Minggu, 06 September 2009

Oni

Oni Profile


oni
Horns: Usually two, one on each side of the head

Mouth: Large fangs

Skin: Either red- or blue-skinned

Face: Very scary-looking

Body: Wears tiger-skin loincloths

Strength: Very powerful

Possessions: Holds a large iron club

About oni


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In Japan, the northeasterly direction has traditionally been called kimon, literally "the gate through which the oni passes," and so it was feared as the dwelling place of demonic spirits. Before modern times, the term for the northeast was ushitora, ushi meaning ox and tora meaning tiger. It was partly for this reason that oni have come to be depicted with horns on their foreheads, just like an ox, and wearing loincloths made of tiger skin.


Gentle on the inside


oni

Oni are thought to be very powerful and fearsome ogres that can snatch people away from their families. But they sometimes use their strength to help people in need. They may look tough and mean, but they can also have a gentle heart. In a way, this makes them very human. Their terrifying appearance is actually used to protect people from evil.


Invisible power


Long, long ago, when most people in Japan lived in mountain or seaside villages, nature was a very powerful presence. Storms or other natural disasters could be very deadly. People lived in fear of these powerful forces of nature and other harmful events that could not be seen, which they regarded as being oni. There is a mention of oni in one of Japan's oldest history books, Nihon Shoki, which was written more than 1,200 years ago.

Visiting the "Oni Castle" (Kinojo)


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In the town of Soja in Kibi Province (present-day Okayama Prefecture) stands a castle called Kinojo that was first built more than 1,000 years ago. It was believed to have been inhabited by oni, and the castle, which has largely been rebuilt, still stands there today.


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It stands atop a 400-meter-high hill. Climbing up a steep mountain path takes you to a 2.8-kilometer stone wall surrounding the castle. There are four gates, one each in the east, west, south, and north, and the remains of buildings that are believed to have been storehouses for food and weapons also stand there.


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The view from the top of the hill is breathtaking. You can see not only the Seto Inland Sea down below but also across the sea to the island of Shikoku.


This part of the country is famous as the setting for the popular folktale about how Momotaro, or the Peach Boy, slays oni who were causing people much hardship:


Once upon a time there lived an old man and woman. When the old woman went to the stream to wash clothes, she noticed a large peach floating downstream. From inside the peach a baby boy was born. The boy was named Momotaro and was raised with loving care by the old man and woman.


Momotaro grew into a strong, courageous boy, and he set out to Onigashima (Oni Island) to slay the demons that lived there. The old woman made millet dumplings for him to eat on the way. Before he reached Onigashima, he befriended a monkey, a pheasant, and a dog, who agreed to help him if Momotaro shared the dumplings with them.


This story of Momotaro defeating the ogres on Onigashima is a popular tale that everyone in Japan learns in childhood. This story is also believed to have originated in Okayama Prefecture, and local kids take pride in the fact that Momotaro hails from their region. Okayama is famous as a peach-growing area, and the Japanese word for millet, kibi, has the same pronunciation as the prefecture's old name (Kibi Province).


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Millet dumplings are a popular souvenir item in Okayama. They are made by mixing millet powder with rice, sugar, and syrup. These bite-sized, soft sweets are so good that you can't stop eating them!


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There is a museum in the city of Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, that features mechanical Momotaro dolls reenacting various episodes from the famous folktale.



The Oni Sword Dance


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Courtesy of Oni Museum

Onikenbai (oni sword dance) is a dance that has been performed in the city of Kitakami, Iwate Prefecture, in northeastern Japan for around 1,000 years.


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Courtesy of Oni Museum

It originally began as a way of offering comfort to ancestral spirits, but it was later performed by soldiers either before their departure for battle or upon their return. The onikenbai is a powerful, masculine dance. Today it is performed in and around Kitakami by dancers wearing samurai costumes, often during the Bon Festival in midsummer or at various community celebrations.


Depending on the piece being performed, there are anywhere from one to eight dancers. Dancers usually wear a long-haired wig and an oni mask that is believed to bring good fortune. Masks come in five colors - red, blue, yellow, black, and white - with the dance being centered on the one wearing the yellow mask.


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The dancers hold a fan in their right hand and wear a sword around their waist, stomping their feet and jumping up and down to the rhythm of drums, flute, and hand bells. The word kenbai is thought to derive from henbai, which means stepping firmly on the ground. The dancers stomp on the dancing area to drive out evil spirits that threaten to enter from the northeast.


Most children in Kitakami rehearse this dance from an early age and are proud of this local tradition. In this city, oni are not fearsome ogres but powerful beings that help protect local residents.

Zashiki-warashi Profile


Zashiki-warashi
"Guardian angel that watches over the house"
It's said that if a zashiki-warashi is present, the household will have plenty of money and live in prosperity.


Habitat: The back rooms of grand old houses.

May take the form of either a girl or a boy.

Age: From three to around ten years old.

Dress: White or blue kimono.


Takes pleasure in scaring people in the middle of the night and causing mischief. Loves to be in places where children congregate.


The back room, the innermost room of a house, is a special room reserved for honored guests, wedding ceremonies, and the like.
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Back room


Zashiki-warashi sightings

Many tales of sightings of zashiki-warashi have been told, mainly in Iwate Prefecture.


Zashiki-warashi

Zashiki-warashi love to cause mischief by removing the pillow from under the head of a sleeping person. They also like to surprise people by laying cold hands on their faces and climbing on top of them while they're sleeping. When people catch sight of them, it's said, they smile sweetly and run away.


Zashiki-warashi

The zashiki-warashi makes noises like papers rattling, bites peoples noses, makes various sounds, and thrusts its long, thin arms though openings in sliding doors, reaching out several feet. It also drops teacups and chopsticks from the ceiling.


Forms taken by zashiki-warashi


Zashiki-warashi usually appear as children, but sometimes they also take the form of a black beast about 40 centimeters tall, frolicking and crawling along the floor. It's said they also appear as points of light or silhouettes on sliding screens.


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Shobuke Miya

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Many old folktales are told in the northeastern part of Japan, especially in the city of Tono in Iwate Prefecture. The pastime of storytelling is handed down from parents to their children. There are many kinds of stories, some dealing with kappa, some involving gods. There's a group of storytellers in Tono who share these old stories. One member of the group is Shobuke Miya, who grew up hearing these kinds of stories from her own father, a storyteller himself, and now knows more than 200 such tales.






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