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When Saicho went up
Mt. Hakusan for the first time, there
were about 3000 king snakes on the
top that rage about and annoy villagers
at the foot of the mountain. Saicho
sympathized with those in a wretched
situation, and decided to rescue them.
He called all snakes and killed 1000
especially brutal snakes to bury in
hillock. This hillock still remains
as "Hebi-zuka" which means
a snake hillock along the old road
to lead to the Midagahara field. Saicho
then blocked another 1000 snakes in
a pond and covered it with snow. Since
then, this pond has been called "Senja-ga-ike
Pond" which literally means one
thousand-snake pond. As for the remaining
1000 snakes, Saicho locked them in
another pond and put a sword on a
large lock beside it so that its shadow
may be reflected on the water surface
to prevent snakes from getting out
of the pond. It is because snakes
are believed to go rotten if they
come into contact with something made
of iron.
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