Tawara no Tota and the extermination of a giant centipede

One day, while Fujiwara no Hidesato was crossing the Seta no Karahashi Bridge, a gigantic snake about 60-meter-long was lying on the middle of the bridge. While everyone was stuck, being afraid of the snake, Hidesato calmly trod on its back and crossed over it. Then the snake called Hidesato and said, “I am the dragon king living in the River Seta, and I have never met a brave man like you. Can you help me kill my enemy?” According to the snake’s story, the enemy was a centipede whose length was as long as 7.5 times the perimeter of Mt. Mikami. However, Hidesato, who had been extremely brave since he was little accepted it immediately. The dragon king was so delighted that he invited Hidesato to his castle to entertain him. Receiving the king’s generous hospitality, even Hidesato got drunk. Then, the gigantic centipede came to attack. Hidesato confronted the centipede with a very strong bow that needs five people for stringing and requires a heavy weight to draw, but the first and second arrows bounced back. He then prayed silently, “Namu Hachiman Daibosatsu!” and released the third arrow. It shot between the centipede’s eyes and killed it.
Hidesato was praised and received lots of gifts such as swords, rice in straw bags [tawara in Japanese] and a red copper bell. Especially, rice straw bags were never emptied even though rice was taken, so people in the capital called him Tawara no Tota. The red copper bell was donated to Miidera Temple, and later the legend related to the bell and Benkei, a warrior monk, was born. Currently, Ryuogu Hidesatosha Shrine where Hidesato and the dragon king are enshrined and Unjuji Temple where Hidesato’s cherished items are kept are located on the bank near the Seta no Karahashi Bridge.