Friday, March 19, 2010
Friday, September 21, 2007
Kitsune
Kitsune (狐, Kitsune) is the Japanese word for fox. Foxes are a common subject of Japanese folklore. Stories depict them as intelligent beings and as possessing magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. Foremost among these is the ability to assume human form. While some folktales speak of kitsune employing this ability to trick others — as foxes in folklore often do — others portray them as faithful guardians, friends, lovers, and wives.Foxes and human beings lived in close proximity in ancient Japan; this companionship gave rise to legends about the creatures.
Kitsune have become closely associated with Inari, a Shinto kami or spirit, and serve as his messengers. This role has reinforced the fox's supernatural significance.
The more tails a kitsune has — they may have as many as nine — the older, wiser, and more powerful it is. Because of their potential power and influence, some people make offerings to them as to a deity.Kitsune are believed to possess superior intelligence, long life, and magical powers. They are a type of yōkai, or spiritual entity, and the word kitsune is often translated as fox spirit. However, this does not mean that kitsune are ghosts, nor that they are fundamentally different from regular foxes. Because the word spirit is used to reflect a state of knowledge or enlightenment, all long-lived foxes gain supernatural abilities.
There are two common classifications of kitsune. The myōbu are benevolent, celestial foxes associated with Inari; they are sometimes simply called Inari foxes. On the other hand, the wild nogitsune (literally, field foxes) tend to be mischievous or even malicious.Local traditions add further types.For example, a ninko is an invisible fox spirit that human beings can only perceive when it possesses them. Another tradition classifies kitsune into one of thirteen types defined by which supernatural abilities the kitsune possesses.Physically, kitsune are noted for having as many as nine tails. Generally, a greater number of tails indicates an older and more powerful fox; in fact, some folktales say that a fox will only grow additional tails after it has lived 1,000 years. One, five, seven, and nine tails are the most common numbers in folk stories. When a kitsune gains its ninth tail, its fur becomes white or gold.These kyūbi no kitsune (nine-tailed foxes) gain the abilities to see and hear anything happening anywhere in the world. Other tales attribute them infinite wisdom (omniscience).
The obake karuta (monster card) game from the early 19th century depicts a kitsune. involves matching clues from folklore to pictures of specific creatures. The Obake karuta (monster card) game from the early 19th century depicts a kitsune. It involves matching clues from folklore to pictures of specific creatures.
A kitsune may take on human form, an ability learned when it reaches a certain age — usually 100 years, although some tales say 50. As a common prerequisite for the transformation, the fox must place reeds, a broad leaf, or a skull over its head. Common forms assumed by kitsune include beautiful women, young girls, or elderly men. These shapes are not limited by the fox's age or gender, and a kitsune can duplicate the appearance of a specific person.Foxes are particularly renowned for impersonating beautiful women. Common belief in medieval Japan was that any woman encountered alone, especially at dusk or night, could be a fox.In some stories, kitsune have difficulty hiding their tails when they take human form; looking for the tail, perhaps when the fox gets drunk or careless, is a common method of discerning the creature's true nature. Variants on the theme have the kitsune retain other foxlike traits, such as a coating of fine hair, a fox-shaped shadow, or a reflection that shows its true form.Kitsune-gao or fox-faced refers to human females who have a narrow face with close-set eyes, thin eyebrows, and high cheekbones.
Traditionally, this facial structure is considered attractive, and some tales ascribe it to foxes in human form.Kitsune have a fear and hatred of dogs even while in human form, and some become so rattled by the presence of dogs that they revert to the shape of a fox and flee. A particularly devout individual may be able to see through a fox's disguise automatically.
One folk story illustrating these imperfections in the kitsune's human shape concerns Koan, a historical person credited with wisdom and magical powers of divination. According to the story, he was staying at the home of one of his devotees when he scalded his foot entering a bath because the water had been drawn too hot. Then, "in his pain, he ran out of the bathroom naked. When the people of the household saw him, they were astonished to see that Koan had fur covering much of his body, along with a fox's tail. Then Koan transformed in front of them, becoming an elderly fox and running away.
Other supernatural abilities commonly attributed to the kitsune include possession, mouths or tails that generate fire or lightning (known as kitsune-bi; literally, fox-fire), willful manifestation in the dreams of others, flight, invisibility, and the creation of illusions so elaborate as to be almost indistinguishable from reality. Some tales speak of kitsune with even greater powers, able to bend time and space, drive people mad, or take fantastic shapes such as a tree of incredible height or a second moon in the sky. Other kitsune have characteristics reminiscent of vampires or succubi and feed on the life or spirit of human beings, generally through sexual contact.
Inari and her fox spirits help the blacksmith Munechika forge the blade ko-kitsune-maru (Little Fox) at the end of the 10th century. The legend is the subject of the noh drama Sanjo Kokaji. The legend is the subject of the noh drama Sanjo Kokaji.
Kitsunetsuki (狐憑き or 狐付き; also written kitsune-tsuki) literally means the state of being possessed by a fox. The victim is typically a young woman, whom the fox enters beneath her fingernails or through her breasts. In some cases, the victims' facial expressions are said to change in such a way that they resemble those of a fox. Japanese tradition holds that fox possession can cause illiterate victims to temporarily gain the ability to read.
Folklorist Lafcadio Hearn describes the condition in the first volume of his Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan:Strange is the madness of those into whom demon foxes enter. Sometimes they run naked shouting through the streets. Sometimes they lie down and froth at the mouth, and yelp as a fox yelps. And on some part of the body of the possessed a moving lump appears under the skin, which seems to have a life of its own. Prick it with a needle, and it glides instantly to another place. By no grasp can it be so tightly compressed by a strong hand that it will not slip from under the fingers. Possessed folk are also said to speak and write languages of which they were totally ignorant prior to possession. They eat only what foxes are believed to like — tofu, aburagé, azukimeshi, etc. — and they eat a great deal, alleging that not they, but the possessing foxes, are hungry.He goes on to note that, once freed from the possession, the victim will never again be able to eat tofu, azukimeshi, or other foods favored by foxes.
Exorcism, often performed at an Inari shrine, may induce a fox to leave its host. In the past, when such gentle measures failed or a priest was not available, victims of kitsunetsuki were beaten or badly burned in hopes of forcing the fox to leave. Entire families were ostracized by their communities after a member of the family was thought to be possessed.In Japan, kitsunetsuki was noted as a disease as early as the Heian period and remained a common diagnosis for mental illness until the early 20th century. Possession was the explanation for the abnormal behavior displayed by the afflicted individuals.
In the late 19th century, Dr. Shunichi Shimamura noted that physical diseases that caused fever were often considered kitsunetsuki. The belief has lost favor, but stories of fox possession still appear in the tabloid press and popular media. One notable occasion involved allegations that members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult had been possessed.In medicine, kitsunetsuki is an ethnic psychosis unique to Japanese culture. Those who suffer from the condition believe they are possessed by a fox. Symptoms include cravings for rice or sweet red beans, listlessness, restlessness, and aversion to eye contact. Kitsunetsuki is similar to but distinct from clinical lycanthropy.Kitsune are often presented as tricksters, with motives that vary from mischief to malevolence.
Stories tell of kitsune playing tricks on overly proud samurai, greedy merchants, and boastful commoners, while the crueler ones abuse poor tradesmen and farmers or devout Buddhist monks. Their victims are usually men; women are possessed instead. For example, kitsune are thought to employ their kitsune-bi or fox-fire to lead travelers astray in the manner of a will o' the wisp. Another tactic is for the kitsune to confuse its target with illusions or visions. Other common goals of trickster kitsune include seduction, theft of food, humiliation of the prideful, or vengeance for a perceived slight.A traditional game called kitsune-ken (fox-fist) references the kitsune's powers over human beings. The game is similar to rock, paper, scissors, but the three hand positions signify a fox, a hunter, and a village headman. The headman beats the hunter, whom he outranks; the hunter beats the fox, whom he shoots; the fox beats the headman, whom he bewitches. This ambiguous portrayal, coupled with their reputation for vengefulness, leads people to try to discover a troublesome fox's motives.
In one case, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a high government official, wrote a letter to the kami Inari:To Inari Daimyojin,My lord, I have the honor to inform you that one of the foxes under your jurisdiction has bewitched one of my servants, causing her and others a great deal of trouble. I have to request that you make minute inquiries into the matter, and endeavor to find out the reason of your subject misbehaving in this way, and let me know the result.If it turns out that the fox has no adequate reason to give for his behavior, you are to arrest and punish him at once. If you hesitate to take action in this matter I shall issue orders for the destruction of every fox in the land. Any other particulars that you may wish to be informed of in reference to what has occurred, you can learn from the high priest of Yoshida.
Kitsune keep their promises and strive to repay any favor. Occasionally a kitsune attaches itself to a person or household, where they can cause all sorts of mischief. In one story from the 12th century, only the homeowner's threat to exterminate the foxes convinces them to behave. The kitsune patriarch appears in the man's dreams:"My father lived here before me, sir, and by now I have many children and grandchildren. They get into a lot of mischief, I'm afraid, and I'm always after them to stop, but they never listen. And now, sir, you're understandably fed up with us. I gather that you're going to kill us all. But I just want you to know, sir, how sorry I am that this is our last night of life. Won't you pardon us, one more time? If we ever make trouble again, then of course you must act as you think best. But the young ones, sir — I'm sure they'll understand when I explain to them why you're so upset. We'll do everything we can to protect you from now on, if only you'll forgive us, and we'll be sure to let you know when anything good is going to happen!"
Other kitsune use their magic for the benefit of their companion or hosts as long as the human beings treat them with respect. As yōkai, however, kitsune do not share human morality, and a kitsune who has adopted a house in this manner may, for example, bring its host money or items that it has stolen from the neighbors. Accordingly, common households thought to harbor kitsune are treated with suspicion. Oddly, samurai families were often reputed to share similar arrangements with kitsune, but these foxes were considered myōbu and the use of their magic a sign of prestige. Abandoned homes were common haunts for kitsune. One 12th-century story tells of a minister moving into an old mansion only to discover a family of foxes living there. They first try to scare him away, then claim that the house "has been ours for many years, and . . . we wish to register a vigorous protest." The man refuses, and the foxes resign themselves to moving to an abandoned lot nearby.
Tales distinguish kitsune gifts from kitsune payments. If a kitsune offers a payment or reward that includes money or material wealth, part or all of the sum will consist of old paper, leaves, twigs, stones, or similar valueless items under a magical illusion. True kitsune gifts are usually intangibles, such as protection, knowledge, or long life.Wives and loversKitsune are commonly portrayed as lovers, usually in stories involving a young human male and a kitsune who takes the form of a human woman.
The kitsune may be a seductress, but these stories are more often romantic in nature. Typically, the young man unknowingly marries the fox, who proves a devoted wife. The man eventually discovers the fox's true nature, and the fox-wife is forced to leave him. In some cases, the husband wakes as if from a dream, filthy, disoriented, and far from home. He must then return to confront his abandoned family in shame.Many stories tell of fox-wives bearing children. When such progeny are human, they possess special physical or supernatural qualities that often pass to their own children.
The astrologer-magician Abe no Seimei was reputed to have inherited such extraordinary powers.Other stories tell of kitsune marrying one another. Rain falling from a clear sky — a sunshower — is sometimes called kitsune no yomeiri or the kitsune's wedding, in reference to a folktale describing a wedding ceremony between the creatures being held during such conditions. The event is considered a good omen, but the kitsune will seek revenge on any uninvited guests.Embedded in Japanese folklore as they are, kitsune appear in numerous Japanese works. Noh, kyogen, bunraku, and kabuki plays derived from folk tales feature them, as do contemporary works such as manga and video games. Western authors of fiction have begun to make use of the kitsune legends.
Although these portrayals vary considerably, kitsune are generally depicted in accordance with folk stories, as wise, cunning, and powerful beings.Kuzunoha, mother of Abe no Seimei, is a well-known kitsune character in traditional Japanese theater. She is featured in the five-part bunraku and kabuki play Ashiya Dōman Ōuchi Kagami (The Mirror of Ashiya Dōman and Ōuchi). The fourth part, Kuzunoha or The Fox of Shinoda Wood, is often performed independently of the other scenes and tells of the discovery of Kuzunoha's kitsune nature and her subsequent departure from her husband and child.Tamamo-no-Mae is the subject of the noh drama Sesshoseki (The Death Stone) and of kabuki and kyogen plays titled Tamamonomae (The Beautiful Fox Witch). Tamamo-no-Mae commits evil deeds in India, China, and Japan but is discovered and dies. Her spirit transforms into the "killing stone" of the noh play's title. She is eventually redeemed by the Buddhist priest Gennō.
Genkurō is a kitsune renowned for his filial piety. In the bunraku and kabuki drama Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura (Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees), Yoshitsune's lover, Lady Shizuka, owns a hand-drum made from the skins of Genkuro's parents. The fox takes human form and becomes his retainer, Satō Tadanobu, but his identity is revealed. The kitsune explains that he hears the voice of his parents when the drum is struck. Yoshitsune and Shizuka give him the drum, so Genkuro grants Yoshitsune magical protection.
Kitsune have become closely associated with Inari, a Shinto kami or spirit, and serve as his messengers. This role has reinforced the fox's supernatural significance.
The more tails a kitsune has — they may have as many as nine — the older, wiser, and more powerful it is. Because of their potential power and influence, some people make offerings to them as to a deity.Kitsune are believed to possess superior intelligence, long life, and magical powers. They are a type of yōkai, or spiritual entity, and the word kitsune is often translated as fox spirit. However, this does not mean that kitsune are ghosts, nor that they are fundamentally different from regular foxes. Because the word spirit is used to reflect a state of knowledge or enlightenment, all long-lived foxes gain supernatural abilities.
There are two common classifications of kitsune. The myōbu are benevolent, celestial foxes associated with Inari; they are sometimes simply called Inari foxes. On the other hand, the wild nogitsune (literally, field foxes) tend to be mischievous or even malicious.Local traditions add further types.For example, a ninko is an invisible fox spirit that human beings can only perceive when it possesses them. Another tradition classifies kitsune into one of thirteen types defined by which supernatural abilities the kitsune possesses.Physically, kitsune are noted for having as many as nine tails. Generally, a greater number of tails indicates an older and more powerful fox; in fact, some folktales say that a fox will only grow additional tails after it has lived 1,000 years. One, five, seven, and nine tails are the most common numbers in folk stories. When a kitsune gains its ninth tail, its fur becomes white or gold.These kyūbi no kitsune (nine-tailed foxes) gain the abilities to see and hear anything happening anywhere in the world. Other tales attribute them infinite wisdom (omniscience).
The obake karuta (monster card) game from the early 19th century depicts a kitsune. involves matching clues from folklore to pictures of specific creatures. The Obake karuta (monster card) game from the early 19th century depicts a kitsune. It involves matching clues from folklore to pictures of specific creatures.
A kitsune may take on human form, an ability learned when it reaches a certain age — usually 100 years, although some tales say 50. As a common prerequisite for the transformation, the fox must place reeds, a broad leaf, or a skull over its head. Common forms assumed by kitsune include beautiful women, young girls, or elderly men. These shapes are not limited by the fox's age or gender, and a kitsune can duplicate the appearance of a specific person.Foxes are particularly renowned for impersonating beautiful women. Common belief in medieval Japan was that any woman encountered alone, especially at dusk or night, could be a fox.In some stories, kitsune have difficulty hiding their tails when they take human form; looking for the tail, perhaps when the fox gets drunk or careless, is a common method of discerning the creature's true nature. Variants on the theme have the kitsune retain other foxlike traits, such as a coating of fine hair, a fox-shaped shadow, or a reflection that shows its true form.Kitsune-gao or fox-faced refers to human females who have a narrow face with close-set eyes, thin eyebrows, and high cheekbones.
Traditionally, this facial structure is considered attractive, and some tales ascribe it to foxes in human form.Kitsune have a fear and hatred of dogs even while in human form, and some become so rattled by the presence of dogs that they revert to the shape of a fox and flee. A particularly devout individual may be able to see through a fox's disguise automatically.
One folk story illustrating these imperfections in the kitsune's human shape concerns Koan, a historical person credited with wisdom and magical powers of divination. According to the story, he was staying at the home of one of his devotees when he scalded his foot entering a bath because the water had been drawn too hot. Then, "in his pain, he ran out of the bathroom naked. When the people of the household saw him, they were astonished to see that Koan had fur covering much of his body, along with a fox's tail. Then Koan transformed in front of them, becoming an elderly fox and running away.
Other supernatural abilities commonly attributed to the kitsune include possession, mouths or tails that generate fire or lightning (known as kitsune-bi; literally, fox-fire), willful manifestation in the dreams of others, flight, invisibility, and the creation of illusions so elaborate as to be almost indistinguishable from reality. Some tales speak of kitsune with even greater powers, able to bend time and space, drive people mad, or take fantastic shapes such as a tree of incredible height or a second moon in the sky. Other kitsune have characteristics reminiscent of vampires or succubi and feed on the life or spirit of human beings, generally through sexual contact.
Inari and her fox spirits help the blacksmith Munechika forge the blade ko-kitsune-maru (Little Fox) at the end of the 10th century. The legend is the subject of the noh drama Sanjo Kokaji. The legend is the subject of the noh drama Sanjo Kokaji.
Kitsunetsuki (狐憑き or 狐付き; also written kitsune-tsuki) literally means the state of being possessed by a fox. The victim is typically a young woman, whom the fox enters beneath her fingernails or through her breasts. In some cases, the victims' facial expressions are said to change in such a way that they resemble those of a fox. Japanese tradition holds that fox possession can cause illiterate victims to temporarily gain the ability to read.
Folklorist Lafcadio Hearn describes the condition in the first volume of his Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan:Strange is the madness of those into whom demon foxes enter. Sometimes they run naked shouting through the streets. Sometimes they lie down and froth at the mouth, and yelp as a fox yelps. And on some part of the body of the possessed a moving lump appears under the skin, which seems to have a life of its own. Prick it with a needle, and it glides instantly to another place. By no grasp can it be so tightly compressed by a strong hand that it will not slip from under the fingers. Possessed folk are also said to speak and write languages of which they were totally ignorant prior to possession. They eat only what foxes are believed to like — tofu, aburagé, azukimeshi, etc. — and they eat a great deal, alleging that not they, but the possessing foxes, are hungry.He goes on to note that, once freed from the possession, the victim will never again be able to eat tofu, azukimeshi, or other foods favored by foxes.
Exorcism, often performed at an Inari shrine, may induce a fox to leave its host. In the past, when such gentle measures failed or a priest was not available, victims of kitsunetsuki were beaten or badly burned in hopes of forcing the fox to leave. Entire families were ostracized by their communities after a member of the family was thought to be possessed.In Japan, kitsunetsuki was noted as a disease as early as the Heian period and remained a common diagnosis for mental illness until the early 20th century. Possession was the explanation for the abnormal behavior displayed by the afflicted individuals.
In the late 19th century, Dr. Shunichi Shimamura noted that physical diseases that caused fever were often considered kitsunetsuki. The belief has lost favor, but stories of fox possession still appear in the tabloid press and popular media. One notable occasion involved allegations that members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult had been possessed.In medicine, kitsunetsuki is an ethnic psychosis unique to Japanese culture. Those who suffer from the condition believe they are possessed by a fox. Symptoms include cravings for rice or sweet red beans, listlessness, restlessness, and aversion to eye contact. Kitsunetsuki is similar to but distinct from clinical lycanthropy.Kitsune are often presented as tricksters, with motives that vary from mischief to malevolence.
Stories tell of kitsune playing tricks on overly proud samurai, greedy merchants, and boastful commoners, while the crueler ones abuse poor tradesmen and farmers or devout Buddhist monks. Their victims are usually men; women are possessed instead. For example, kitsune are thought to employ their kitsune-bi or fox-fire to lead travelers astray in the manner of a will o' the wisp. Another tactic is for the kitsune to confuse its target with illusions or visions. Other common goals of trickster kitsune include seduction, theft of food, humiliation of the prideful, or vengeance for a perceived slight.A traditional game called kitsune-ken (fox-fist) references the kitsune's powers over human beings. The game is similar to rock, paper, scissors, but the three hand positions signify a fox, a hunter, and a village headman. The headman beats the hunter, whom he outranks; the hunter beats the fox, whom he shoots; the fox beats the headman, whom he bewitches. This ambiguous portrayal, coupled with their reputation for vengefulness, leads people to try to discover a troublesome fox's motives.
In one case, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a high government official, wrote a letter to the kami Inari:To Inari Daimyojin,My lord, I have the honor to inform you that one of the foxes under your jurisdiction has bewitched one of my servants, causing her and others a great deal of trouble. I have to request that you make minute inquiries into the matter, and endeavor to find out the reason of your subject misbehaving in this way, and let me know the result.If it turns out that the fox has no adequate reason to give for his behavior, you are to arrest and punish him at once. If you hesitate to take action in this matter I shall issue orders for the destruction of every fox in the land. Any other particulars that you may wish to be informed of in reference to what has occurred, you can learn from the high priest of Yoshida.
Kitsune keep their promises and strive to repay any favor. Occasionally a kitsune attaches itself to a person or household, where they can cause all sorts of mischief. In one story from the 12th century, only the homeowner's threat to exterminate the foxes convinces them to behave. The kitsune patriarch appears in the man's dreams:"My father lived here before me, sir, and by now I have many children and grandchildren. They get into a lot of mischief, I'm afraid, and I'm always after them to stop, but they never listen. And now, sir, you're understandably fed up with us. I gather that you're going to kill us all. But I just want you to know, sir, how sorry I am that this is our last night of life. Won't you pardon us, one more time? If we ever make trouble again, then of course you must act as you think best. But the young ones, sir — I'm sure they'll understand when I explain to them why you're so upset. We'll do everything we can to protect you from now on, if only you'll forgive us, and we'll be sure to let you know when anything good is going to happen!"
Other kitsune use their magic for the benefit of their companion or hosts as long as the human beings treat them with respect. As yōkai, however, kitsune do not share human morality, and a kitsune who has adopted a house in this manner may, for example, bring its host money or items that it has stolen from the neighbors. Accordingly, common households thought to harbor kitsune are treated with suspicion. Oddly, samurai families were often reputed to share similar arrangements with kitsune, but these foxes were considered myōbu and the use of their magic a sign of prestige. Abandoned homes were common haunts for kitsune. One 12th-century story tells of a minister moving into an old mansion only to discover a family of foxes living there. They first try to scare him away, then claim that the house "has been ours for many years, and . . . we wish to register a vigorous protest." The man refuses, and the foxes resign themselves to moving to an abandoned lot nearby.
Tales distinguish kitsune gifts from kitsune payments. If a kitsune offers a payment or reward that includes money or material wealth, part or all of the sum will consist of old paper, leaves, twigs, stones, or similar valueless items under a magical illusion. True kitsune gifts are usually intangibles, such as protection, knowledge, or long life.Wives and loversKitsune are commonly portrayed as lovers, usually in stories involving a young human male and a kitsune who takes the form of a human woman.
The kitsune may be a seductress, but these stories are more often romantic in nature. Typically, the young man unknowingly marries the fox, who proves a devoted wife. The man eventually discovers the fox's true nature, and the fox-wife is forced to leave him. In some cases, the husband wakes as if from a dream, filthy, disoriented, and far from home. He must then return to confront his abandoned family in shame.Many stories tell of fox-wives bearing children. When such progeny are human, they possess special physical or supernatural qualities that often pass to their own children.
The astrologer-magician Abe no Seimei was reputed to have inherited such extraordinary powers.Other stories tell of kitsune marrying one another. Rain falling from a clear sky — a sunshower — is sometimes called kitsune no yomeiri or the kitsune's wedding, in reference to a folktale describing a wedding ceremony between the creatures being held during such conditions. The event is considered a good omen, but the kitsune will seek revenge on any uninvited guests.Embedded in Japanese folklore as they are, kitsune appear in numerous Japanese works. Noh, kyogen, bunraku, and kabuki plays derived from folk tales feature them, as do contemporary works such as manga and video games. Western authors of fiction have begun to make use of the kitsune legends.
Although these portrayals vary considerably, kitsune are generally depicted in accordance with folk stories, as wise, cunning, and powerful beings.Kuzunoha, mother of Abe no Seimei, is a well-known kitsune character in traditional Japanese theater. She is featured in the five-part bunraku and kabuki play Ashiya Dōman Ōuchi Kagami (The Mirror of Ashiya Dōman and Ōuchi). The fourth part, Kuzunoha or The Fox of Shinoda Wood, is often performed independently of the other scenes and tells of the discovery of Kuzunoha's kitsune nature and her subsequent departure from her husband and child.Tamamo-no-Mae is the subject of the noh drama Sesshoseki (The Death Stone) and of kabuki and kyogen plays titled Tamamonomae (The Beautiful Fox Witch). Tamamo-no-Mae commits evil deeds in India, China, and Japan but is discovered and dies. Her spirit transforms into the "killing stone" of the noh play's title. She is eventually redeemed by the Buddhist priest Gennō.
Genkurō is a kitsune renowned for his filial piety. In the bunraku and kabuki drama Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura (Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees), Yoshitsune's lover, Lady Shizuka, owns a hand-drum made from the skins of Genkuro's parents. The fox takes human form and becomes his retainer, Satō Tadanobu, but his identity is revealed. The kitsune explains that he hears the voice of his parents when the drum is struck. Yoshitsune and Shizuka give him the drum, so Genkuro grants Yoshitsune magical protection.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Tengu
Tengu (天狗, Tengu? "heavenly dogs") are a class of supernatural creatures found in japanese folklore, art, theater, and literature. They are one of the best known yōkai (monster-spirits) and are sometimes worshipped as Shinto kami (revered spirits or gods). Although they take their name from a dog-like Chinese demon, the tengu were originally thought to take the forms of birds of prey, and they are traditionally depicted with both human and avian characteristics. The earliest tengu were pictured with beaks, but this feature has often been humanized as an unnaturally long nose, which today is practically the tengu's defining characteristic in the popular imagination.
Buddhism long held that the tengu were disruptive demons and harbingers of war. Their image gradually softened, however, into one of protective, if still dangerous, spirits of the mountains and forests. Tengu are associated with the ascetic practice known as Shugendō, and they are usually depicted in the distinctive garb of its followers, the yamabushi.
The term tengu and the characters used to write it are borrowed from the name of a fierce demon from Chinese folklore called tiāngoǔ. Chinese literature assigns this creature a variety of descriptions, but most often it is a fierce and anthropophagous canine monster that resembles a shooting star or comet. It makes a noise like thunder and brings war wherever it falls. One account from the Shù Yì Jì (述異記, "A Collection of Bizarre Stories"), written in 1791, describes a dog-like tiāngoǔ with a sharp beak and an upright posture, but usually tiāngoǔ bear little resemblance to their Japanese counterparts.
The 23rd chapter of the Nihon Shoki, written in 720, is generally held to contain the first recorded mention of tengu in Japan. In this account a large shooting star appears and is identified by a Buddhist priest as a "heavenly dog", and much like the tiāngoǔ of China, the star precedes a military uprising. Although the Chinese characters for tengu are used in the text, accompanying phonetic furigana characters give the reading as amatsukitsune (heavenly fox). M.W. de Visser speculated that the early Japanese tengu may represent a conglomeration of two Chinese spirits: the tiāngoǔ and the fox spirits called huli jing.
How the tengu was transformed from a dog-meteor into a bird-man is not clear. Some Japanese scholars have supported the theory that the tengu's image derives from that of the Hindu eagle deity Garuda, who was pluralized in Buddhist scripture as one of the major races of non-human beings. Like the tengu, the garuda are often portrayed in a human-like form with wings and a bird's beak. The name tengu seems to be written in place of that of the garuda in a Japanese sutra called the Enmyō Jizō Kyō (延命地蔵経), but this was likely written in the Edo period, long after the tengu's image was established. At least one early story in the Konjaku Monogatari describes a tengu carrying off a dragon, which is reminiscent of the garuda's feud with the nāga serpents. In other respects, however, the tengu's original behavior differs markedly from that of the garuda, which is generally friendly towards Buddhism. De Visser has speculated that the tengu may be descended from an ancient Shinto bird-demon which was syncretized with both the garuda and the tiāngoǔ when Buddhism arrived in Japan. However, he found little evidence to support this idea.
A later version of the Kujiki, an ancient Japanese historical text, writes the name of Amanozako, a monstrous female deity born from the god Susanoo's spat-out ferocity, with characters meaning tengu deity (天狗神). The book describes Amanozako as a raging creature capable of flight, with the body of a human, the head of a beast, a long nose, long ears, and long teeth that can chew through swords. An 18th century book called the Tengu Meigikō (天狗名義考, Tengu Meigikō?) suggests that this goddess may be the true predecessor of the tengu, but the date and authenticity of the Kujiki, and of that edition in particular, remain disputed.
The Konjaku Monogatari, a collection of stories published sometime during the late Heian Period, contains some of the earliest tales of tengu, already characterized as they would be for centuries to come. These tengu are the troublesome opponents of Buddhism, who mislead the pious with false images of Buddha, carry off monks and drop them in remote places, possess women in an attempt to seduce holy men, rob temples, and endow those who worship them with unholy power. They often disguise themselves as priests or nuns, but their true form seems to be that of a kite.
Throughout the 12th and 13th centuries, accounts continued of tengu attempting to cause trouble in the world. They were now established as the ghosts of angry, vain, or heretical priests who had fallen on the "tengu-road" (天狗道, tengudō). They began to possess people, especially women and girls, and speak through their mouths ( kitsunetsuki). Still the enemies of Buddhism, the demons also turned their attention to the royal family. The Kojidan tells of an Empress who was possessed, and the Ōkagami reports that Emperor Sanjō was made blind by a tengu, the ghost of a priest who resented the throne.
One notorious tengu from the 12th century was himself the ghost of an emperor. The Hōgen Monogatari tells the story of Emperor Sutoku, who was forced by his father to abandon the throne. When he later raised the Hōgen Rebellion to take back the country from Emperor Go-Shirakawa, he was defeated and exiled to Sanuki Province on Shikoku. According to legend he died in torment, having sworn to haunt the nation of Japan as a great demon, and thus became a fearsome tengu with long nails and eyes like a kite's.
In stories from the 13th century, tengu began to abduct young boys as well as the priests they had always targeted. The boys were often returned, while the priests would be found tied to the tops of trees or other high places. All of the tengu's victims, however, would come back in a state of near death or madness, sometimes after having been tricked into eating animal dung.
The tengu of this period were often conceived of as the ghosts of the arrogant, and as a result the creatures have became strongly associated with vanity and pride. Today the Japanese expression tengu ni naru, literally, "he is turning into a tengu", is still used to describe a conceited person.
In the Genpei Jōsuiki, written in the late Kamakura period, a god appears to Go-Shirakawa and gives a detailed account of tengu ghosts. He says that they fall onto the tengu road because, as Buddhists, they cannot go to Hell, yet as people with bad principles, they also cannot go to Heaven. He describes the appearance of different types of tengu: the ghosts of priests, nuns, ordinary men, and ordinary women, all of whom in life possessed excessive pride. The god introduces the notion that not all tengu are equal; knowledgeable men become daitengu (大天狗, big tengu, daitengu?), but ignorant ones become kotengu (小天狗, small tengu, kotengu?).
The philosopher Hayashi Razan lists the greatest of these daitengu as Sōjōbō of Kurama, Tarōbō of Atago, and Jirōbō of Hira.
The demons of Kurama and Atago are among the most famous tengu.
A section of the Tengu Meigikō, later quoted by Inoue Enryō, lists the daitengu in this order:
Sōjōbō (僧正坊, Sōjōbō?) of Mount Kurama
Tarōbō (太郎坊, Tarōbō?) of Mount Atago
Jirōbō (二郎坊, Jirōbō?) of the Hira Mountains
Sanjakubō (三尺坊, Sanjakubō?) of Mount Akiba
Ryūhōbō (笠鋒坊, Ryūhōbō?) of Mount Kōmyō
Buzenbō (豊前坊, Buzenbō?) of Mount Hiko
Hōkibō (伯耆坊, Hōkibō?) of Mount Daisen
Myōgibō (妙義坊, Myōgibō?) of Mount Ueno (Ueno Park)
Sankibō (三鬼坊, Sankibō?) of Itsukushima
Zenkibō (前鬼坊, Zenkibō?) of Mount Ōmine
Kōtenbō (高天坊, Kōtenbō?) of Katsuragi
Tsukuba-hōin (筑波法印, Tsukuba-hōin?) of Hitachi Province
Daranibō (陀羅尼坊, Daranibō?) of Mount Fuji
Naigubu (内供奉, Naigubu?) of Mount Takao
Sagamibō (相模坊, Sagamibō?) of Shiramine
Saburō (三郎, Saburō?) of Mount Iizuna
Ajari (阿闍梨, Ajari?) of Higo Province
Daitengu are often pictured in a more human-like form than their underlings, and due to their long noses, they may also called hanatakatengu (鼻高天狗, tall-nosed tengu, hanatakatengu?). Kotengu may conversely be depicted as more bird-like. They are sometimes called karasu-tengu (烏天狗, crow tengu, karasu-tengu?), or koppa- orkonoha-tengu (木葉天狗, 木の葉天狗foliage tengu, koppa- orkonoha-tengu?).
Inoue Enryō described two kinds of tengu in his Tenguron: the great daitengu, and the small, bird-like konoha-tengu who live in Cryptomeria trees. The konoha-tengu are noted in a book from 1746 called the Shokoku Rijin Dan (諸国里人談, Shokoku Rijin Dan?), as bird-like creatures with wings two meters across which were seen catching fish in the Ōi River, but this name rarely appears in literature otherwise.
Creatures that do not fit the classic bird or yamabushi image are sometimes called tengu. For example, tengu in the guise of wood-spirits may be called guhin (occasionally written kuhin) (狗賓, dog guests?), but this word can also refer to tengu with canine mouths or other features.
The people of Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku believe in a creature called shibaten or shibatengu (シバテン, 芝天狗, lawn tengu, shibaten or shibatengu?), but this is a small child-like being who loves sumō wrestling and sometimes dwells in the water, and is generally considered one of the many kinds of kappa.
Another water-dwelling tengu is the kawatengu (川天狗, river tengu, kawatengu?) of the Greater Tokyo Area. This creature is rarely seen, but it is believed to create strange fireballs and be a nuisance to fishermen.
The Shasekishū, a book of Buddhist parables from the Kamakura period, makes a point of distinguishing between good and bad tengu. The book explains that the former are in command of the latter and are the protectors, not opponents, of Buddhism - although the flaw of pride or ambition has caused them to fall onto the demon road, they remain the same basically good, dharma-abiding persons they were in life.
The tengu's unpleasant image continued to erode in the 17th century. Some stories now presented them as much less malicious, protecting and blessing Buddhist institutions rather than menacing them or setting them on fire. According to a legend in the 18th-century Kaidan Toshiotoko (怪談登志男, Kaidan Toshiotoko?), a tengu took the form of a yamabushi and faithfully served the abbot of a Zen monastery until the man guessed his attendant's true form. The tengu's wings and huge nose then reappeared. The tengu requested a piece of wisdom from his master and left, but he continued, unseen, to provide the monastery with miraculous aid.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, tengu came to be feared as the vigilant protectors of certain forests. In the 1764 collection of strange stories Sanshu Kidan (三州奇談, Sanshu Kidan?), a tale tells of a man who wanders into a deep valley while gathering leaves, only to be faced with a sudden and ferocious hailstorm. A group of peasants later tell him that he was in the valley where the guhin live, and anyone who takes a single leaf from that place will surely die. In the Sōzan Chomon Kishū (想山著聞奇集, Sōzan Chomon Kishū?), written in 1849, the author describes the customs of the wood-cutters of Mino Province, who used a sort of rice cake called kuhin-mochi to placate the tengu, who would otherwise perpetrate all sorts of mischief. In other provinces a special kind of fish called okoze was offered to the tengu by woodsmen and hunters, in exchange for a successful day's work.
The people of Ishikawa Prefecture have until recently believed that the tengu loathe mackerel, and have used this fish as a charm against kidnappings and hauntings by the mischievous spirits.
Tengu are worshipped as beneficial kami (gods or revered spirits) in various Japanese religious cults. For example, the tengu Saburō of Izuna is worshipped on that mountain and various others as Izuna Gongen (飯綱権現, incarnation of Izuna, Izuna Gongen?), one of the primary deities in the Izuna Shugen cult, which also has ties to fox sorcery and the Dakini of Tantric Buddhism. Izuna Gongen is depicted as a beaked, winged figure with snakes wrapped around his limbs, surrounded by a halo of flame, riding on the back of a fox and brandishing a sword. Worshippers of tengu on other sacred mountains have adopted similar images for their deities, such as Sanjakubō (三尺坊, Sanjakubō?) or Akiba Gongen (秋葉権現, Akiba Gongen?) of Akiba and Dōryō Gongen (道了権現, Dōryō Gongen?) of Saijō-ji Temple in Odawara.
During the 14th century, the tengu began to trouble the world outside of the Buddhist clergy, and like their ominous ancestors the tiāngoǔ, the tengu became creatures associated with war.
Legends eventually ascribed to them great knowledge in the art of skilled combat.
This reputation seems to have its origins in a legend surrounding the famous warrior Minamoto no Yoshitsune. When Yoshitsune was a young boy going by the name of Ushiwaka-maru, his father, Yoshitomo, was assassinated by the Taira clan. Taira no Kiyomori, head of the Taira, allowed the child to survive on the grounds that he be exiled to the temple on Mount Kurama and become a monk. But one day in the Sōjō-ga-dani Valley, Ushiwaka encountered the mountain's tengu, Sōjōbō. This spirit taught the boy the art of swordsmanship so that he might bring vengeance on the Taira.
Originally the actions of this tengu were portrayed as another attempt by demons to throw the world into chaos and war, but as Yoshitsune's renown as a legendary warrior increased, his monstrous teacher came to be depicted in a much more sympathetic and honorable light. In one of the most famous renditions of the story, the Noh play Kurama Tengu, Ushiwaka is the only person from his temple who does not give up an outing in disgust at the sight of a strange yamabushi. Sōjōbō thus befriends the boy and teaches him out of sympathy for his plight.
Two stories from the 19th century continue this theme: In the Sōzan Chomon Kishū, a boy is carried off by a tengu and spends three years with the creature. He comes home with a magic gun that never misses a shot. A story from Inaba Province, related by Inoue Enryō, tells of a girl with poor manual dexterity who is suddenly possessed by a tengu. The spirit wishes to rekindle the declining art of swordsmanship in the world. Soon a young samurai appears to whom the tengu has appeared in a dream, and the possessed girl instructs him as an expert swordsman.
Some rumors surrounding the ninja indicate that they were also instructed by the tengu.
Buddhism long held that the tengu were disruptive demons and harbingers of war. Their image gradually softened, however, into one of protective, if still dangerous, spirits of the mountains and forests. Tengu are associated with the ascetic practice known as Shugendō, and they are usually depicted in the distinctive garb of its followers, the yamabushi.
The term tengu and the characters used to write it are borrowed from the name of a fierce demon from Chinese folklore called tiāngoǔ. Chinese literature assigns this creature a variety of descriptions, but most often it is a fierce and anthropophagous canine monster that resembles a shooting star or comet. It makes a noise like thunder and brings war wherever it falls. One account from the Shù Yì Jì (述異記, "A Collection of Bizarre Stories"), written in 1791, describes a dog-like tiāngoǔ with a sharp beak and an upright posture, but usually tiāngoǔ bear little resemblance to their Japanese counterparts.
The 23rd chapter of the Nihon Shoki, written in 720, is generally held to contain the first recorded mention of tengu in Japan. In this account a large shooting star appears and is identified by a Buddhist priest as a "heavenly dog", and much like the tiāngoǔ of China, the star precedes a military uprising. Although the Chinese characters for tengu are used in the text, accompanying phonetic furigana characters give the reading as amatsukitsune (heavenly fox). M.W. de Visser speculated that the early Japanese tengu may represent a conglomeration of two Chinese spirits: the tiāngoǔ and the fox spirits called huli jing.
How the tengu was transformed from a dog-meteor into a bird-man is not clear. Some Japanese scholars have supported the theory that the tengu's image derives from that of the Hindu eagle deity Garuda, who was pluralized in Buddhist scripture as one of the major races of non-human beings. Like the tengu, the garuda are often portrayed in a human-like form with wings and a bird's beak. The name tengu seems to be written in place of that of the garuda in a Japanese sutra called the Enmyō Jizō Kyō (延命地蔵経), but this was likely written in the Edo period, long after the tengu's image was established. At least one early story in the Konjaku Monogatari describes a tengu carrying off a dragon, which is reminiscent of the garuda's feud with the nāga serpents. In other respects, however, the tengu's original behavior differs markedly from that of the garuda, which is generally friendly towards Buddhism. De Visser has speculated that the tengu may be descended from an ancient Shinto bird-demon which was syncretized with both the garuda and the tiāngoǔ when Buddhism arrived in Japan. However, he found little evidence to support this idea.
A later version of the Kujiki, an ancient Japanese historical text, writes the name of Amanozako, a monstrous female deity born from the god Susanoo's spat-out ferocity, with characters meaning tengu deity (天狗神). The book describes Amanozako as a raging creature capable of flight, with the body of a human, the head of a beast, a long nose, long ears, and long teeth that can chew through swords. An 18th century book called the Tengu Meigikō (天狗名義考, Tengu Meigikō?) suggests that this goddess may be the true predecessor of the tengu, but the date and authenticity of the Kujiki, and of that edition in particular, remain disputed.
The Konjaku Monogatari, a collection of stories published sometime during the late Heian Period, contains some of the earliest tales of tengu, already characterized as they would be for centuries to come. These tengu are the troublesome opponents of Buddhism, who mislead the pious with false images of Buddha, carry off monks and drop them in remote places, possess women in an attempt to seduce holy men, rob temples, and endow those who worship them with unholy power. They often disguise themselves as priests or nuns, but their true form seems to be that of a kite.
Throughout the 12th and 13th centuries, accounts continued of tengu attempting to cause trouble in the world. They were now established as the ghosts of angry, vain, or heretical priests who had fallen on the "tengu-road" (天狗道, tengudō). They began to possess people, especially women and girls, and speak through their mouths ( kitsunetsuki). Still the enemies of Buddhism, the demons also turned their attention to the royal family. The Kojidan tells of an Empress who was possessed, and the Ōkagami reports that Emperor Sanjō was made blind by a tengu, the ghost of a priest who resented the throne.
One notorious tengu from the 12th century was himself the ghost of an emperor. The Hōgen Monogatari tells the story of Emperor Sutoku, who was forced by his father to abandon the throne. When he later raised the Hōgen Rebellion to take back the country from Emperor Go-Shirakawa, he was defeated and exiled to Sanuki Province on Shikoku. According to legend he died in torment, having sworn to haunt the nation of Japan as a great demon, and thus became a fearsome tengu with long nails and eyes like a kite's.
In stories from the 13th century, tengu began to abduct young boys as well as the priests they had always targeted. The boys were often returned, while the priests would be found tied to the tops of trees or other high places. All of the tengu's victims, however, would come back in a state of near death or madness, sometimes after having been tricked into eating animal dung.
The tengu of this period were often conceived of as the ghosts of the arrogant, and as a result the creatures have became strongly associated with vanity and pride. Today the Japanese expression tengu ni naru, literally, "he is turning into a tengu", is still used to describe a conceited person.
In the Genpei Jōsuiki, written in the late Kamakura period, a god appears to Go-Shirakawa and gives a detailed account of tengu ghosts. He says that they fall onto the tengu road because, as Buddhists, they cannot go to Hell, yet as people with bad principles, they also cannot go to Heaven. He describes the appearance of different types of tengu: the ghosts of priests, nuns, ordinary men, and ordinary women, all of whom in life possessed excessive pride. The god introduces the notion that not all tengu are equal; knowledgeable men become daitengu (大天狗, big tengu, daitengu?), but ignorant ones become kotengu (小天狗, small tengu, kotengu?).
The philosopher Hayashi Razan lists the greatest of these daitengu as Sōjōbō of Kurama, Tarōbō of Atago, and Jirōbō of Hira.
The demons of Kurama and Atago are among the most famous tengu.
A section of the Tengu Meigikō, later quoted by Inoue Enryō, lists the daitengu in this order:
Sōjōbō (僧正坊, Sōjōbō?) of Mount Kurama
Tarōbō (太郎坊, Tarōbō?) of Mount Atago
Jirōbō (二郎坊, Jirōbō?) of the Hira Mountains
Sanjakubō (三尺坊, Sanjakubō?) of Mount Akiba
Ryūhōbō (笠鋒坊, Ryūhōbō?) of Mount Kōmyō
Buzenbō (豊前坊, Buzenbō?) of Mount Hiko
Hōkibō (伯耆坊, Hōkibō?) of Mount Daisen
Myōgibō (妙義坊, Myōgibō?) of Mount Ueno (Ueno Park)
Sankibō (三鬼坊, Sankibō?) of Itsukushima
Zenkibō (前鬼坊, Zenkibō?) of Mount Ōmine
Kōtenbō (高天坊, Kōtenbō?) of Katsuragi
Tsukuba-hōin (筑波法印, Tsukuba-hōin?) of Hitachi Province
Daranibō (陀羅尼坊, Daranibō?) of Mount Fuji
Naigubu (内供奉, Naigubu?) of Mount Takao
Sagamibō (相模坊, Sagamibō?) of Shiramine
Saburō (三郎, Saburō?) of Mount Iizuna
Ajari (阿闍梨, Ajari?) of Higo Province
Daitengu are often pictured in a more human-like form than their underlings, and due to their long noses, they may also called hanatakatengu (鼻高天狗, tall-nosed tengu, hanatakatengu?). Kotengu may conversely be depicted as more bird-like. They are sometimes called karasu-tengu (烏天狗, crow tengu, karasu-tengu?), or koppa- orkonoha-tengu (木葉天狗, 木の葉天狗foliage tengu, koppa- orkonoha-tengu?).
Inoue Enryō described two kinds of tengu in his Tenguron: the great daitengu, and the small, bird-like konoha-tengu who live in Cryptomeria trees. The konoha-tengu are noted in a book from 1746 called the Shokoku Rijin Dan (諸国里人談, Shokoku Rijin Dan?), as bird-like creatures with wings two meters across which were seen catching fish in the Ōi River, but this name rarely appears in literature otherwise.
Creatures that do not fit the classic bird or yamabushi image are sometimes called tengu. For example, tengu in the guise of wood-spirits may be called guhin (occasionally written kuhin) (狗賓, dog guests?), but this word can also refer to tengu with canine mouths or other features.
The people of Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku believe in a creature called shibaten or shibatengu (シバテン, 芝天狗, lawn tengu, shibaten or shibatengu?), but this is a small child-like being who loves sumō wrestling and sometimes dwells in the water, and is generally considered one of the many kinds of kappa.
Another water-dwelling tengu is the kawatengu (川天狗, river tengu, kawatengu?) of the Greater Tokyo Area. This creature is rarely seen, but it is believed to create strange fireballs and be a nuisance to fishermen.
The Shasekishū, a book of Buddhist parables from the Kamakura period, makes a point of distinguishing between good and bad tengu. The book explains that the former are in command of the latter and are the protectors, not opponents, of Buddhism - although the flaw of pride or ambition has caused them to fall onto the demon road, they remain the same basically good, dharma-abiding persons they were in life.
The tengu's unpleasant image continued to erode in the 17th century. Some stories now presented them as much less malicious, protecting and blessing Buddhist institutions rather than menacing them or setting them on fire. According to a legend in the 18th-century Kaidan Toshiotoko (怪談登志男, Kaidan Toshiotoko?), a tengu took the form of a yamabushi and faithfully served the abbot of a Zen monastery until the man guessed his attendant's true form. The tengu's wings and huge nose then reappeared. The tengu requested a piece of wisdom from his master and left, but he continued, unseen, to provide the monastery with miraculous aid.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, tengu came to be feared as the vigilant protectors of certain forests. In the 1764 collection of strange stories Sanshu Kidan (三州奇談, Sanshu Kidan?), a tale tells of a man who wanders into a deep valley while gathering leaves, only to be faced with a sudden and ferocious hailstorm. A group of peasants later tell him that he was in the valley where the guhin live, and anyone who takes a single leaf from that place will surely die. In the Sōzan Chomon Kishū (想山著聞奇集, Sōzan Chomon Kishū?), written in 1849, the author describes the customs of the wood-cutters of Mino Province, who used a sort of rice cake called kuhin-mochi to placate the tengu, who would otherwise perpetrate all sorts of mischief. In other provinces a special kind of fish called okoze was offered to the tengu by woodsmen and hunters, in exchange for a successful day's work.
The people of Ishikawa Prefecture have until recently believed that the tengu loathe mackerel, and have used this fish as a charm against kidnappings and hauntings by the mischievous spirits.
Tengu are worshipped as beneficial kami (gods or revered spirits) in various Japanese religious cults. For example, the tengu Saburō of Izuna is worshipped on that mountain and various others as Izuna Gongen (飯綱権現, incarnation of Izuna, Izuna Gongen?), one of the primary deities in the Izuna Shugen cult, which also has ties to fox sorcery and the Dakini of Tantric Buddhism. Izuna Gongen is depicted as a beaked, winged figure with snakes wrapped around his limbs, surrounded by a halo of flame, riding on the back of a fox and brandishing a sword. Worshippers of tengu on other sacred mountains have adopted similar images for their deities, such as Sanjakubō (三尺坊, Sanjakubō?) or Akiba Gongen (秋葉権現, Akiba Gongen?) of Akiba and Dōryō Gongen (道了権現, Dōryō Gongen?) of Saijō-ji Temple in Odawara.
During the 14th century, the tengu began to trouble the world outside of the Buddhist clergy, and like their ominous ancestors the tiāngoǔ, the tengu became creatures associated with war.
Legends eventually ascribed to them great knowledge in the art of skilled combat.
This reputation seems to have its origins in a legend surrounding the famous warrior Minamoto no Yoshitsune. When Yoshitsune was a young boy going by the name of Ushiwaka-maru, his father, Yoshitomo, was assassinated by the Taira clan. Taira no Kiyomori, head of the Taira, allowed the child to survive on the grounds that he be exiled to the temple on Mount Kurama and become a monk. But one day in the Sōjō-ga-dani Valley, Ushiwaka encountered the mountain's tengu, Sōjōbō. This spirit taught the boy the art of swordsmanship so that he might bring vengeance on the Taira.
Originally the actions of this tengu were portrayed as another attempt by demons to throw the world into chaos and war, but as Yoshitsune's renown as a legendary warrior increased, his monstrous teacher came to be depicted in a much more sympathetic and honorable light. In one of the most famous renditions of the story, the Noh play Kurama Tengu, Ushiwaka is the only person from his temple who does not give up an outing in disgust at the sight of a strange yamabushi. Sōjōbō thus befriends the boy and teaches him out of sympathy for his plight.
Two stories from the 19th century continue this theme: In the Sōzan Chomon Kishū, a boy is carried off by a tengu and spends three years with the creature. He comes home with a magic gun that never misses a shot. A story from Inaba Province, related by Inoue Enryō, tells of a girl with poor manual dexterity who is suddenly possessed by a tengu. The spirit wishes to rekindle the declining art of swordsmanship in the world. Soon a young samurai appears to whom the tengu has appeared in a dream, and the possessed girl instructs him as an expert swordsman.
Some rumors surrounding the ninja indicate that they were also instructed by the tengu.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Dark history of the uchiha
The Dark History of Uchiha: The Bloodline of Tengu
Hyuuga clan is one of the oldest clans in Konoha. They have been there ever since the establishment of the hidden village. Many years ago there was a girl from Hyuuga clan who fell in love with an outsider. She decided to marry herself to the young man despite the strong protests from her own clan. But this man was no ordinary human. In fact, this man was not a human at all. His name was Sojobo. He was the King of Tengu.
There are two types of tengus, Karasu tengu (a crow-like creature with beak and wings) and Konoha tengu (also known as Yamabushi tengu). Sojobo was a Konoha tengu. He had long nose and white hair with a pair of black wings on his back. As the King of Tengu, Sojobo possessed some very mystical powers. He carried a fan made of Fatsia leaf that could create a storm (therefore people sometimes call this type of leaf as Tengu no Uchiwa or Tengu’s fan). He could teleport himself or any other things from one place to another. He could also communicate with people telepathically or even invade their minds and drive them to madness. Besides, Sojobo was also known for his shapeshifting ability. He sometimes transformed himself into human to interact with people.
Anyway, this girl from Hyuuga was in love with Sojobo taking the human form without knowing his true identity. She married him shortly after they met each other. A year or two later, she was pregnant and gave birth to their first son. Sojobo named this son Uchiha, Uchiha Madara, after Uchiwa which means fan. And of course as we know, fan also later became the symbol of this new clan.Everything was good. Uchiha Madara soon grew up to become a very powerful shinobi. He not only inherited the Kekkei Genkai from his mother but with the Tengu blood inside him the Byakugan had evolved into an even more dreadful form—the Sharingan! This new bloodline had 2 levels: Normal Sharingan and Mangekyou Sharingan. Like his tengu father, Madara possessed some incredible magical powers. He was able to use telepathy to invade people’s minds, or even teleport himself across a short distance. When he turned on the Mangekyou Sharingan (he had the normal Sharingan on 24/7 just like his Hyuuga kin), the eyes would further intensify his powers and bring him even closer to a tengu form. He had developed 3 jutsus under this state, namely Tsukiyomi (to control people’s minds and drive them insane), Amaterasu (to teleport objects into another dimension)* and Susanoo (to create a storm like that created by a Tengu’s fan).
Because of his bravery and almost unparalleled powers, Madara soon became a hero in his people’s eyes despite his young age. He became very close friends with Shodaime and together they took up the responsibility to protect the Konoha village they established. Madara founded the first police force in the Konoha and swore to protect his people with his life.But good things do not last long. As Madara was about to reach his adulthood, Sojobo began to reveal his true intention. Sojobo didn’t marry the girl from Hyuuga out of love. He was only looking for a perfect body, a container (probably to achieve greater powers), and he figured the best way was to create one with his own blood. He was planning on taking over Madara’s body once he reached his adulthood. It didn’t take Uchiha Madara long to find out this appalling truth. He felt a mixture of shock and anger. He felt he was being used but he wasn’t going to give in such easily, at least not without a fight. But Madara knew only too well that no matter how strong he was he stood no chance against the King of Tengu.
Out of desperation he sought for the legendary Bijuu—Kyuubi (the God of Fire). Kyuubi was very impressed by Madara’s abilities. A secret pact was made and Kyuubi agreed to lend his power and chakra to Uchiha Madara. Soon Madara mastered the katon and he could even cast a dark fire that would burn for 7 days and 7 nights after performing the Amaterasu. But even with these newly gained powers and a huge supply of chakra from the Kyuubi, Uchiha Madara was only able to beat his demon father by a hair's breadth. He couldn’t finish him once and for all but only managed to seal him up. However, the seal he used was a very special one. To break the seal it requires the Kyuubi's chakra and also not one but 3 Uchiha members who can wield the Mangekyou Sharingan. Each MS user has to cast a different MS jutsu at the same time and when the 3 jutsus--Tsukiyomi, Amaterasu and Susanoo--combine, the great evil will be unleashed. It's a tall order and Madara thought it would be enough to seal up the demon for eternity. But what Madara didn’t anticipate was that this seal itself would bring a bloody massacre upon his own clan many decades later…
Here the author of this theory will derail a bit and talk about the relationship between Shodaime and Madara. When Shodai found out about the secret pact between Madara and Kyuubi he was enraged. He thought it was hunger for greater power that led his best friend to the Kyuubi. Madara didn’t explain to him either because he didn’t want anyone to know he was a half-demon. Conflicts began to appear between the two who were once close to each other. The intense hostility eventually resulted in a great battle at the Valley of the End. (You might think that the author depicted Madara as too strong a character and therefore feel skeptical about Shodai being able to rival both MS and Kyuubi’s power at the same time. Well you better not forget that Shodai had the ability to suppress Kyuubi’s chakra and his darkness jutsu and suiton might be very good counter-moves to Madara's Sharingan and katon respectively as well.)
Alright, now back to the main story. Many years had come into past since Sojobo was sealed. The tengu’s blood in Uchiha clan was now no longer as pure as it once was. It was gradually being “diluted” by constant marriages with non-Uchihas over the generations. Now even the Normal Sharingan was possessed by only the elite few among Uchihas, let alone the Mangekyou Sharingan. But the dark history of the clan was anything but forgotten. A tengu shrine was built underneath the Nakano temple by some of the early Uchihas to keep all the secrets of the clan inside (including killing your loved one to gain MS which was discovered by some later Uchiha). Once an Uchiha member was thought to be reliable enough he would be informed about the secret meeting place and it would then become his life-long obligation to keep these secrets from outsiders. The Uchihas considered this dark history as an unspeakable shame and swore to protect the glory and dignity of their clan with their lives no matter what happened.
20 years ago, a new member was born into an Uchiha family. He soon proved himself to be a prodigy, even by the high standards of the Uchiha. He graduated at the top of his class at age 7, mastered the Sharingan at 8, became a Chunin at 10 and an ANBU squad leader at 13. His name was Uchiha Itachi. As Itachi was selected to become an ANBU his father Fugaku felt that it was the right time to tell him everything. Itachi learned about the Mangekyou Sharingan and the origin of his clan from his father.
Deep inside his mind, an evil shadow began to take shape…One night, when all men of Uchiha were supposed to gather at the secret meeting place two of them were absent. Itachi lured his best friend Uchiha Shisui to the Nakano river and started his horrendous plan. He assaulted and killed Uchiha Shisui on that night and obtained the accursed eye powers—Mangekyou Sharingan from the death of his friend. The next day when people found Uchiha Shisui’s body they also found a suicide note grabbed in his hand. But of course this note wasn’t really written by Shisui. Itachi forged his handwriting with the Sharingan to make it look like a suicide. What was written on the note is important because it reflects Itachi's feeling at that time.
Always living with fear—fear that people may find out the secrets of their clan, fear that people may know Uchihas are actually descendants of demon—they all swore to take the secrets with them to the graveyard. This was the miserable life of every Uchiha member. Itachi was tired of all these. He could see no future for his clan. He didn’t understand why his people felt ashamed of their own past. He didn’t understand why his people didn’t see their superiority to the normal human beings. He didn’t understand why his people decided to seal up such a great power and not to use it. Itachi had lost all his hope for the Uchiha clan because of the pathetic “path” they had chosen. From the moment Itachi heard about the origin of his clan he felt a weird sense of pleasure and superiority. He felt he was somehow more special than the others. Then his sick and twisted mind had gone even further. He wanted to set the tengu free. He was willing to sacrifice his body in exchange for probably the strongest power the world had ever seen. He was ready to offer his body to the Tengu King.
Soon Itachi had put his thoughts into action. When he learned about the Akatsuki’s plan to capture the Bijuus he decided to join them. He needed their help to get the Kyuubi’s chakra. But that’s not all. Itachi still had to find other 2 MS users. After awhile, he came across a second MS user who agreed to help him carry out his plan. Now all he needed was the third and last MS user.Itachi knew his clan members would never kill their loved ones to get MS. He despised them. They were a bunch of cowards, useless …oh wait, Itachi suddenly came up with an idea—he could still use them to achieve his purpose. He could use them to make his little brother the third MS user…On a full-moon night, the ancient blood inside Itachi finally awakened and he had completely lost his mind. He killed his entire clan including his parents. Then he waited for his little brother Sasuke to come home. He wanted him to know he was the one who did it. He used Tsukiyomi on his brother to make sure such a traumatic picture would stay with him for the rest of his life. He wanted Sasuke to hate him. He wanted Sasuke to hate him enough to kill his own friend and activate the Mangekyou Sharingan. He told him about the secret meeting place so that he would find out everything. He wanted Sasuke to take the path he had paved for him—the path of an avenger...
Hyuuga clan is one of the oldest clans in Konoha. They have been there ever since the establishment of the hidden village. Many years ago there was a girl from Hyuuga clan who fell in love with an outsider. She decided to marry herself to the young man despite the strong protests from her own clan. But this man was no ordinary human. In fact, this man was not a human at all. His name was Sojobo. He was the King of Tengu.
There are two types of tengus, Karasu tengu (a crow-like creature with beak and wings) and Konoha tengu (also known as Yamabushi tengu). Sojobo was a Konoha tengu. He had long nose and white hair with a pair of black wings on his back. As the King of Tengu, Sojobo possessed some very mystical powers. He carried a fan made of Fatsia leaf that could create a storm (therefore people sometimes call this type of leaf as Tengu no Uchiwa or Tengu’s fan). He could teleport himself or any other things from one place to another. He could also communicate with people telepathically or even invade their minds and drive them to madness. Besides, Sojobo was also known for his shapeshifting ability. He sometimes transformed himself into human to interact with people.
Anyway, this girl from Hyuuga was in love with Sojobo taking the human form without knowing his true identity. She married him shortly after they met each other. A year or two later, she was pregnant and gave birth to their first son. Sojobo named this son Uchiha, Uchiha Madara, after Uchiwa which means fan. And of course as we know, fan also later became the symbol of this new clan.Everything was good. Uchiha Madara soon grew up to become a very powerful shinobi. He not only inherited the Kekkei Genkai from his mother but with the Tengu blood inside him the Byakugan had evolved into an even more dreadful form—the Sharingan! This new bloodline had 2 levels: Normal Sharingan and Mangekyou Sharingan. Like his tengu father, Madara possessed some incredible magical powers. He was able to use telepathy to invade people’s minds, or even teleport himself across a short distance. When he turned on the Mangekyou Sharingan (he had the normal Sharingan on 24/7 just like his Hyuuga kin), the eyes would further intensify his powers and bring him even closer to a tengu form. He had developed 3 jutsus under this state, namely Tsukiyomi (to control people’s minds and drive them insane), Amaterasu (to teleport objects into another dimension)* and Susanoo (to create a storm like that created by a Tengu’s fan).
Because of his bravery and almost unparalleled powers, Madara soon became a hero in his people’s eyes despite his young age. He became very close friends with Shodaime and together they took up the responsibility to protect the Konoha village they established. Madara founded the first police force in the Konoha and swore to protect his people with his life.But good things do not last long. As Madara was about to reach his adulthood, Sojobo began to reveal his true intention. Sojobo didn’t marry the girl from Hyuuga out of love. He was only looking for a perfect body, a container (probably to achieve greater powers), and he figured the best way was to create one with his own blood. He was planning on taking over Madara’s body once he reached his adulthood. It didn’t take Uchiha Madara long to find out this appalling truth. He felt a mixture of shock and anger. He felt he was being used but he wasn’t going to give in such easily, at least not without a fight. But Madara knew only too well that no matter how strong he was he stood no chance against the King of Tengu.
Out of desperation he sought for the legendary Bijuu—Kyuubi (the God of Fire). Kyuubi was very impressed by Madara’s abilities. A secret pact was made and Kyuubi agreed to lend his power and chakra to Uchiha Madara. Soon Madara mastered the katon and he could even cast a dark fire that would burn for 7 days and 7 nights after performing the Amaterasu. But even with these newly gained powers and a huge supply of chakra from the Kyuubi, Uchiha Madara was only able to beat his demon father by a hair's breadth. He couldn’t finish him once and for all but only managed to seal him up. However, the seal he used was a very special one. To break the seal it requires the Kyuubi's chakra and also not one but 3 Uchiha members who can wield the Mangekyou Sharingan. Each MS user has to cast a different MS jutsu at the same time and when the 3 jutsus--Tsukiyomi, Amaterasu and Susanoo--combine, the great evil will be unleashed. It's a tall order and Madara thought it would be enough to seal up the demon for eternity. But what Madara didn’t anticipate was that this seal itself would bring a bloody massacre upon his own clan many decades later…
Here the author of this theory will derail a bit and talk about the relationship between Shodaime and Madara. When Shodai found out about the secret pact between Madara and Kyuubi he was enraged. He thought it was hunger for greater power that led his best friend to the Kyuubi. Madara didn’t explain to him either because he didn’t want anyone to know he was a half-demon. Conflicts began to appear between the two who were once close to each other. The intense hostility eventually resulted in a great battle at the Valley of the End. (You might think that the author depicted Madara as too strong a character and therefore feel skeptical about Shodai being able to rival both MS and Kyuubi’s power at the same time. Well you better not forget that Shodai had the ability to suppress Kyuubi’s chakra and his darkness jutsu and suiton might be very good counter-moves to Madara's Sharingan and katon respectively as well.)
Alright, now back to the main story. Many years had come into past since Sojobo was sealed. The tengu’s blood in Uchiha clan was now no longer as pure as it once was. It was gradually being “diluted” by constant marriages with non-Uchihas over the generations. Now even the Normal Sharingan was possessed by only the elite few among Uchihas, let alone the Mangekyou Sharingan. But the dark history of the clan was anything but forgotten. A tengu shrine was built underneath the Nakano temple by some of the early Uchihas to keep all the secrets of the clan inside (including killing your loved one to gain MS which was discovered by some later Uchiha). Once an Uchiha member was thought to be reliable enough he would be informed about the secret meeting place and it would then become his life-long obligation to keep these secrets from outsiders. The Uchihas considered this dark history as an unspeakable shame and swore to protect the glory and dignity of their clan with their lives no matter what happened.
20 years ago, a new member was born into an Uchiha family. He soon proved himself to be a prodigy, even by the high standards of the Uchiha. He graduated at the top of his class at age 7, mastered the Sharingan at 8, became a Chunin at 10 and an ANBU squad leader at 13. His name was Uchiha Itachi. As Itachi was selected to become an ANBU his father Fugaku felt that it was the right time to tell him everything. Itachi learned about the Mangekyou Sharingan and the origin of his clan from his father.
Deep inside his mind, an evil shadow began to take shape…One night, when all men of Uchiha were supposed to gather at the secret meeting place two of them were absent. Itachi lured his best friend Uchiha Shisui to the Nakano river and started his horrendous plan. He assaulted and killed Uchiha Shisui on that night and obtained the accursed eye powers—Mangekyou Sharingan from the death of his friend. The next day when people found Uchiha Shisui’s body they also found a suicide note grabbed in his hand. But of course this note wasn’t really written by Shisui. Itachi forged his handwriting with the Sharingan to make it look like a suicide. What was written on the note is important because it reflects Itachi's feeling at that time.
Always living with fear—fear that people may find out the secrets of their clan, fear that people may know Uchihas are actually descendants of demon—they all swore to take the secrets with them to the graveyard. This was the miserable life of every Uchiha member. Itachi was tired of all these. He could see no future for his clan. He didn’t understand why his people felt ashamed of their own past. He didn’t understand why his people didn’t see their superiority to the normal human beings. He didn’t understand why his people decided to seal up such a great power and not to use it. Itachi had lost all his hope for the Uchiha clan because of the pathetic “path” they had chosen. From the moment Itachi heard about the origin of his clan he felt a weird sense of pleasure and superiority. He felt he was somehow more special than the others. Then his sick and twisted mind had gone even further. He wanted to set the tengu free. He was willing to sacrifice his body in exchange for probably the strongest power the world had ever seen. He was ready to offer his body to the Tengu King.
Soon Itachi had put his thoughts into action. When he learned about the Akatsuki’s plan to capture the Bijuus he decided to join them. He needed their help to get the Kyuubi’s chakra. But that’s not all. Itachi still had to find other 2 MS users. After awhile, he came across a second MS user who agreed to help him carry out his plan. Now all he needed was the third and last MS user.Itachi knew his clan members would never kill their loved ones to get MS. He despised them. They were a bunch of cowards, useless …oh wait, Itachi suddenly came up with an idea—he could still use them to achieve his purpose. He could use them to make his little brother the third MS user…On a full-moon night, the ancient blood inside Itachi finally awakened and he had completely lost his mind. He killed his entire clan including his parents. Then he waited for his little brother Sasuke to come home. He wanted him to know he was the one who did it. He used Tsukiyomi on his brother to make sure such a traumatic picture would stay with him for the rest of his life. He wanted Sasuke to hate him. He wanted Sasuke to hate him enough to kill his own friend and activate the Mangekyou Sharingan. He told him about the secret meeting place so that he would find out everything. He wanted Sasuke to take the path he had paved for him—the path of an avenger...
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
I am Mdawg
Age: 18
Gender: isn't it obvious
astrological sign: gemini, but i don't really care about that
zodiac: Snake and proud of it
location: Middlville(a.k.a. middle of no where), Michigan
Interests
are anime, manga, video games, music, reading, bike riding
favorite movies
first naruto movie
favorite books
wheel of time series
Gender: isn't it obvious
astrological sign: gemini, but i don't really care about that
zodiac: Snake and proud of it
location: Middlville(a.k.a. middle of no where), Michigan
Interests
are anime, manga, video games, music, reading, bike riding
favorite movies
first naruto movie
favorite books
wheel of time series
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