The Yokai
Creature of Oyashiman Folk Lore
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妖怪
"Strange Apparition"
Demons and Spirits, fickle in nature. Wrathful or Benevolent, always a trickster.
Each legend describes creatures of little relation to each other, but all expressing some degree of shape shifting and the ability to appear anywhere.
Chōchin'obake - "Paper Lantern Ghost"
Its said all things have a soul and objects that have aged 100 years may evolve into Yokai. The Paper Lantern Ghost is a trickster that aims to morph into a head, opening its eyes and sticking out its tongue to scare unwitting passers by.
Kuchisake-onna - "Slit-Mouthed Woman"
The wrathful spirit of an adulterous woman. She grew lonely while her husband, a samurai, was away at war and began sleeping around. Upon his return and discovery of such acts the samurai flew into a rage, punishing his wife by cutting her mouth open ear to ear. After her death she is said to have returned as a vengeful spirit that approaches her victims in the night. She will ask "Am I beautiful?" And if you answer "No," you will die. If you answer "Yes," she will then reveal her true form and ask "How about now?"
If you answer "No," you will die. If you answer "Yes," she will slit your mouth ear to ear.
The clever may survive encounters with her, some creative ways including stating that you are very busy and lack the time to answer, giving a vague answer and running before she can attack, or giving hard candies.
Nekomata - Cat Demon
Elder house cats that were supposed to have died due to neglectful owners, instead there elder soul evolving demonically. They live deep in the woods, shape shifting into the form of descendants to deceive and eat them.
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Biwa hōshi - Lute priest.
An elder traveling priest played folk songs on her Biwa rambled stories detailing legend about various Yokai. Her stories explained each one commonly known, a few more rarities, then shifted to an unknown story. She explained the spirit of a monkey that starved to death after excessive agriculture scarred the lands. The creature returned as a face stealing apparition, blinded by greed as it desired to satiate an endless hunger.
The Lute priest then explained that with offering and prayer the face stealing Yokai may even appear, even claiming she knows the location of its shrine.
She even offered to take written prayer to the Yokai's shrine, explaining that this makes it more likely for it to appear.
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