Japan Folklore: Oni
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Oni, yōkai del folklore Giapponese
Da creatura benevola ad essere maligno. Questa è la lenta trasformazione degli Oni (鬼), le creature mitologiche giapponesi che noi occidentali chiamiamo “demoni”, “troll” oppure “orchi”.
photo credits: tateandyoko.com
Prima dell’era Heian, gli Oni erano spiriti buoni in grado di allontanare il male. Tuttavia, durante questa era vennero relegati al ruolo di guardiani dell’inferno o torturatori delle anime dannate. Un esempio ne sono l’aka-oni (il demone rosso) e l’ao-oni (demone blu) descritti nella tradizione buddista, che assumono una connotazione negativa e diventano spiriti da tenere alla larga. Infatti, essi sono considerati come portatori di sventura o agenti delle calamità naturali.
Il loro aspetto non è certo rassicurante. Infatti, si dice che abbiano sembianze animalesche e mostruose, a volte con molti occhi e dalla pelle colorata (rosso, blu, nero, rosa oppure verde). Possono anche essere dotati di artigli, indossare pelle di tigre e portare con sé il kanabō (金棒, letteralmente: “bastone di metallo”, una mazza da guerra chiodata usata nel Giappone feudale dai Samurai).
photo credits: forhonor.ubisoft.com
Oni fuori! Fortuna dentro!
Nell’epoca Nara, per scongiurare i disastri che questi spiriti potevano provocare, si praticava l’oniyarai 追儺, un rituale volto a cacciare il demone.
L’ultimo giorno di ogni anno una persona vestiva i panni del demone e veniva scacciato con archi e canne di legno di pesco. Nel tempo questa usanza si trasformò nei festeggiamenti del Setsubun, in cui le persone scagliano fagioli di soia fuori dalle case pronunciando: “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” (Oni fuori! Fortuna dentro!).
Nonostante siano considerati spiriti malvagi, nella tradizione ci sono ancora delle tracce della loro natura benevola. Queste le ritroviamo durante le parate, quando alcuni uomini indossano il costume da Oni per allontanare la sfortuna. Inoltre sono anche raffigurati su delle tegole di alcuni edifici per lo stesso motivo.
photo credits: tripsavvy.com
Le tante curiosità della cultura moderna
Oggi incontriamo questi demoni non solo nelle storie folkloristiche e nelle filastrocche per bambini, ma anche come protagonisti di proverbi! Infatti, si dice che “Anche negli occhi degli oni sorgono lacrime” (鬼の目にも涙) per indicare che anche il cuore più duro talvolta prova pietà. Un altro proveribio è “La moglie di un oni diventa una divinità oni” (鬼の女房鬼神がなる) che si rifà al nostro “il discepolo supera il maestro”.
Naturalmente era impensabile non usare una figura così particolare negli anime e nei manga! Ci sono infiniti richiami agli Oni, ed uno dei più famosi e conosciuti è Lamù, il personaggio principale del manga di Rumiko Takahashi. Ma non è il solo. Infatti anche ne Il sigillo azzurro di Chie Shinohara ha come protagonista proprio la Regina di questi demoni. C’è anche Shutendoji di Gō Nagai il cui titolo dell’opera rimanda alla leggenda di un oni dallo stesso nome.
Tra i videogiochi horror/avventura più giocati e divertenti non possiamo dimenticare Ao Oni. Qui l’antagonista principale è un demone blu il cui adattamento anime è stato trasmesso in Giappone tra il 2 ottobre 2016 e l’8 gennaio 2017. I 13 episodi da 3 minuti ciascuno sono stati distribuiti in streaming anche in Italia col titolo Aooni The Blue Monster (あおおに〜じ・あにめぇしょん〜). Nonostante la sua semplicità, questo gioco è agghiacciante grazie alla musichetta di sottofondo che conferisce al videogioco la giusta atmosfera spaventosa!
photo credits: giantbomb.com
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Oni, yōkai in Japanese folklore
From a benevolent creature to an evil one. This is the slow transformation of the Oni (鬼), the Japanese mythological creatures that we Westerners call “demons”, “trolls” or “orcs”.
photo credits: tateandyoko.com
Before the Heian era, the Oni were good spirits able to ward off evil. However, during this era, they were relegated to the role of guardians of hell or torturers of damned souls. An example of this is the aka-oni (red demon) and the ao-oni (blue demon) described in the Buddhist tradition, which take on a negative connotation and become spirits to be kept away. In fact, they are considered as carriers of misfortune or agents of natural disasters.
Their appearance is certainly not reassuring. In fact, they are said to have animalistic and monstrous features, sometimes with many eyes and colored skin (red, blue, black, pink or green). They can also be clawed, wear tiger skin and carry kanabō (金棒, literally: “metal stick”, a spiked war bat used in feudal Japan by the Samurai).
photo credits: forhonor.ubisoft.com
Demon Get out! Luck get inside!
In the Nara era, to avert the disasters that these spirits could provoke, people used to practice oniyarai (追儺), a ritual aimed at driving out the demon.
On the last day of each year, a person used to dress in the demon’s clothes and was chased away with peach bows and reeds. Over time this custom turned into the Setsubun celebrations, in which people throw soybeans out of the house saying: “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi! “(Oni out! Luck inside!).
Despite being considered evil spirits, in tradition, there are still traces of their benevolent nature. We find these during the parades when some men wear the Oni costume to ward off bad luck. They are also depicted on the tiles of some buildings for the same reason.
photo credits: tripsavvy.com
The many curiosities of modern culture
Today we meet these demons not only in folkloristic stories and nursery rhymes for children but also as protagonists of proverbs! In fact, it is said that “Even in the eyes of the oni tears arise” (鬼の目にも涙) to indicate that even the hardest heart sometimes feels pity. Another proverb is “The wife of an oni becomes an oni divinity” (鬼の女房鬼神がなる) which refers to our “disciple surpasses the master”.
Of course, it was unthinkable not to use such a particular figure in animes and mangas! There are endless references to these spirits, and one of the most famous and well-known is Lamù, the main character of Rumiko Takahashi’s manga. But it is not the only one. In fact, even in The Blue Seal by Chie Shinohara the Queen of the Oni is the protagonist. There is also Shutendoji by Gō Nagai whose work title refers to the legend of an oni of the same name.
Among the most played and entertaining horror/adventure video games we cannot forget Ao Oni. Here the main antagonist is a blue demon whose anime adaptation was broadcast in Japan between October 2nd, 2016 and January 8th, 2017. The 13 3-minute long episodes were also streamed in Italy under the title Aooni The Blue Monster (あおに〜じ・あにめぇしょん〜). Despite its simplicity, Ao Oni is terrifying thanks to the background music that gives the videogame the right scary atmosphere!
photo credits: giantbomb.com
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Oni, yōkai in Japanese folklore
From a benevolent creature to an evil one. This is the slow transformation of the Oni (鬼), the Japanese mythological creatures that we Westerners call “demons”, “trolls” or “orcs”.
photo credits: tateandyoko.com
Before the Heian era, the Oni were good spirits able to ward off evil. However, during this era, they were relegated to the role of guardians of hell or torturers of damned souls. An example of this is the aka-oni (red demon) and the ao-oni (blue demon) described in the Buddhist tradition, which take on a negative connotation and become spirits to be kept away. In fact, they are considered as carriers of misfortune or agents of natural disasters.
Their appearance is certainly not reassuring. In fact, they are said to have animalistic and monstrous features, sometimes with many eyes and colored skin (red, blue, black, pink or green). They can also be clawed, wear tiger skin and carry kanabō (金棒, literally: “metal stick”, a spiked war bat used in feudal Japan by the Samurai).
photo credits: forhonor.ubisoft.com
Demon Get out! Luck get inside!
In the Nara era, to avert the disasters that these spirits could provoke, people used to practice oniyarai (追儺), a ritual aimed at driving out the demon.
On the last day of each year, a person used to dress in the demon’s clothes and was chased away with peach bows and reeds. Over time this custom turned into the Setsubun celebrations, in which people throw soybeans out of the house saying: “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi! “(Oni out! Luck inside!).
Despite being considered evil spirits, in tradition, there are still traces of their benevolent nature. We find these during the parades when some men wear the Oni costume to ward off bad luck. They are also depicted on the tiles of some buildings for the same reason.
photo credits: tripsavvy.com
The many curiosities of modern culture
Today we meet these demons not only in folkloristic stories and nursery rhymes for children but also as protagonists of proverbs! In fact, it is said that “Even in the eyes of the oni tears arise” (鬼の目にも涙) to indicate that even the hardest heart sometimes feels pity. Another proverb is “The wife of an oni becomes an oni divinity” (鬼の女房鬼神がなる) which refers to our “disciple surpasses the master”.
Of course, it was unthinkable not to use such a particular figure in animes and mangas! There are endless references to these spirits, and one of the most famous and well-known is Lamù, the main character of Rumiko Takahashi’s manga. But it is not the only one. In fact, even in The Blue Seal by Chie Shinohara the Queen of the Oni is the protagonist. There is also Shutendoji by Gō Nagai whose work title refers to the legend of an oni of the same name.
Among the most played and entertaining horror/adventure video games we cannot forget Ao Oni. Here the main antagonist is a blue demon whose anime adaptation was broadcast in Japan between October 2nd, 2016 and January 8th, 2017. The 13 3-minute long episodes were also streamed in Italy under the title Aooni The Blue Monster (あおに〜じ・あにめぇしょん〜). Despite its simplicity, Ao Oni is terrifying thanks to the background music that gives the videogame the right scary atmosphere!
photo credits: giantbomb.com
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