Y?kai

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Y? kai ( ?? , phantom , phantom , sightings strange ) is a class of supernatural monster, spirit, and devil in Japanese folklore. The word y? Kai consists of kanji for "bewitching, pulling, doom"; and "the specter, the appearance, the mystery, the suspicious". They can also be called ayakashi ( ???? ) , mononoke ( ??? ) , or mamono ( ?? ) . Y? kai varies from bad to naughty, or sometimes brings good luck to those who meet them. Often they have animal features (like kappa , similar to a tortoise, or winged ), other times they can appear mostly humans, some look like objects dead and others have no visible shape. Y? kai usually have spiritual or supernatural powers, by changing form into one of the most common. Y? kai that has the ability to change shape is called bakemono (??)/obake (???) .

Folklorists of Japan and historians use y? Kai as "a supernatural or unaccountable phenomenon to their informants". In the Edo period, many artists, such as Toriyama Sekien, created y? Kai inspired by folklore or their own ideas, and in the present, some y? Kai created by them (eg Kameosa and Amikiri, see below) are mistakenly regarded as legendary origins.

Video Y?kai

Drafts

What is regarded as "supernatural" depends on the period of time; but generally, the older the time period, the more various phenomena are considered supernatural in character or cause.

According to Japanese ideas about animism, entities such as the spirit called (among other things) mononoke are believed to be in every way. Such spirits have emotions and personality. If the spirit is at peace, it is nigi-mitama , bringing good fortune - like an abundant harvest. Cruel spirits, myths, bring bad luck - including diseases and natural disasters. A well-respected ancestor and a respected parent can be considered nigi-mitama , gaining status as a patron deity and receiving worship. Animals, objects and features of nature or phenomena are also glorified as nigi-mitama or propped up as ara-mitama - depending on the region.

The ritual of converting the myths into nigi-mitama is called chinkon ("soothing spirits"). Chinkon ritual is performed to quench the evil spirit, prevent bad luck and reduce the fear of unexplained events and circumstances. Figures that fail to attain deification due to lack of adoration, or who lose their divinity after the congregation's attendance becomes y? kai .

Over time, the supernatural things become less and less. Meanwhile, the depiction of yokai in emaki and painting began to be standardized, turned into a caricature and softened their frightening nature. Elements of the yokai tales are getting mined for public entertainment. The use of yokai in popular media began in the early Middle Ages. However, the mythology and knowledge of the became more clear and formalized during the Edo period and thereafter.

Type

Tsutomu Ema folktales study the literature and paintings depicting yokai and henge (??, or "mutants") and divide them into categories, as presented in > Nihon Yokai Henge Shi and Obake no Rekishi .

• Five categories based on yokai's "true form": human, animal, plant, object, or natural phenomenon.
• The four categories depend on the source of mutations: related to this world, related to the spiritual/mental, reincarnation/related to the next world, or related material.
• Seven categories based on external appearance: humans, animals, plants, artifacts, structures/buildings, objects or natural phenomena, and all sorts - and the combined classification for fall into more than one category.

In traditional Japanese folkloristics, yokai are classified (not unlike the Greek mythology nymphs) based on the location or phenomena associated with its manifestations. Yokai indexed in the book Sogo Nihon Minzoku Goi (????????, "Dictionary Complete Folklore Japan") as follows:

• Yama no to (mountain), michi no to (path), ki no to (tree), mizu no to (water), umi no to (sea), yuki no to (snow), autoto to (voice), doubutsu no to (animals, real or imaginary)

Maps Y?kai

History

Ancient history

• First century: there is a book of what is now titled China ??? with the statement "the specter (yokai) was in the imperial palace for a long time.The king asked Tui for his reasons He replied that there was great anxiety and he gave a recommendation to empty the imperial chamber" (????? ) ???? ??????????), so use "??" means "a phenomenon that transcends human knowledge."
• Houki 8 (772): in Shoku Nihongi, there is a statement "purification of shinto is done because the yokai appear very often in the imperial palace, (????????????????)," using the word "yokai" to mean nothing in particular, but strange phenomena in general.
• Middle Heian era (794-1185/1192): In The Pillow Book by Sei Sh? nagon, there is a statement "there is a tenacious mononoke (???????????????)" as well as a statement by Murasaki Shikibu that "mononoke has become very horrible (?????????? ?????), "which is the first appearance of the word" mononoke. "
• Koubu 3 (1370): At Taiheiki, in the fifth volume, there is a statement, "Sagami no Nyudo is not at all afraid of the yokai."

Ancient times were an abundance of periods in literature and folklore that mentions and explains the yokai . Literature such as Kojiki, Nihon Shoki, and various Fudoki describe the legends of the ancient past, and mention oni , orochi , among other mysterious phenomena already to be seen in them. In the Heian period, the collection of stories about yokai and other supernatural phenomena was published in several volumes, beginning with publications such as Nihon Ry? Iki and Konjaku Monogatarish ?, and in this publication, mention phenomena such as Hyakki Yagy? can be seen. The yokai that appears in this literature is passed on to the next generation. However, although the literature mentions and explains these yokai , they have never been given any visual imagery. In Buddhist paintings such as the Hell Scroll (National Museum of Nara), dating from the later Heian period, there is a visual expression of the idea of ​​ oni , but the actual visual depictions will only come later in the middle of age, from the Kamakura period and beyond.

Yamata no Orochi was originally a local god but turned into a yokai killed by Susanoo. Yasaburo was originally a bandit whose revenge (onryo) turned into a poisonous snake after death and poured water in the fields, but eventually became deified as the "god of wisdom from the well". ). "Kappa and inugami are sometimes treated as gods in one area and yokai in other areas." From these examples, it can be seen that among the gods - Japanese god, there are some creatures that can go from god to yokai and vice versa.

Post-classical history

Medieval Japan is a period of time where publications such as Emakimono , Otogiz? Shi , and other visual imagery yokai begin to appear. Although there are religious publications like Jisha Engi (????), others, like Otogiz? Shi , is meant more for entertainment, starting a trend where yokai is becoming more and more seen as an entertainment subject. For example, the story of the killing of yokai can be said to be the result of emphasizing the superior status of human society over yokai . Publications include:

• Ooe-yama Shuten-doji Emaki (about an oni ), the Zegaibou Emaki (about a tengu ), < i> Tawara no Touta Emaki (?????) (about giant snakes and centipedes), Tsuchigumo Zoshi (?????) (about Tsuchigumo ), and Dojo-ji Engi Emaki (about a giant snake). This emaki is about yokai coming from the older period.
• Kitano Tenjin Engi Emaki , in which Sugawara no Michizane is a lightning god who takes the form of oni , and though attacking people after doing this, he is still deified as a god in the end.
• The Junirui Emaki , Tamamono Soshi , (both about Tamamo-no-Mae), and Fujibukuro Soushi Emaki (about monkeys). emaki This tells the yokai animal mutation.
• The Tsukumogami Emaki , which tells a fairy tale about throwing away the less valuable objects that come to have the spirits in it plotting evil deeds against humans, and finally being released and sent to peace.
• The Hyakki Yagy? Emaki , which describes the various types of yokai all lined up together

In this way, the yokai mentioned only in writing is given a visual appearance in the middle ages. At Otogiz? Shi, a familiar tale like Urashima Tar? and Issun-b? shi also appeared.

The next major change in yokai comes after the period of belligerent countries, in the Edo period.

Modern history

Edo Period

• Enp? 6 (1677): Publication of Shokoku Hyakumonogatari, a collection of fairy tales about various monsters.
• H? ei 6 (1706): Publication of Hyakumonogatari Otogi. In volumes such as "Miyazu no Ayakashi" (volume 1) and "Unpin no Yokai" (volume 4), a collection of fairy tales that appeared to be from China was adapted into Japanese settings.
• Sh? toku 2 (1712): Wakan Sansai Zue Publication by Terajima Ry? , a collection of fairy tales based on Sancai Tuhui of China.
• Sh? to me 6 (1716): In the special dictionary Sesetsu Kojien (?????), there is an entry in yokai , which states, "among the commoners in my community, there are many types of kaiji (mysterious phenomena), often mispronounced by ordinary people as 'kechi.' The types include civets, foxes, rat rushing, chicken awakening, bird calls, bird droppings in clothing, and sounds similar to voices coming from pots and bottles. which appears in Sh? seiroku , their expulsion method is viewable, so it should serve as a basis "
• Tenmei 8 (1788): Publication of Bakemono chakutocho by Masayoshi Kitao. This is the diagram book of kibyoshi from yokai, but it begins with the statement "it can be said that the so-called yokai in our society is a representation of our feelings arising from fear" ( ??????????????????????...), and already in this era, while yokai is being researched, it shows that there are people who questioned whether the yokai really existed or not.

It was in this era that printing and publishing technology first began to be widely used, publishing culture flourished, and was often the subject of kibyoshi and other publications.

As a result, kashi-hon stores that handle such books spread and became widely used, making the impression of the general public for every yokai improved, spreading throughout Japan. For example, prior to the Edo period, there are many interpretations of what yokai are classified as kappa , "but because of books and publications, the notion of kappa with what is now a modern idea of ​​kappa. Also, including other types of publications, in addition to yokai born from the folk legend, there are also many found yokai that was created through a game of words or words, and Gazu Hyakki Hagyo by Sekien Toriyama is one such example.Also, when Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai became popular in the Edo period, it was thought that one of the reasons for the emergence of yokai is a request to entertain ghost stories about yokai that have never been heard before, resulting in some mock-ups only for the purpose of telling entertaining stories, and kasa-obake and t? fu-koz? is a well-known example of this.

They are also often depicted in ukiyo-e , and there are artists who have drawn famous yokai such as Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Yoshitoshi, Kawanabe Ky? Sai, and Hokusai, and there is also Hyakki Yagy? books made by artist Kan? school.

In this period, toys and games like karuta , sugoroku , pog often use yokai as characters. Thus, with the development of publishing culture, the precious depictions of temples and shrines can become more familiar to people, and it is thought that this is the reason even though > yokai initially is a thing to be feared, they then become characters that people feel close to it.

Meiji Period

• Meiji 24 (1891): Publication of Seiyou Youkai Kidan by Shibue Tamotsu. It introduces folk tales from Europe, such as Grimm Tales.
• Meiji 29 (1896): Publications by Inoue Enry? by Younigaku Kogi Publications
• Meiji 33 (1900): Kabuki show Yami no Ume Hyakumonogatari in Kabuki-za in January. It is a show featuring many yokai like ippon ashi , skeleton, yuki-onna , okasabe-hime , among others. Onoe Kikugor? V plays many roles from this, such as okasabe-hime .
• Taish? 3 (1914): Publication of Shokubutsu Kaiko by Mitsutaro Shirai. Shirai explained about the plant yokai from the point of view of plant pathologists and plant experts.

With the Meiji Restoration, Western ideas and western literary translations began to influence, and western stories were highly sought after. Things like binbogami , yakubyogami , and shinigami are discussed, and shinigami are even described in the classical language rakugo , and even though shinigami is misunderstood as a kind of Japanese yokai or we , they actually become famous among the people through rakugo called "Shinigami" in San'y? tei Ench?, which is the adoption of European stories such as the Grimm tales of "Godfather Death" and the Italian opera "Crispino" (1850). Also, in Meiji 41 (1908), Ky? Ka Izumi and Tobari Chikufuu jointed translate Gerhart Hauptmann's play The Sunken Bell. Then the works of Ky? Ka like Yasha ga Ike is influenced by The Sunken Bell , and so it can be seen that the folk tales coming from the West are adapted to Japanese tales of the yokai.

Sh? wa period

Since yokai are introduced in various types of media, they have become famous among the old, the young, the men and women. The kamishibai from prewar, and the manga industry , as well as the cashi-hon shops continued to exist until about Showa 40 (1970s) , as well as television contribute to public knowledge and familiarity with yokai . Yokai plays a role in attracting local tourism revitalization, such as the places depicted in Tono Monogatari such as Tono, Iwate, Iwate Prefecture and Tottori Prefecture, which is the birthplace of Shigeru Mizuki. In Kyoto, there is a shop called Yokaido, which has been renovated machiya (traditional Kyoto-style house), and the owner provides a guided tour of yokai in Kyoto.

In this way, yokai is told about legends in various forms, but the traditional oral storytellers by elders and older people are rare, and the unique situation of the region and the background in oral narration is not easily conveyed. For example, the classical yokai represented by tsukumogami can only be perceived as realistic by living close to nature, as with tanuki (Japanese dog racoon) , foxes and civets. Furthermore, in the periphery, and other areas, even when living in primary sector environments, there are tools that are no longer visible, such as ink stones, kama (large cooking pots), or tsurube (buckets used to get water from wells), and there are yokai that reminiscent of old lifestyles such as azukiarai and dorotabo . Consequently, even for those born in the first decade of the Showa period (1925-1935), except for some who were evacuated to the countryside, they would feel that the things that became yokai were "unfamiliar" were "not understandable. "For example, in classical Rugugo, even though people understand the words and what they mean, they can not imagine them as realistic. Thus, the modernization of society has had a negative effect on the yokai spot in classical Japanese culture.

On the other hand, the yokai introduced through the mass media is not limited to those from classical sources such as folklore, and as in the Edo period, new fiction yokai continues to be created, such as frightening school stories and other urban legends such as kuchisake-onna and Hanako-san , giving birth to the new yokai . From 1975 onwards, beginning with the popularity of kuchisake-onna, this urban legend began to be referred to in the mass media as "modern ." This terminology is also used in recent publications relating to urban legends, and researchers on the yokai, Bintar? Yamaguchi, often uses this.

During the 1970s, numerous books were published that introduced yokai through encyclopedias, pictorial reference books, and dictionaries as part of children's horror books, but together with yokai derived from classics such as folklore, kaidan , and essays, have been shown by modern research that there are some mixtures that do not originate from the classics, but are just made. Some notable examples of this are gashadokuro and jubokko . For example, Arifumi Sato is known as the creator of modern yokai , and Shigeru Mizuki, a manga artist for yokai , in a paper on research on yokai > i>, indicates that a newly created yokai exists, and Mizuki himself, via GeGeGe no Kitaro , creates about 30 new yukai. There is a lot of criticism that the classical mixing of yokai with the newly created yokai makes the light of tradition and legend. However, since there are already people from the Edo period like Sekien Toriyama who created many new yokai , there is also the notion that it makes no sense to criticize modern creations without doing the same for classical creations as well. In addition, there is a favorable view which says that introducing various yokai characters through these books fosters the creativity and emotional development of young readers of the time.

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In media

Various kinds of y? Kai is found in folklore and art and literature inspired by folklore.

Famous works and authors

• The Gazu Hyakki Yagy? by ukiyo-e artist Toriyama Sekien (1712-1788)
• The Ugetsu Monogatari by author Ueda Akinari (1734-1809)
• Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things , a collection of Japanese ghost stories by Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904) including the story of y? rei and y? kai like Yuki-onna , and is one of the first Western publications of its kind.
• Castle Tower by author Ky? ka Izumi (1873-1939)
• GeGeGe no Kitaro and Kappa no Sanpei among other works by manga artist Shigeru Mizuki (1922-2015), still yai kai in the popular imagination.
• Shabake by author Megumi Hatakenaka (1959-)
• The Wicked and the Damned: One Hundred Karma Story by Natsuhiko Kyogoku (1963 -)

More popular work focusing on y? Kai includes the series Nurarihyon no Mago , Yu Yu Hakusho , Inuyasha: A Feudal Tale , Yo-kai Watch and the 1960 movie series Yokai Monsters, which was remade loosely in 2005 as Takashi Miike The Great Yokai War . They often play a major role in Japanese fiction.

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See also

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References

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Further reading

• Ballaster, R. (2005). Oriental tales , Oxford University Press.
• Hearn, L. (2005). Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things , Tuttle Publishing.
• Komatsu, K. (2017). Introduction to Yai kai Culture: Monsters, Ghosts, and Outsiders in Japanese History , Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture.
• Phillip, N. (2000). Annotated Myths & amp; Legend , Covent Garden Books.
• Tyler, R. (2002). Japanese Tales (Pantheon Fairy Tale & Folklore Library), Random House, ISBN 978-0-3757-1451-1.
• Yoda, H. and Alt, M. (2012). Yokai Attack! , Tuttle Publishing, ISBN 978-4-8053-1219-3.
• Meyer, M. (2012). Hundred Hundred Ghost Night Parade , ISBN 978-0-9852-1840-9.
• (in German) Fujimoto, Nicole. " YÃÆ'Â'kai und das Spiel mit Fiktion in der edozeitlichen Bildheftliterature" ("(Archive). Nachrichten der Gesellschaft fÃÆ'¼r Natur- und VÃÆ'¶lkerkunde Ostasiens (NOAG), University from Hamburg, Volume 78, Issues 183-184 (2008), p.Ã, 93-104.

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External links

• Youkai and Kaidan (PDF; 1.1Ã, MB)
• Tales of Ghostly Japan
• Hyakumonogatari.com translates the yokai story from Hyakumonogatari.com
• Images of Ooishi Hyoroku Monogatari Scroll
• Image data base Weird Phenomenon and Yokai (Horrible Creatures)
• Yokai.com is an illustrative database of y? kai and ghost

Source of the article : Wikipedia