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are a class of supernatural creatures found in Japanese Folklore , Art , Theater , and Literature . They are one of the best known '' Yōkai '' (monster-spirits) and are sometimes worshipped as Shinto '' Kami '' (revered spirits or gods). Although they take their name from a dog-like Chinese demon, the ''tengu'' were originally thought to take the forms of Birds Of Prey , and they are traditionally depicted with both human and avian characteristics. The earliest ''tengu'' were pictured with beaks, but this feature has often been humanized as an unnaturally long nose, which today is practically the ''tengu's'' defining characteristic in the popular imagination. Buddhism long held that the ''tengu'' were disruptive Demon s and Harbinger s of war. Their image gradually softened, however, into one of protective, if still dangerous, Spirit s of the mountains and forests. ''Tengu'' are associated with the Ascetic practice known as Shugendō , and they are usually depicted in the distinctive garb of its followers, the '' Yamabushi ''. IMAGE . The ''tengu's'' nose protrudes just enough to differentiate him from an ordinary ''yamabushi''.]] The ''tengu'' in art appears in a large number of shapes, but it usually falls somewhere between a large, monstrous bird and a wholly the two figures are often portrayed with identical red, phallic-nosed mask designs.Moriarty p. 109. See also: Japanese language blog post on ''tengu'' and Sarutahiko . Some of the earliest representations of ''tengu'' appear in Japanese picture scrolls, such as the , painted ca. 1296, which parodies high-ranking priests by endowing them the hawk-like beaks of ''tengu'' demons. Fister p. 105. See images from this scroll here and here . ''Tengu'' are often pictured as taking the shape of some sort of priest. Beginning in the 13th century, ''tengu'' came to be associated in particular with the '' Yamabushi '', the mountain ascetics who practice Shugendō .de Visser, pp. 55-57. The association soon found its way into Japanese art, where ''tengu'' are most frequently depicted in the ''yamabushi's'' distinctive costume, which includes a and a .Fister, p. 103. For images of the ''yamabushi's'' costume look here . ''Tengu'' are commonly depicted holding magical , fans made of feathers. In folk tales, these fans sometimes have the ability to grow or shrink a person's nose, but usually they are attributed the power to stir up great winds. Various other strange accessories may be associated with ''tengu'', such as a type of tall, one-toothed '' Geta '' sandal often called ''tengu-geta''.Mizuki 2001, p. 122. ORIGINS 's Gazu Hyakki Yakō ]] The term ''tengu'' and the characters used to write it are borrowed from the name of a fierce demon from Chinese folklore called '' canine monster that resembles a shooting star or comet. It makes a noise like thunder and brings war wherever it falls. One account from the ''Shù Yì Jì'' (述異記, "A Collection of Bizarre Stories"), written in 1791, describes a dog-like ''tiāngoǔ'' with a sharp beak and an upright posture, but usually ''tiāngoǔ'' bear little resemblance to their Japanese counterparts.de Visser, pp. 27-30. The 23rd chapter of the ''''.de Visser, pp. 34-35. How the ''tengu'' was transformed from a dog-meteor into a bird-man is not clear. Some Japanese scholars have supported the theory that the ''tengu's'' image derives from that of the Hindu eagle deity Garuda , who was pluralized in Buddhist scripture as one of the major races of non-human beings. Like the ''tengu'', the ''garuda'' are often portrayed in a human-like form with wings and a bird's beak. The name ''tengu'' seems to be written in place of that of the ''garuda'' in a Japanese Sutra called the ''Enmyō Jizō Kyō'' (延命地蔵経), but this was likely written in the Edo Period , long after the ''tengu's'' image was established. At least one early story in the '' Konjaku Monogatari '' describes a ''tengu'' carrying off a dragon, which is reminiscent of the ''garuda's'' feud with the '' Nāga '' serpents. In other respects, however, the ''tengu's'' original behavior differs markedly from that of the ''garuda'', which is generally friendly towards Buddhism. De Visser has speculated that the ''tengu'' may be descended from an ancient Shinto bird-demon which was Syncretized with both the ''garuda'' and the ''tiāngoǔ'' when Buddhism arrived in Japan. However, he found little evidence to support this idea.de Visser, pp. 87-90. A later version of the '' Kujiki '', an ancient Japanese historical text, writes the name of Amanozako , a monstrous female deity born from the god Susanoo 's spat-out ferocity, with characters meaning ''tengu deity'' (天狗神). The book describes Amanozako as a raging creature capable of flight, with the body of a human, the head of a beast, a long nose, long ears, and long teeth that can chew through swords. An 18th Century book called the suggests that this goddess may be the true predecessor of the ''tengu'', but the date and authenticity of the ''Kujiki'', and of that edition in particular, remain disputed.de Visser, pp. 43-44; Mizuki, Mujara 4, p.7. EVIL SPIRITS AND ANGRY GHOSTS . Sasaki's ghost appears with the wings and claws of a ''tengu''.]] The '' Konjaku Monogatari '', a collection of stories published sometime during the late Heian Period , contains some of the earliest tales of ''tengu'', already characterized as they would be for centuries to come. These ''tengu'' are the troublesome opponents of Buddhism, who mislead the pious with false images of Buddha, carry off monks and drop them in remote places, possess women in an attempt to seduce holy men, rob temples, and endow those who worship them with unholy power. They often disguise themselves as priests or nuns, but their true form seems to be that of a kite.de Visser, pp. 38-43. Throughout the 12th and 13th Centuries , accounts continued of ''tengu'' attempting to cause trouble in the world. They were now established as the ghosts of angry, vain, or heretical priests who had fallen on the "''tengu''-road" (天狗道, ''tengudō''). They began to possess people, especially women and girls, and speak through their mouths ( '' Kitsunetsuki ''). Still the enemies of Buddhism, the demons also turned their attention to the royal family. The Kojidan tells of an Empress who was possessed, and the Ōkagami reports that Emperor Sanjō was made blind by a ''tengu'', the ghost of a priest who resented the throne. de Visser, pp. 45-47. This ''tengu''-ghost eventually appeared and admitted to riding on the emperor's back with his wings clasped over the man's eyes. One notorious ''tengu'' from the 12th century was himself the ghost of an emperor. The '' Hōgen Monogatari '' tells the story of Emperor Sutoku , who was forced by his father to abandon the throne. When he later raised the Hōgen Rebellion to take back the country from Emperor Go-Shirakawa , he was defeated and exiled to Sanuki Province on Shikoku . According to legend he died in torment, having sworn to haunt the nation of Japan as a great demon, and thus became a fearsome ''tengu'' with long nails and eyes like a kite's. de Visser, pp. 48-49. In stories from the 13th century, ''tengu'' began to abduct young boys as well as the priests they had always targeted. The boys were often returned, while the priests would be found tied to the tops of trees or other high places. All of the ''tengu's'' victims, however, would come back in a state of near death or madness, sometimes after having been tricked into eating animal dung. de Visser, pp. 55-57. The ''tengu'' of this period were often conceived of as the ghosts of the arrogant, and as a result the creatures have became strongly associated with vanity and pride. Today the Japanese expression ''tengu ni naru'', literally, "he is turning into a ''tengu''", is still used to describe a conceited person.Mizuki 2001. GREAT AND SMALL DEMONS In the '' Genpei Jōsuiki '', written in the late Kamakura Period , a god appears to Go-Shirakawa and gives a detailed account of ''tengu'' ghosts. He says that they fall onto the ''tengu'' road because, as Buddhists, they cannot go to Hell , yet as people with bad principles, they also cannot go to Heaven . He describes the appearance of different types of ''tengu'': the ghosts of priests, nuns, ordinary men, and ordinary women, all of whom in life possessed excessive pride. The god introduces the notion that not all ''tengu'' are equal; knowledgeable men become , but ignorant ones become .de Visser, pp. 51-53. The philosopher Hayashi Razan lists the greatest of these ''daitengu'' as Sōjōbō of Kurama , Tarōbō of Atago , and Jirōbō of Hira .de Visser, pp. 71. The demons of Kurama and Atago are among the most famous ''tengu''.Mizuki 2001. A section of the ''Tengu Meigikō'', later quoted by Inoue Enryō , lists the ''daitengu'' in this order:
''Daitengu'' are often pictured in a more human-like form than their underlings, and due to their long noses, they may also called . ''Kotengu'' may conversely be depicted as more bird-like. They are sometimes called , or .Mizuki 2001 '' trees. The ''konoha-tengu'' are noted in a book from 1746 called the , as bird-like creatures with wings two meters across which were seen catching fish in the Ōi River , but this name rarely appears in literature otherwise.de Visser, p. 84; Mizuki 2003, p. 70. The term ''konoha-tengu'' is often mentioned in English texts as a synonym for ''daitengu'', but this appears to be a widely-repeated mistake which is not corroborated by Japanese-language sources.
PROTECTIVE SPIRITS AND DEITIES '' (portable shrine) in the city of Beppu , Ōita Prefecture , on Kyūshū .]] The '' Shasekishū '', a book of Buddhist parables from the Kamakura Period , makes a point of distinguishing between good and bad ''tengu''. The book explains that the former are in command of the latter and are the protectors, not opponents, of Buddhism - although the flaw of pride or ambition has caused them to fall onto the demon road, they remain the same basically good, '' Dharma ''-abiding persons they were in life.de Visser, pp. 58-60. The ''tengu's'' unpleasant image continued to erode in the 17th century. Some stories now presented them as much less malicious, protecting and blessing Buddhist institutions rather than menacing them or setting them on fire. According to a legend in the 18th-century , a ''tengu'' took the form of a ''yamabushi'' and faithfully served the abbot of a Zen monastery until the man guessed his attendant's true form. The ''tengu's'' wings and huge nose then reappeared. The ''tengu'' requested a piece of wisdom from his master and left, but he continued, unseen, to provide the monastery with miraculous aid.de Visser, pp. 72-76.
''Tengu'' are worshipped as beneficial '' Kami '' (''gods'' or ''revered spirits'') in various Japanese religious cults. For example, the ''tengu'' Saburō of Izuna is worshipped on that mountain and various others as , one of the primary deities in the ''Izuna Shugen'' cult, which also has ties to Fox sorcery and the Dakini of Tantric Buddhism . Izuna Gongen is depicted as a beaked, winged figure with snakes wrapped around his limbs, surrounded by a halo of flame, riding on the back of a fox and brandishing a sword. Worshippers of ''tengu'' on other sacred mountains have adopted similar images for their deities, such as or of Akiba and of Saijō-ji Temple in Odawara .de Visser (Fox and Badger) p. 107–109. See also: Encyclopedia of Shinto: Izuna Gongen and Encyclopedia of Shinto: Akiha Shinkō , and Saijoji, a.k.a. Doryo-son . IN POPULAR FOLK TALES upsets a nest of small ''tengu''.]] ''Tengu'' appear frequently in the orally-transmitted tales collected by Japanese folklorists. As these stories are often humorous, they tend to portray ''tengu'' as ridiculous creatures who are easily tricked or confused by humans. Some common folk tales in which ''tengu'' appear include:
MARTIAL ARTS ''.]] During the 14th Century , the ''tengu'' began to trouble the world outside of the Buddhist clergy, and like their ominous ancestors the ''tiāngoǔ'', the ''tengu'' became creatures associated with war.de Visser, pp. 67. Legends eventually ascribed to them great knowledge in the art of skilled combat. This reputation seems to have its origins in a legend surrounding the famous warrior Minamoto No Yoshitsune . When Yoshitsune was a young boy going by the name of Ushiwaka-maru, his father, Yoshitomo , was assassinated by the Taira Clan . Taira No Kiyomori , head of the Taira, allowed the child to survive on the grounds that he be exiled to the temple on Mount Kurama and become a monk. But one day in the Sōjō-ga-dani Valley, Ushiwaka encountered the mountain's ''tengu'', Sōjōbō . This spirit taught the boy the art of swordsmanship so that he might bring vengeance on the Taira.de Visser, pp. 47-48. Originally the actions of this ''tengu'' were portrayed as another attempt by demons to throw the world into chaos and war, but as Yoshitsune's renown as a legendary warrior increased, his monstrous teacher came to be depicted in a much more sympathetic and honorable light. In one of the most famous renditions of the story, the Noh play ''Kurama Tengu'', Ushiwaka is the only person from his temple who does not give up an outing in disgust at the sight of a strange ''yamabushi''. Sōjōbō thus befriends the boy and teaches him out of sympathy for his plight.Outlined in Japanese here . For another example see the picture scroll ''Tengu no Dairi'' here , in which the ''tengu'' of Mount Kurama is working with a Buddha (who was once Yoshitsune's father) to overthrow the Taira clan. This indicates that the ''tengu'' is now involved in a righteous cause rather than an act of wickedness. Two stories from the , related by Inoue Enryō , tells of a girl with poor manual dexterity who is suddenly possessed by a ''tengu''. The spirit wishes to rekindle the declining art of swordsmanship in the world. Soon a young samurai appears to whom the ''tengu'' has appeared in a dream, and the possessed girl instructs him as an expert swordsman.de Visser, p. 79. Some rumors surrounding the '' Ninja '' indicate that they were also instructed by the ''tengu''.Mizuki 2001 MODERN FICTION Profoundly entrenched in the Japanese imagination for centuries, ''tengu'' continue to be popular subjects in modern fiction, both in Japan and increasingly in other countries. They often appear among the many characters and creatures featured in Japanese Cinema , Animation , Comics , and Video Games . NOTES , Elephant catching a flying tengu]] REFERENCES Primary Sources |
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