain in time of drought. We hear oftener of their sinister aspect. (1905:150-151)

The name mizuchi 蛟 is used in Japanese popular culture. "Mizuchi" was a 2006 horror movie directed by Kiyoshi Yamamoto, known in English as "Death Water". The manga character Demon Eyes Kyo uses a "mizuchi" style of sword fighting. Compare Japanese kōryū or kōryō 蛟竜 "rain dragon; hidden genius; Kaiten torpedo".

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