Information AboutTanuki |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT TANUKI | |
| japanese legendary creatures | |
| legendary mammals | |
| tanuki | |
| shapeshifting | |
|
, in a print by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi .]] Tanuki ( or Badger , but is in fact a Raccoon Dog (''Nyctereutes procyonoides''), a Canid species native to Japan and other Asian countries. Tanuki have been part of Japanese Mythology since ancient times. The mythical tanuki is reputed to be mischievous and jolly, a master of disguise and Shapeshifting , but somewhat gullible and absent-minded. TANUKI IN FOLKLORE The current humorous image of tanuki is thought to have been developed during the Kamakura Era . The wild tanuki has unusually large Testicle s, a feature often comically exaggerated in artistic depictions of the creature. Tanuki may be shown with their testicles flung over their backs like a traveller's pack, or using them as Drum s. Tanuki are also typically depicted as having large bellies. They may be shown drumming on their bellies instead of their testicles, especially in children's art. A common schoolyard song in Japan (the tune of which can be heard in the arcade game Ponpoko ) makes rather explicit reference to the tanuki anatomy: Tan Tan Tanuki no kintama wa Kaze mo nai no ni Bura bura bura Roughly translated, it means "Tanuki's testicles swing back and forth even when there is no wind blowing." {Link without Title} During the Kamakura and Muromachi Era s, some stories began to include more sinister tanuki. The '' Otogizoshi '' story of " Kachi-kachi Yama " features a tanuki that clubs an old lady to death and serves her to her unknowing husband as "old lady soup". Other stories report tanuki as being harmless and productive members of society. Several shrines have stories of past priests who were tanuki in disguise. Shapeshifting tanuki are sometimes believed to be a transformation of the souls of household goods that were used for one hundred years or more. A popular tale known as '' Bunbuku Chagama '' is about a tanuki who fooled a monk by transforming into a tea-kettle. Another is about a tanuki who tricked a hunter by disguising his arms as tree boughs, until he spread both arms at the same time and fell off the tree. Tanuki are said to cheat merchants with leaves they have magically disguised as paper money. Some stories describe tanuki as using leaves as part of their own shape-shifting magic. In Metalworking , tanuki skins were often used for thinning gold. As a result, tanuki became associated with metal mines and metal craftwork and were marketed as front yard decoration and good luck charm for bringing in prosperity. Statues of tanuki can be found outside many Japanese temples and restaurants, especially noodle shops. These statues often wear a big, cone-shaped hat and carry a bottle of Sake . Tanuki statues always have a large belly, although contemporary sculptures may or may not show the traditional large testicles. These exaggerated features represent fertility and plenty. Tom Robbins ' recent book '' Villa Incognito '' has also done much to spread awareness of tanuki, especially in America. LINGUISTIC ASPECTS While tanuki are prominent in Japanese folklore and proverbs, they were not always properly distinguished from other animals. In local dialects, ''tanuki'' and '' Mujina '' (狢, kyujitai: 貉) refer either to a raccoon dog, a badger, or a relative of the badger. What is known as tanuki in one region may be known as ''mujina'' in another region. In today's Tokyo standard dialect, ''tanuki'' refers to raccoon dogs and ''anaguma'' refers to badgers. There are such local dishes known as ''tanuki-jiru'', or "tanuki soup," which either uses raccoon dog or badger, the latter being more renowned for its taste. The kanji for tanuki, 狸 (s. Since wild cats live in only very limited regions of Japan (''e.g.'' Iriomote , Okinawa ), it is believed that the characters began to be used for "tanuki" instead starting around the Japanese Feudal Era . Historically, this has been a source of confusion and misleading translations between the two languages. In radical"(豸), and its usage is archaic. In Japanese slang, ''Tanuki kao'' ("raccoon dog face") refers to women with wide-set eyes, a wide forehead, full lips and a round shape. Conversely, '' Kitsune kao'', or "fox face" refer to women who have a narrow face having close-set eyes, thin eyebrows, and high cheekbones. IN POPULAR CULTURE
to fight off a police officer in the popular Anime Pom Poko ]]
EXTERNAL LINKS |
|
|