The Fox's Wedding: a Compendium of Japanese Folklore

Otonjoro
almost 4 years ago – Sun, Jan 03, 2021 at 11:52:05 PM

Greetings yokai fans!

There's only a few hours left in the Kickstarter! If you're still not sure about add-ons or things like that, do not fret. The BackerKit pledge manager will open up later this month, and you will be able to add items to your order, enter your customized name credits, give me your signature/doodle requests for the collectors editions, and so on using that. I'm hoping to have shipping costs finalized by that time as well, so there may be a slight delay between the end of the Kickstarter and the opening of the pledge manager in order to sort those things out.

After today, the Kickstarter updates will continue. But they will become private, so that only Kickstarter backers can read them. So if you're still on the fence about backing and you'd like to continue reading these updates, now's the time to pledge!

Today's yokai is Otonjorō (おとん女郎), a kitsune from Inaba, Tottori Prefecture. She isn't well known outside of Inaba, but within the prefecture she is a local legend. Several kitsune stories come from this area. Together they are known as the Inaba Five Kitsune. In addition to Otonjorō, the other four are her husband Keizōbō, Shoroshoro kitsune, Onashi gitsune, and Onji no kitsune. All of them appear in The Fox's Wedding.

Otonjorō haunted a mountain pass called Tachimi tōge. She liked to disguise herself as a prostitute named Otomi and bewitch men crossing through the mountain pass. She is famous for her ability to escape capture over and over. The name Otomi jorō (Otomi the prostitute) was shortened over time into the nickname Otonjorō.

Her favorite food was deep fried rat. Legend has it that if you fried some rats and put them out for sale she was sure to come and buy one. She magically changed leaves into one sen coins, so sellers would try to rip any coins in half before accepting them. If it didn’t rip, it was a genuine coin. But if it ripped, it was a transformed leaf, and the person buying your goods was actually Otonjorō in disguise!

One night, a merchant was traveling through the Tachimi pass on his way to the castle. On the road up ahead he spotted a young woman wearing a kerchief. The merchant thought to himself that it must be the wicked Otonjorō out hunting men.

The woman called out to the merchant, “Oh merchant! Would you take me to the nearest village and help me find a man to take me as a bride?” The merchant decided to trick her before she could trick him. He would take her to his friend Jūbē’s house, where they would capture her and make her suffer. He put on his best poker face and told her to come with him.

The merchant led the woman to Jūbē’s house only to discover it was already decorated in preparation to receive a bride. It was late at night, but Jūbē’s servants welcomed him inside, and treated him with the warmest hospitality. They offered him a hot bath, which sounded just wonderful to the road-weary merchant. He soaked in the tub for some time, and eventually the sky began to lighten.

At dawn, the village’s farmers headed out into the fields. They called out, “Look at that man! He must have been bewitched by Otonjorō!” The merchant looked in the direction of the commotion, to see that they were all pointing at him! He suddenly realized he was sitting naked in a dung pot in the middle of a field, rubbing excrement into his face. The whole night had been a trick, and now he was the laughingstock of the village.

Another legend tells of a village headman who could no longer contain his anger with Otonjorō’s mischief. He called the villagers together and promised a reward to anyone who could exterminate the kitsune. A pair of braggadocious young men volunteered.

The men ventured into the mountains to look for Otonjorō. When they reached Tachimi tōge they spied a fox walking along a small river up ahead of them. They watched as the creature rubbed river mud over its body to transform into a young woman. She picked up a river stone and transformed it into a baby, which she cradled in her arms. The two men followed her all the way to a small mountain hovel which she entered.

Peering into the hovel, they saw an old man and woman gleefully cradling a baby. They burst inside and told the elderly couple that they had been bewitched by a kitsune and that the baby was a stone. No matter how much they explained, the old couple would not hear it. They kept insisting that the baby was their own grandchild.

The young men had enough. To prove the baby was just an illusion, they snatched it up from the elderly couple and dropped it into a boiling pot. The baby screamed and died. It did not not turn back into a rock. The young men were horrified. The elderly couple were furious. They tied up the young men and called for the town magistrate to come arrest them.

A priest passing by heard the couple's cries and said that he had a better idea. They should send the two men to his temple, where he would ensure they spent the rest of their lives praying for the soul of their slain grandchild. The elderly couple agreed. The young men were forced to shave their heads and live in the mountains at the priest’s temple to pray for the soul of the baby they had killed.

Several days passed, and the villagers began to worry about the two young men who hadn't returned home. They sent a search party into the mountains. Near Tachimi tōge, by a small river, they discovered the two men. Their heads were shaved and they were sitting in the river, covered in mud, bowing before a river rock and chanting the name of Buddha.

Oji no kitsune
almost 4 years ago – Sat, Jan 02, 2021 at 12:03:15 AM

Greetings yokai fans!

We're now in the final countdown of this Kickstarter, as the website has switched to showing hours left instead of days left! If you know anybody who might be interested in this Kickstarter, now is the time to share that link!

After the project ends, there will be a few days before BackerKit opens up. Once BackerKit opens, you'll be able to edit your pledges, add items, etc. You will also be able to choose the images for your yokai art prints in BackerKit, and there will be links to Google Photos galleries where you can see all of the available yokai images (400+ images). I'm still working with a few companies to find the best shipping rates, so I won't be able to give you precise shipping costs for a while longer. Thanks for your patience!

Now for another yokai!

Ōji no kitsune (王子の狐) are the kitsune of Ōji, Toyko. Today it's part of Kita Ward. Ōji is home to the Ōji Inari Shrine, which is famous for being the head shrine for all the kitsune in the Kantō Region. This is another great yokai story to share around New Years, because legend says that every year on New Year’s Eve, the kitsune of eastern Japan gather in Ōji to give thanks and make wishes for the new year.

Before the 20th century, Ōji was an area of rice paddies and farms. The visiting kitsune gathered under a huge hackberry tree by the road. The fireballs (kitsunebi) they used to light their way could be seen for miles around. Farmers and merchants in the capital would observe the lights and try to predict the coming year’s fortune. Because Inari is a god of the harvest and business, a large number of kitsune gathering at the shrine would mean a prosperous year was coming.

A famous rakugo story called Ōji no kitsune takes place in Ōji. In a reversal of the normal pattern, this time the kitsune is outfoxed by the human!

A merchant was returning home from the Ōji Inari Shrine when he witnessed a kitsune transform into a beautiful woman. The kitsune of Ōji were famous for playing tricks on people, so he looked around to see who her target would be. He was the only person around, so he thought he might be the victim. Rather than becoming her target, the merchant decided to turn the tables and play a trick on her.

He called out to the woman, “Otama! It’s me! Come, let’s have tea together at this shop!” He motioned to a nearby store, Ōgiya. The kitsune, thinking she had found her mark, followed him. The two of them entered the shop and took a seat on the second floor.

The merchant let the kitsune eat and drink order as much food and sake as she wanted. Eventually she was very drunk and full, and she fell asleep on the floor. The merchant went downstairs, ordered three dishes of tamagoyaki to go, and then told the shopkeeper that the woman upstairs would cover the bill. Then he slipped out.

A server went upstairs to wake up the sleeping woman and ask her to pay. The kitsune was so shocked that her magical disguise broke, revealing her tail and ears. The restaurant staff were as surprised as the kitsune. They chased her all around, yelling and swatting brooms at her. Somehow, the kitsune managed to escape, and ran back to her hole in the ground.

When the wait staff told Ōgiya's owner what had happened, he scolded them. “This restaurant owes its success to the Ōji Inari Shrine. How could you beat one of its kitsune?” The owner and the staff went to the shrine to apologize and pray for forgiveness.

Meanwhile, the merchant arrived at his friend’s house. As they shared the tamagoyaki, the merchant told his friend what had happened. His friend looked worried. “Kitsune are vindictive creatures. She's probably going to place a curse upon your whole family!”

The following day, the terrified merchant returned to Ōji to make amends. Near the place where he saw the kitsune the day before, a fox cub was playing near a hole in the ground. The merchant called out to the fox cub and apologized for his behavior. He left a wrapped present beside the hole as a sign of his contrition.

The cub picked up the present and dragged it into the hole. His mother was inside, sulking. He told her that a human came by to apologize and left this present. The kitsune was skeptical but she opened the box carefully. It was filled with botamochi–rice cakes covered with brown, mashed sweet beans.

“They look delicious mom! Can we eat them?” asked the cub.

The kitsune looked worried, “No. Humans are vindictive creatures. That’s probably horse shit!”

Chochinbi
almost 4 years ago – Fri, Jan 01, 2021 at 10:49:11 PM

Greetings yokai fans!

Today is the final day of 2020. Here in Fukui the snow is coming down hard. We're expected to get about 80 cm of snow overnight, so we are preparing to bunk down and enjoy a traditional Japanese New Years of drinking in front of the TV, eating toshikoshi soba, and then ozoni for breakfast on New Years Day.

New Year's in Japan has something of a magical feeling to it. At midnight, all of the temples ring their bells out 108 times, and here in the countryside the sound reverbs off the mountains. The air rings with the bass notes of distant temples, and when the snow falling like it is now, it's truly a numinous experience. When I get that feeling, I often wonder if that's what people felt hundreds of years ago when they encountered a phenomenon they couldn't explain. For example, today's yokai: chōchinbi.

Chōchinbi (提灯火) are strange orbs of fire which appear on the footpaths separating the rice paddies in rural villages. They hover in the air a few feet above the ground, at about the same height and brightness as a handheld paper lantern, or chōchin, from which they get their name. The presence of chōchinbi is a sign that yōkai are close by.

Chōchinbi drift about lazily, often form long rows of dozens of lights, one after another, resembling a string of lightbulbs. Occasionally they drift together and form spectral shapes that can trick people. Sometimes they are seen traveling long distances from graveyard to graveyard. If a human gets too close, they suddenly vanish without a trace.

Chōchinbi are frequently said to be the work of kitsune, who use the magical fire to light their processions in the dark. They are also sometimes attributed to other yōkai such as tanuki or mujina. While chōchinbi are visually similar to other types of magical fireballs, their distinguishing feature is their similarity to portable lanterns.

In Nara Prefecture, these lights are called Koemonbi (“Koemon fire”). Long ago, a man named Koemon tried to investigate a string of strange lantern lights that frequently appeared along the riverbank on rainy nights. As he approached the lights, a fireball shot over his head and startled him. Koemon struck the fireball with his stick, and the flame broke up into several hundred smaller flames which surrounded him. Koemon ran home in terror. That night he came down with a terrible fever. Within a few days, he was dead. After that, the villagers began to call the strange lantern lights which appeared along the riverside Koemonbi.

Kidomaru
almost 4 years ago – Fri, Jan 01, 2021 at 10:14:00 PM

Happy New Year, everybody! Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu!

I always like to start the new year with a yokai themed with the year's zodiacal animal. 2021 marks the Year of the Cow, so here is a cow yokai for you, straight from The Fox's Wedding!

Kidōmaru (鬼童丸) was the son of Shuten dōji, the greatest oni that ever lived. He is known for his attempts to avenge his father’s death. (Shuten dōji appears in The Hour of Meeting Evil Spirits, for those interested in his story!)

Kidōmaru was born after the legendary samurai Raikō (aka Minamoto no Yorimitsu) and his party of heroes defeated Shuten dōji’s gang and freed their captured women. Most of the women were grateful to the samurai for rescuing them and returned to their villages. However, one of the women did not return home. She traveled to Kumohara and gave birth to a baby oni: Shuten dōji’s son.

The boy was called Kidōmaru. He was born with a full set of teeth and an oni’s strength. By the time he was 7 or 8 years old he could slay a deer or a boar by throwing a single rock at it. Like his father, he was apprenticed as a temple servant at Mt. Hiei. And like his father, he was eventually expelled from the temple for being a wicked, wretched little boy. He fled to the mountains and took up residence in a cave, robbing travelers to survive. He studied magic and honed his powers in his secret hideout.

After years of terrorizing the mountain roads, Kidōmaru was subdued and captured by Minamoto no Yorinobu, Raikō’s younger brother. Yorinobu locked the oni in an outhouse and called for Raikō. Raikō scolded Yorinobu's carelessness at not securing Kidōmaru in ropes and chains. He showed Yorinobu the proper way to tie up an oni. Raikō stayed the night to make sure Kidōmaru did not escape.

But Kidōmaru was strong. He easily broke the bonds that were holding him. He wanted revenge upon the man who had killed his father. He snuck up to Raikō's door and spied on him. But Raikō noticed this. He decided to lay a trap. In a loud voice he told his attendants that the following morning they would ride to Mount Kurama to make a pilgrimage.

Kidōmaru ran ahead to Kurama to set an ambush for Raikō. On the road outside of Ichiharano, Kidōmaru slaughtered a cow and climbed inside of its body to hide. But Raikō was expecting a trap. When he arrived at Ichiharano, he easily saw through Kidōmaru’s disguise. Raikō’s best archer, Watanabe no Tsuna, fired an arrow through the cow’s body. Wounded, Kidōmaru emerged from the cow’s skin and charged at Raikō with all of his might. But Raikō was faster than Kidōmaru. He cut the oni down with a single strike, ending Shuten dōji’s line.

Okay, so the cow connection is a little weak! But I hope you all have a wonderful New Year's!

Mikari baba
almost 4 years ago – Wed, Dec 30, 2020 at 12:22:35 AM

Greetings yokai lovers!

I'd like to share another seasonal yokai today. With New Year's coming up, it's a good chance to talk about some Japanese New Years traditions and superstitions. New Year's is a bit different in Japan than it is in the west. It's a time for family members to gather together, with a huge portion of the country traveling from the cities back to their hometowns to stay with family. It's also a religious holiday, with all kinds of ritual and tradition entwined in the customary activities. Naturally, there are lots of yokai associated with New Year's!

Mikari baba (箕借り婆) is one such yokai. She is a greedy old woman missing one eye. She wears a dilapidated old straw hat and coat, and carries a flaming torch in her mouth. She from house to house like a beggar, asking to borrow a coat, or a winnowing basket, or even just a few grains of rice. She is so greedy that she scours gardens for every single last grain of rice. In doing so she puts her face so close to the ground that the torch she carries in her mouth can start fires. If you're not careful, she might even try to “borrow” an eye from your head!

Mikari baba appears on fixed dates during the year. The dates vary from tradition to tradition, but usually fall on the eighth day of the second or twelfth month of the lunisolar calendar. These dates are rooted in ancient religious practices surrounding New Year's rituals, and are referred to as kotoyōka–"eighth day events."

In Chiba, Kanagawa, Tōkyō and other places where mikari baba appears, villagers stay at home and remain quiet on these days. Loud voices, lighting lamps, hairdressing, and bathing are avoided. Leaving the house after dark and entering the mountains are forbidden. Measures are taken to discourage mikari baba from approaching the house. Fallen grains of rice on the floor and in the gardens are gathered and made into a dango, which is then placed in the doorway to show that there is no rice left to pick up. If even a single grain of rice is left on the ground, it will attract a greedy mikari baba.

One-eyed yōkai like mikari baba usually hate objects that have lots of holes in them. This includes things like bamboo sieves and woven cages. The holes resemble many eyes, and mikari baba with her single eye is afraid or jealous of them. Bamboo baskets, sieves, and other woven objects with many “eyes” in them are hung outside of houses or placed on tall bamboo poles throughout villages in order to scare mikari baba away.

The kanji in mikari baba’s name literally mean “winnowing basket borrowing hag.” This is likely a folk etymology that was invented after she was named. The word mikari has an older meaning, referring to a period of fasting or purification before ancient religious ceremonies. It was believed that yōkai were more likely to appear before religious festivals. People stayed at home and refrained from work and normal activities prior to festivals. This period of quiet isolation was called mikari or mikawari (“changing one’s self”), referring to the interruption of regular daily life in preparation for religious festivities. Because it was forbidden for people to be outside during the mikari period, any person coming to your house was sure to be a yōkai. Mikari baba was the name given to one of these yōkai, and her story and the kanji for her name were probably added later.