Here there be monsters, part II

This post is a follow-up on the previous instalment about apparitions, mainly from Japanese folklore. The original post can be found here.

As we learned, yokai is the generic term for spirits and apparitions, but we introduced a niche group of yokais, the Tsukumogami. Tsukumogamis are born from neglected household items, abused and thrown away. Some are harmless, some are evil, some you hope not to meet at all.

We have met the cute and mischievous Bakezōri, the creepy yet harmless Kasa-obake and the malicious Ittan-momen, that flies around and looks to strangle people that have caught his eye.

Today, we'll move on and meet a few new yokais. The first one, although scary and definitely not a sight for the sore eyes, is actually harmless.

Meet Shirime

_{An illustration of Shirime from a 18th century japanese poet, Yosa Buson}

Shirime is quite human-like in form, but has no facial features and has only one giant eye between his buttocks. He lurks upon the lonely travellers late at night and scares them.

First encounter with a Shirime was on a road to Kyoto, when a samurai travelling alone heard someone calling out for him. As he searched in the darkness for the caller, a hooded figure appeared. When the samurai turned to the hooded figure to introduce himself, the apparition suddenly dropped his kimono, turned and spreading it's buttcheeks, produced a giant watching eye. The samurai of course, now owns the record of being the fastest runner ever :)

Luckily, the Shirime just get off on scaring people, they have no other evil intentions and a weary traveller meeting one should just ignore them. Or start clicking photos.

But there are other yokais, that are not as harmless. Lets get acquainted with the Rokurokubi.

_{Depiction of a rokurokubi from an 18th century japanese painter Sawaki Suushi, via thaoworra.blogspot.com}

So who is a rokurokubi? There are actually two types - one, who's necks extend an insane amount while they sleep, enough for the heads to go looking for trouble elsewhere and second type, who's heads just snap off, the nukekubi.

The nukekubi, the head-comes-off type, is rumored to attack people and drink their blood. If a nukekubi's body is moved, while the head is floating, the head cannot reattach itself, so it might stay in limbo forever, floating and looking for victims.

The other kind of Rokurokubi, with the stretchy necks, often don't even know that they are one. Their necks stretch at night when they are sleeping, to create mischief around, it's also rumored they like to lick oil from oil lamps. As oil lamps are not that common these days, you might check your olive oil supplies.

The rokurokubi are not usually born this way, but mostly turned into one, due to some bad deeds, a curse or karma befalling them.

_{img credz: pixabay.com}

There. You have been introduced to 2 new apparitions today. Hope your meetings with them don't turn sour. While they mostly come out of japanese folklore, there must be some kind of truth to them, right?

Don't let the bedbugs bite ;)

Materials:

yokai.com
Wikipedia
monstersherethere.com

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