ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Tamamo-no-Mae

Okay kiddo, do you remember stories about magical creatures like fairies and unicorns? Well, there's a story about a magical fox lady in Japan called Tamamo-no-mae. She was a very clever and beautiful fox who could change her shape and appear as a woman.

Long ago, in Japan, there was a powerful emperor who ruled over the land. One day, the emperor's advisors told him about a beautiful woman living in the mountains named Tamamo-no-mae. They said that she was incredibly wise and knew the secrets of the universe.

The emperor was curious and decided he wanted to meet Tamamo-no-mae. So he sent his best warriors to bring her to him. When Tamamo-no-mae arrived, she charmed everyone with her beauty and knowledge. The emperor was so smitten with her that he made her one of his wives.

But soon, strange things started happening. People around the palace began to fall ill, crops failed, and animals died. The emperor's advisors suspected that Tamamo-no-mae was behind it all. They did some digging and found out that Tamamo-no-mae was not a human, but a fox spirit who had been causing trouble wherever she went.

The emperor was heartbroken, but he knew he had to do something to stop Tamamo-no-mae. He gathered his bravest warriors and went to battle against her. In the end, Tamamo-no-mae was defeated and the emperor's land was saved.

Even though she was a tricky fox spirit, Tamamo-no-mae is a famous figure in Japanese mythology. She reminds us to be careful of who we trust and to always question things that seem too good to be true.