Yamata no Orochi food, but lacks a phonological connection. Polycephalic or multi-headed animals are rare in biology but common in mythology and heraldry. Multi-headed dragons, like the 8-headed "Orochi" and 3-headed "Trisiras" above, are a common motif in comparative mythology. For instance, multi-headed dragons in Greek mythology include the wind-god Typhon who had several polycephalic offspring, including the 9-headed Lernaean Hydra and the 100-headed Ladon, both slain by Heracles. Two other Japanese examples derive from Buddhist importations of Indian dragon myths. Benzaiten, the Japanese name of Saraswati, supposedly killed a 5-headed dragon at Enoshima in 552 AD. Kuzuryū 九頭龍 "9-headed dragon", deriving from
Twins in mythology identities. Many cultures have mythic or folkloric explanations for how twins are conceived. In Greek mythology, some twins were conceived when a woman slept with both a mortal and a god on the same day, like Alcmene for example. One of her offspring, Heracles, had godlike qualities such as immense strength and stamina, while his twin brother, Iphicles, was to be an ordinary mortal. In many Native American cultures, eating certain foods were thought to increase the likelihood of twins. These foods included double almonds and bananas, and were typically avoided by Native American women because birthing twins was frowned