The Talking Rock & Kumano Gongen

King Satto's son loved to go fishing in the sea. One day he was distracted from the water by the sound of someone calling his name. He looked in the direction from where he had heard his name called, but no one was there. Instead, he found a rock. He heard his name again. He was surprised and scared when he realized that it was the rock that was saying his name.

Convinced that the rock was some kind of god, Satto's son built up the courage to pick up the rock. "If you are a god, then prove it to me," he said.

The rock answered by saying that it would grant him any wish. At first the son's requests were small but they soon grew in size. Soon others had heard of the rock's power and also wanted to utilize its magic.

One night, bandits managed to steal the rock. Satto's son sprang from his bed and gave chase down towards the sea. He was able to catch one of the bandits and retrieved the rock but the thief's comrades turned the tables and started chasing Satto's son who ran with the rock to the cliffs of Nami no Ue. Just as it looked like there was no way out, the rock took the form of Kumano Gongen - one of Okinawa's first gods of Shintoism - and saved Satto's son.



















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