Kamaitachi
Kamaitachi(Liêm dứu)is a Japaneseyōkaifrom the oral tradition of theKōshin'etsu region.It can also refer to the strange events that this creature causes.
They appear riding ondust devilsand cut people using theirsickle-like front claws, delivering sharp, painless wounds. The name is a combination of the wordskama(sickle), anditachi(weasel).
Origin
[edit]The name was originally thought to be a corruption of the wordkamae tachi( "stance sword" ), but like the kyūki in the "Yin" part ofToriyama Sekien'sGazu Hyakki Yagyō,they were thus[how?]re-used and depicted as aweaselyōkai, eventually becoming established as the yōkai it is now.[citation needed]In the "Mimibukuro" byNegishi Shizumorias well, children in the estate called Kagaya inEdowere enveloped by a whirlwind. Footsteps of a beast remained on the surface of their backs and it was written that this was the proof of akamae tachi(Cấu thái đao).[1]As a beast with fur like that of ahedgehogand a cry like that of adogwhich flies through the air with wings, they are said to attack people with limbs like that of asickleorrazor.[2]
Legends by area
[edit]Devilish winds that cut people are spoken of in theChūbu,Kinki,and other regions. There are many similar legends passed down in snowy regions and there are some regions where whirlwinds themselves are called "kamaitachi". On occasions of cold wind and other times, it can happen that one would fall and get an inexplicable leg injury.
In the Shin'etsu region, a kamaitachi is said to be the work of an evil god and there is a folk belief that one would encounter calamity by stepping on a calendar. It is counted among theseven mysteries of Echigo.
In theTōhokuregion, when one receives an injury from a kamaitachi, it is said that by burning an old calendar black and putting it on the wound, this would heal.[3]
InHida,in theNiu Riverbasin, they are said in legends to be a company of three evil gods. The first god would knock down the person, the next god would cut them with a blade, and the third god would put some medicine on it, which is why there is no bleeding or pain. There are also regions that think of these three gods as a parent, child and brother.
In the Yoshio District area of theNara Prefecture,it is said that when one gets bit by a kamaitachi invisible to the human eye, one would tumble over; even though no blood comes out, there is a big opening in the flesh.
In the eastern part ofAichi Prefecture,they are also calledidzuna(Phạn cương) and it is said that since an izuna-user once forgot to tell his disciple how to seal an izuna, the runaway izuna would ride on whirlwinds and attack people in order to suck their living blood.[4]It is said that the reason why no blood comes from the wounds from a kamaitachi is because the blood is being sucked away.[5]
In the mountainous regions ofKōchi PrefectureandTokushima Prefectureamong other areas ofWest Japan,encountering such a strange event is called "being cut by anogama(Dã liêm,"wild sickle" ) "and they are said to be caused by grass-cutting sickles that have been left and forgotten in fields and have ended up turning into yōkai.[6]They are also said to be a sickle's vengeful spirit (onryō) that has turned it into atsukumogami(a receptacle that has turned into yōkai).[2]In theIya region,Tokushima Prefecture,it is said that sickles andhoesused for digging the grave for a funeral, if left out for seven days, turn into a nogama, and when one encounters a nogama, it is said that one should chant, "beneath the feet on the bottom-left of Buddha, is the stump of a kurotake [a species of bamboo], and quickly became clean, but let it grow back (hotoke no hidari no shita no omiashi no shita no, kurotake no kirikabu nari, itau wa nakare, hayaku routa ga, haekisaru)."[7]
InEast Japan,they are also said to be the work of amantisorlonghorn beetle's ghost.[8]In the town ofKatakai,Santō District,Niigata Prefecture,in a place called "Kamakiri-zaka" (Liêm thiết bảnorĐang lang bản), after a giant mantis that once lived there was crushed to death by heavy snow, it is said that when one falls over on the hill, because of the mantis' curse, one would receive a wound as if one was cut by a sickle, result in one suffering from black blood flowing out.[3][9]
In the western parts of Japan, kamaitachi are calledkazakama(Phong liêm,"wind sickle" ) and said to slice off people's skins. There is no pain the instant after it is scraped off, but after a while an unbearable pain and bleeding would start to occur. It is said that one could protect against this by obtaining an old calendar in one's hand.[10]
There are tales of encountering these not only outdoors but also indoors. In Edo, there are tales of women who attempted to do their business in a bathroom inYotsuyaand men who attempted put on agetainUshigomewho encountered kamaitachi.[10]InŌme,there is a story where a certain woman had her lover stolen by another woman, whom she greatly resented. When she cut her own hair, that hair became a kamaitachi and decapitated her rival with a single stroke.[11]In this way, the legends of the kamaitachi in these various areas represent the same phenomena, but what their true identity is thought to be is not uniform.[3]
Writings in old literature
[edit]In theEdo period,in the essay "Sōzan Chomon Kishū (Tưởng sơn trứ văn kỳ tập) "byMiyoshi Shōzan,a feudal warrior of Owari, it is said that the wounds from a kamaitachi does not result in pain or bleeding at first, but afterwards causes intense pain and great amounts of bleeding, so much that sometimes even the bones can be seen from the wound opening, and there is even a risk of death. Since these wounds are often received on the lower part of the body, it also states that a kamaitachi cannot jump higher than about 1 shaku (about 30 centimeters). Also according to Miyoshi Shōzan, as kamaitachi live in puddles after rain, it is said that there are those who played in puddles and those who cross rivers who encountered kamaitachi.[12]
In theHokuriku region,according to the collection of fantastic stories, theHokuetsu Kidan,a kamaitachi is a wound resulting from touching the blade of a dreadful god.[3]
In theKokon Hyaku Monogatari Hyōbanfrom the Edo period, it states: "people of the capital and those of true samurai families are not affected by this evil (Đô がたの nhân または danh tự なる thị にはこの tai ひなく hầu )."[citation needed]If one encounters a kamaitachi, since there are medics who are familiar with this, they would rub some medicine on the wound, healing it so one would never die from it. In the northern parts of the country, it is cold in the shadows, weakening things. As it is cold in the northern parts of the country, cold wind blasts gather around, and the air is intensely cold. Borrowing this, these wounds are said to be caused bychimi( si mị "mountain demons" ) in mountains and valleys. It is said that the reason why people from the capital and samurai don't receive this wound is because of the principle that malice does not win against true spirit.
Similar legends
[edit]In theMusashi regionandKanagawa Prefecture,they are calledkamakaze(Liêm phong,"sickle wind" ), and inShizuoka Prefecturethey are calledakuzen-kaze(Ác toàn phong,"evil whirlwind" ).
Also, they are of a somewhat different nature, but there are also things calledtaiba-kaze(Đê mã phong,"style wind" ). There are also regions where there are legends where devilish winds inflict fatal wounds on humans.
In theToyoura District,Yamaguchi Prefecture,it is calledyama misaki(Mỹ tiếu sơn,blossom mountain), as it is a strange phenomenon that appears deep in the mountains. Here there is a demonic wind taking on the shape of a human's severed head and flying above fallen leaves like a wheel. It is said that humans who encounter this wind would get a severe fever. In Ainoshima,Hagi,its true identity is said to be ghosts that have no place to go after death and have become wind that wanders around. In the village ofRokutō,Abu District,Yamaguchi Prefecture,it is said that people who died due to cliffs or shipwrecks would becomeyama-misakieight days after death.[13]In the village of Kōchi,Hata District,Kōchi(nowShimanto), these yama-misaki are calledryōge[14]and they are considered to be the spirits of those who died through unforeseen accidents. Happening upon one of these is called "ryōge-tsuki" (being possessed by a ryōge).[15]
InAmami Ōshima,it is said that near the time ofObon,at cemetery roads and other such places, a lukewarm wind would graze by and give one a chill, and when one returns home and tries taking off one's clothing, there would be some kind of speckle on some part of the body. Before long, a high fever comes about and one would need to go to ayuta(a shaman of Okinawa, Kagoshima, or the Amami Islands) to have it exorcised.
In the village of Kuroiwa,Takaoka District,Kōchi Prefecture) (nowOchi), a devilish wind resembling the aforementioned nogama is calledmuchi( tiên, "whip" ),[16]but this is said to be a wind that blows on top of a field as if a whip was flung around. It is said that when struck by it, one falls ill.[17]InToyosama,Tosa District(nowKōchi city), muchi are said to kill horses and cattle that take along people who travel on roads at night. It is said that one protects against this by covering the eyes of the horses and cattle.[17]
See also
[edit]- Eikoh Hosoe– Japanese photographer and filmmaker who photographed a series of images with dancerTatsumi Hijikataas kamaitachi
- Kama (tool)
- List of legendary creatures from Japan
- Ramidreju– another species of mythological weasel, fromCantabrian mythology
- Weasel
References
[edit]- ^Thiên diệp càn phu biên(1995).Toàn quốc yêu quái sự điển[National specter encyclopedia].Tiểu học quán ライブラリー.Tiểu học quán.p. 65.ISBN978-4-09-460074-2.
- ^abNhân văn xã biên tập bộ (2005).Chư quốc quái đàm kỳ đàm tập thành giang hộ chư quốc bách vật ngữ đông nhật bổn biên.ものしりシリーズ. Nhân văn xã. p. 104.ISBN978-4-7959-1955-6.
- ^abcdThôn thượng kiện tư biên trứ(2000).Yêu quái sự điển[Specter encyclopedia].Mỗi nhật tân văn xã.p. 115.ISBN978-4-620-31428-0.
- ^Tảo xuyên hiếu thái lang(1974).Tiểu huyện quận dân đàm tập.Nhật bổn dân tục chí đại hệ.Vol. Đệ 5 quyển.Giác xuyên thư điếm.p. 91.ISBN978-4-04-530305-0.
- ^Đa điền khắc kỷ(1990).Huyễn tưởng thế giới の trụ nhân たち IV nhật bổn biên.Truth in fantasy.Tân kỷ nguyên xã.pp. 212–213.ISBN978-4-915146-44-2.
- ^Kinh cực hạ ngạn ・ đa điền khắc kỷ biên trứ(2000).Yêu quái đồ quyển.Quốc thư khan hành hội.pp. 181–182.ISBN978-4-336-04187-6.
- ^Yêu quái sự điển[Specter encyclopedia]. p. 263.
- ^Kinh cực hạ ngạn ・ đa điền khắc kỷ biên trứ(2008).Yêu quái họa bổn cuồng ca bách vật ngữ.Quốc thư khan hành hội.p. 294.ISBN978-4-3360-5055-7.
- ^Kim dã viên phụ biên trứ(1981).Nhật bổn quái đàm tập yêu quái thiên.Hiện đại giáo dưỡng văn khố.Xã hội tư tưởng xã.p. 24.ISBN978-4-390-11055-6.
- ^abThiên diệp càn phu(1991).Yêu quái お hóa け tạp học sự điển.Giảng đàm xã.pp. 52–53.ISBN978-4-06-205172-9.
- ^Sơn khẩu mẫn thái lang(2002).Giang hộ võ tàng dã yêu quái đồ giam.けやき xuất bản.p. 81.ISBN978-4-87751-168-5.
- ^Tam hảo tưởng sơn(1970).Tưởng sơn trứ văn kỳ tập.InCốc xuyên kiện nhất tha biên(ed.).Nhật bổn thứ dân sinh hoạt sử liêu tập thành 16.Vol.Đệ 16 quyển.Tam nhất thư phòng.pp. 41–45.ISBN978-4-380-70504-5.
- ^Anh điền thắng đức(1976).Trường môn lục đảo thôn kiến văn ký.Nhật bổn dân tục chí đại hệ.Vol. 10.Giác xuyên thư điếm.pp. 384–385.ISBN978-4-04-530310-4.
- ^Yêu quái sự điển[Specter encyclopedia]. p. 353.
- ^Yêu quái sự điển[Specter encyclopedia]. pp. 364–365.
- ^Dân tục học nghiên cứu sở biên(1977).Tổng hợp nhật bổn dân tục ngữ hối.Vol. 4 (Revised ed.).Bình phàm xã.p. 1561.
- ^abYêu quái sự điển[Specter encyclopedia]. p. 327.
- "Kamaitachi".The Obakemono Project.