白鳥神社のご祭神であるヤマトタケルノミコトは、第12代景行天皇の皇子。大和朝廷全国統一のために命令を受け西方と東方に遠征、勝利を収めましたが、帰途に伊勢の能褒野で没しました。ヤマトタケルノミコトはその後、白鳥に姿を変え、大和に向かって飛び立ちました。そして琴弾原（奈良県御所市付近）に降り立ったあと再び飛び立ち、最後に河内の旧市邑（羽曳野市古市）に舞い降り、そこから天高く舞い上がっていきました。この3ヶ所にはそれぞれ御陵が作られ白鳥三陵といいます。[日本書紀より]

Yamato Takeru no Mikoto, the enshrined deity of Shiratori Shrine, is the son of the 12th Emperor Keiko. He received an order to unify the Yamato Imperial Court and made an expedition to the west and the east, and achieved victory, but died in Nobono, Ise on the way back.
Yamato Takeru no Mikoto then turned into a swan and flew towards Yamato. After landing at Kotohibara (near Gose City, Nara Prefecture), he flew off again and landed in Kawachi's old town village (near Furuichi, Habikino City), where graves were built in each of these three places, together making up the three tombs of Shiratori. It says. [From Nihon Shoki]