Yatagarasu

Yatagarasu, 2013

Yatagarasu is a three legged crow in Japanese mythology and legend, revered in particular shrines in mountains in Japan as a divine messenger.
Three legged crow is also depicted in various mythologies around the world such as China and Northern Africa.

There is a close relationship between crows in mythologies around the world and the sun.
In Japanese mythology, it's considered an embodiment of the sun too, the concept that's likely to have come from China.
Ainu ( indigenous people in northern island of Japan and islands in Russia), Greek and Inuit mythologies also show the relationship of the sun and crows.

This image of Yatagarasu is actually a rare albino crow.
I started reading about the significance of crows after I found a drawing of it in my sketchbook.
I decided to call it Yatagarasu as a white crow looked ethereal and otherworldly to me.

Images of crow in relation to the myths and folklores is something I would like to pursue further in the future. I hope this Yatagarasu print is the first of many more crow prints to come!

This print is edition of 50 and available at Port Jackson Press and Printmaker gallery in Melbourne, Odd One Out in Hong Kong as well as my online store.