Ryūjin facts for kids
Ryūjin (which means "dragon god" in Japanese) was a very important god in Japanese mythology. He was also known as Rinjin or Owatatsumi. Ryūjin was the god of the sea and the powerful ocean. He was a dragon with a huge mouth. He could even change his shape to look like a human.
Ryūjin lived in a magnificent palace called Ryūgū-jō. This palace was built under the sea from beautiful red and white coral. From his underwater home, Ryūjin was believed to control the tides. He did this using special, magical tide jewels. Many sea creatures served him, including sea turtles, fish, and even jellyfish.
Ryūjin's Family
Ryūjin had a beautiful daughter named Otohime. She was a goddess who married a hunter prince named Hoori. Their grandson was Emperor Jimmu, who became the very first Emperor of Japan. Because of this, many people believe that Ryūjin is one of the ancient ancestors of the Japanese imperial dynasty (the family of emperors).
The Jellyfish and Its Bones
There is a famous legend about Ryūjin and how the jellyfish lost its bones. The story goes like this:
One day, Ryūjin really wanted to eat a monkey's heart. So, he sent the jellyfish to go and get him a monkey. The jellyfish found a monkey and tried to bring it back to Ryūjin.
However, the clever monkey managed to trick the jellyfish. The monkey told the jellyfish that he had left his heart in a jar in the forest. He offered to go back and get it. The jellyfish believed him and let the monkey go.
When the jellyfish returned to Ryūjin's palace without the monkey's heart, he told Ryūjin what had happened. Ryūjin became incredibly angry. He was so furious that he beat the jellyfish until all its bones were completely broken. That's why, according to the legend, jellyfish don't have bones today!
