Mystery of 600-year-old Japanese mummified 'dragon' solved
The remains are part of a collection at the Japanese royal family's Shosoin Treasure House in Nara.
It's thought they were found in 1429, by the shogun, Yoshinori Ashikaga, during a visit to Nara's Todaiji temple.
At the time, a monk at the temple recorded that as Ashikaga cut a piece from the Ranjataii – a rare and treasured piece of agarwood – he 'saw something in the shape of a small dragon' dried by the sun.
Now a new study of the 'dragon' using X-ray technology and radiocarbon dating has found the creature to be a Japanese marten, a weasel-like mammal.
The study's authors wrote: 'The two premolars are clearly visible, and this characteristic indicates that it is a species of the Martes genus.'
It was likely a full-grown female, they added, measuring 40cm in length.
Radiocarbon testing shows the remains date from the mid-11th to the mid-12th century – a time when the repository underwent multiple repairs.
It's therefore thought the animal may have entered the building during repairs, got trapped, and died, before becoming mummified.
Alternatively, it could have been brought in deliberately, since the animal is missing its forelegs, which have never been found.
According to legend, after the 'dragon' was added to the treasure house collection, it would rain every time the repository was opened.
The legend appeared to become eerily real when researchers from Tokyo were forced to reschedule their visit to see the creature after heavy rains caused their bullet train to be cancelled.
Conservationist Mami Tsuru of the Shosoin Treasure House said she believed the 'dragon' to be the same one found by Ashikaga in the 1400s.
She said: 'The age determination has significantly increased the possibility that the mummy is the sun-dried dragon-looking object recorded in the document from the Muromachi Period.
'We believe this is a good example of how Shosoin has protected not only beautiful items, but also all the items inside the repository.' More Trending
Other so-called dragons in the collection were also analysed and found to be a Kobe mole, crow, and a pigeon.
The study includes contributions from the National Museum of Nature and Science and the University Museum of the University of Tokyo.
It was published in the 47th Bulletin of Office of the Shosoin Treasure House.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
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