Yatagarasu

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Yatagarasu (八咫烏) is a mythical crow^[1] and guiding god in Shinto mythology. He is generally known for his three-legged figure, and his picture has been handed down since ancient times.^[1] The word means (八咫烏, "eight-span crow")^[2] and the appearance of the great bird is construed as evidence of the will of Heaven or divine intervention in human affairs.^[3]

Yatagarasu as a crow-god is a symbol specifically of guidance. This great crow was sent from heaven by Takamimusubi as a guide for legendary Emperor Jimmu on his initial journey from the region which would become Kumano to what would become Yamato (Yoshino and then Kashihara). It is generally accepted that Yatagarasu is an incarnation of Kamotaketsunumi no Mikoto, but none of the early surviving documentary records are quite so specific.^[4]