Modern folktale examples
If you're a fan of Japanese anime, you must be so familiar with the Shinigami. In the world of spirits, what goes around comes around. It seems like it’s true what they say “ Don’t do to others what you don’t want them to do to you. It is believed that the only way to " defeat " an Onryō is to appease it or by giving the ghost justice. Specifically, the Shinto belief that both animate and inanimate things have some kind of spirit. Like the Tsukumogami, this folklore creature has its roots in Shintoism. While Onryō spirits are pure Japanese folklore, they reflect perceived wrongs, extreme jealousies, and crimes of passion. It was said that the Emperor has since been haunted by his brother's wrathful spirit.Īs such, he moved the capital of Japan from Heijo to Keian-kyo (Kyoto) 10 years later in his attempt to escape from it. According to Onryō legend, the Emperor accused his brother of disloyalty, which resulted in the latter's exile and death. One story reflected in history books is that of Emperor Kammu. Japanese ghost lore has been recorded as early as the eighth century.
Known as Onryō, this supernatural being is driven by the desire to get even to a person or persons who have done them wrong. While undoubtedly modern, the concept of wrathful ghosts has long ago existed in ancient Japan. Japanese makes some of the scariest, morbid ghost stories. If there’s one lesson that this Japanese folklore creature teaches us, we should never take things for granted. We still see these folklore creatures in animes, mangas, and other illustrations.Īlso, they still get to our minds somehow. This Shinto belief has declined since the middle ages, but tsukumogami remains a favorite subject among modern artists in Japan. If it has been mistreated during such a period, an object grows a vengeful spirit that causes havoc in the current owner.
The only problem is when their owner or previous owners neglect them. On their one-hundredth birthday or after serving people that long, objects gain souls. They can become your best allies, but they can become your worst nightmare.Īccording to Japanese myth, all things, living and non-living, have souls. Even inanimate objects in your home can turn into living creatures! In Japanese folklore, nothing seems impossible. Imagine you’re boiling water, then suddenly, the pot screamed and poured the hot water onto the floor and ran away. Tsukumogami: Household Objects Turned Into Spirits They also use them as decorations since they are believed to scare away bad spirits and bad luck.Īwesome transformation, right? Who says bad creatures and people can't be good? 2. Today, people use Tengu masks to celebrate Shinto festivals. Over time, they lost their monstrous depictions and now regarded as good spirits that protected the Buddhist temples. That said, this mythical creature has gone through a positive transformation. They had the reputation of robbing temples, possessing women to tempt holy men, and abducting Buddhist monks. In early folklore stories, the tengu is regarded as a typical yokai or an evil monster. However, in more recent depictions, the beak was often " humanized " as an unnaturally long nose. The earliest tengu was pictured as having a beak. These mythical monsters traditionally depicted the characteristics of both humans and birds. You'll find some of the oldest texts about tengu in the Nihon Shoki or Japanese Chronicles. This fascinating folklore creature is also deeply intertwined into Japanese culture and religion. While depicted as demons or monsters, tengu is basically a Shinto kami or mini-god. Some people find them funny, but most find them really scary. If you’ve been to Japan, you’re probably familiar with those red-faced masks with angry brows and long noses featured in festivals or often hung in houses. Among yokai demons, the Tengu is perhaps the most popular in the Western world.