Japanese Folklore: Tamamo no Mae: The Nine tailed fox

 

 

 Tamamo no Mae, One of the strongest and most feared Yokai.




Tamamo  is one of the most famous kitsune (Fox Spirits) in Japanese mythology.

A nine-tailed magical fox, she is also one of the most powerful yokai that has ever lived.

Her magical abilities were matched only by her sharp mind  and lust for power.

Tamamo lived during the Heian period, and though she may not have succeeded in her plan to kill the emperor and take his place, her actions destabilized the country and lead it towards one of the most important civil wars in Japanese history.

 For that reason, she is considered one of the Nihon San Dai Aku Yokai—the Three Terrible Yokai of Japan.

She  is mentioned in various old texts and has been a popular subject throughout Japanese history. Her story is portrayed in literature, 

Noh, Kabuki, bunraku, and other forms of art including modern mang, anime and evenK Dramas. 

There have been  several variations on her story throughout history.

According to Legends: Tamamo no Mae was born around 3,500 years ago in what is now China. Her early life is a mystery, but she eventually became a powerful sorceress.

 

A few hundred years later she became a white faced, golden furred kyubi no kitsune—a nine-tailed fox with the highest level of  magic powers.

She was also a very skilled liar and master  manipulator. She used her charms and intelligence to advance her standing and influence politics of the time .

During the Shang Dynasty she was known as Daji. She disguised herself as a beautiful woman and became the favorite concubine of King Zhou of Shang.

 

 
Daji was a model of human depravity. She held orgies in the palace gardens. Her fondness for watching and inventing new forms of torture are legendary.

Daji eventually brought about the fall of the entire Shang Dynasty. She managed to escape execution, and fled to the Magadha kingdom in India in 1046 BCE.

In Magadha, she was known as Lady Kayo, and became a consort of King Kalmashapada, known in Japan as Hanzoku.

She used her beauty and charms to dominate the king, she devoured children, murder priests, and commit other unspeakable horrors.

Eventually—whether because she ran out of  children to eat or because Kalmashapada began to turn away from her and towards Buddhism—she fled back to China.
...

During the Zhou Dynasty she called herself Bao Si, and was known as one of the most desirable women in all of China.

In 779 BCE she became a concubine of King You. Not satisfied as just a mistress, she manipulated the king into deposing his wife Queen Shen and making Bao Si his new queen. 

Though she was beautiful, Bao Si rarely ever smiled. In order to please his beautiful new wife, King You committed acts of such
evil and atrocity that eventually all of his nobles abandoned and betrayed him. Eventually, King You was killed and Bao Si captured and the Western Zhou Dynasty was brought to an end in 771 BCE. Somehow Bao Si managed to escape again, she went into hiding for many years.

Little is known of her activities until the 700s, when she resurfaced disguised as a 16-year old girl named Wakamo. She tricked the leaders of the 10th Japanese envoy to the Tang Dynasty—Kibi no Makibi, Abe no Nakamaro, and Ganjin—as they were preparing to return home to Japan.

Wakamo joined their crew and took the ship to Japan, where she hid herself away for over 300 years.

In the 1090s, she resurfaced once again. This time she transformed herself into a human baby and hid by the side of the road.

A married couple found the baby and rescued it, taking her in as their daughter and naming her Mikuzume.

She proved to be an exceedingly intelligent and talented young girl, and was so beautiful that she attracted to attention of everyone around her.

When she was 7 years old, Mikuzume recited poetry before the emperor. His imperial majesty immediately took a liking to her and employed her as a servant
in his court.

Mikuzume excelled at court, absorbing knowledge like a sponge. There was no question she could not answer, whether it was about music, history, astronomy,
religion, or Chinese classics. Her clothes were always clean and unwrinkled. She always smelled pleasant. Mikuzume had the most beautiful face in all of Japan, and everyone who saw her loved her.

During the summer of her 18th year, a poetry and instrument recital was held in Mikuzume’s honor. During the recital, an unexpected storm fell upon the palace. 

All of the candles in the recital room were snuffed, leaving the participants in the dark. Suddenly, a bright light emanated from Mikuzume’s body, illuminating the room.

 Everybody at court was so impressed by her genius and declared that she must have had an exceedingly good and holy previous life. 

She was given the name Tamamo no Mae. Emperor Toba, already exceedingly fond of her, made her his consort.

Almost immediately after she became the emperor’s consort, the emperor fell deathly ill. None of the court physicians could determine the cause, and so the onmyoji (Exorcist) Abe no Yasunari was called in. ( Not be confused with Abe no Yasuna, who is the father of the famous onmyōji Abe no Seimei , Similar title, Different people.)

Abe no Yasunari read the emperor’s fortune and divined that he was marked by a bad omen. After that, the highest priests and monks were summoned to the palace to pray for the emperor’s health.

The best prayers of the highest priests had no effect, however. The emperor continued to grow worse. Abe no Yasunari was summoned again to read the emperor’s fortune. 

This time, to his horror the onmyoji discovered that the emperor’s beloved Tamamo no Mae was the cause of his illness. She was a
kitsune in disguise, and was shortening the emperor’s life span in order to take over as ruler of Japan. Emperor Toba was reluctant to believe the diviner’s words, but agreed to test Tamamo no Mae just to be sure.

To save the emperor’s life, Abe no Yasunari prepared the Taizan Fukun no Sai, the most secret and most powerful spell known to onmyodo.

Tamamo  was ordered to perform part of the ritual. They reasoned that an evil spirit would not be able to participate in such a holy ritual.

Though she was reluctant to participate, the emperor’s ministers persuaded her. They told her that it would increase her standing an admiration among the court. She had little choice but to accept.

When the ritual was performed, Tamamo was dressed even more beautifully than normal. She recited the holy worlds as expected and played her part extremely well. But just as she prepared to wave the ceremonial staff, she vanished. Abe no Yasunari’s divination was confirmed. The court flew into an uproar.

Soon after, word arrived that women and children were disappearing near Nasuno in Shimotsuke Province.

The court sorcerers determined that Tamamo  was the cause, and it was decided that she must be destroyed once and for all.

The emperor summoned the best warriors in all of the land and then charged the most superb of them, Kazusanosuke and Miuranosuke, to find Tamamo no Mae.

The warriors gladly accepted the honor. They purified themselves and set out with an army of 80,000 men to slay the nine-tailed kitsune.

Upon reaching Nasuno the army quickly found the kitsune. 

The warriors chased her for days and days, but the fox used her magical powers and outsmarted them time and time again, easily escaping. The army grew weary, and frustration set in. It seemed that nothing they did was working. However, Kazusanosuke and Miuranosuke would not accept the shame of defeat and vowed to press on. They practiced harder, honing their tactics, and eventually picked up the kitsune’s trail.

One night, Miuranosuke had a prophetic dream. A beautiful young girl appeared before him, crying. She begged: “Tomorrow I will lose my life to you. Please save me.” Miuranosuke adamantly refused, and upon waking the warriors set out again to find Tamamo no Mae. 

Sure enough, the next day they caught
her. Miuranosuke fired two arrows, one through the fox’s flank and one through its neck. Kazusanosuke swung his blade. It was over, just as the dream had said.

.....

However, her evil did not end with her death. One year after she died, Emperor Konoe died, heirless. The following year, her lover
and former Emperor Toba died as well. A succession crisis ignited between forces loyal to Emperor Go-Shirakawa and forces loyal to former Emperor Sutoku.

 This crisis started the Fujiwara-Minamoto rivalry that led to the Genpei War, the end of the Heian period, and the rise of the first shoguns.

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As if that were not enough, Tamamo’s spirit haunted a massive boulder which killed every living thing that touched it.

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This boulder is know as the killing stone or  Sessho-seki.

 On march 5 2022, the boulder split in half. Presumably freeing the evil fox once more.

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Also, Happy Valentines Day.

💗🦊

Japanese Legends: Ibaraki doji ...Oni Woman..

 

 

 

 

Art link https://www.wallpaperflare.com/ibaraki-douji-fate-grand-order-fate-series-women-blonde-wallpaper-zblow

 

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 Ibaraki Doji is also know as the “thorn tree child”

She  is one of the most well known as well as one of the most feared demons in Japanese folklore.

She was the chief deputy to Shuten doji, the Oni King. Not very much is known about Ibaraki doji’s
life; Most stories depict Ibaraki doji as a kijo, or a female oni; yet there are other stories which refer to Shuten doji’s  deputy as a male so its really anybodys gyuess at this point(Im going to go with the female version of the story). 

Ibaraki doji was a cruel and   terrifying monster, bent of wreaking as much havoc in the human world as she could.
 

Some visions claim she was not only Shuten Dojis second in command but also his lover


Ibaraki doji’s most famous story takes place at Rashomon, the southern gate of old Kyotos city walls. Rashomon was built in 789, but after  the Heian period it fell into serious disrepair and became known as an unsavory place. It was overgrown and unkempt. Thieves and bandits hung out near it.

 It even served as a dumping point for unwanted babies, and a spot to dispose of murder victims. But the scariest part of its haunted reputation was the
 

                                                         Rashomon Gate replica

 

legend of Rashomon no oni — the demon of Rashomon.

 

After his celebrated victory over Shuten doji, the hero Minamoto no Yorimitsu returned triumphant to Kyoto. He was celebrating at his home with his  deputies — Sakata no Kintoki, Urabe no Suetake, Usui Sadamitsu, and Watanabe no Tsuna — when Fujiwara no Yasumasa, a noble, informed them that an oni was seen haunting Rashomon gate. Watanabe no Tsuna, having just returned from a great battle with Shuten doji’s clan, could not believe that there were any oni left, and single-handedly went out to investigate. He mounted his horse and went south.

                                           Watanabe Tsuna fighting the demon  at the Rashomon

When Tsuna arrived at the gate, a great howling wind broke out and his horse could travel no further. He dismounted and went on foot. Approaching the gate in the fierce gale, he noticed an enormous hand suddenly reach out of the dark to grab his helmet. Tsuna wasted no time, and swung his great katana around, severing the arm of an enormous demon: it was Ibaraki doji, coming to avenge the murder of Shuten doji. 

The injured demon ran away, leaving her arm behind, and Rashomon was no longer haunted.

Ibaraki doji later returned to Rashomon, looking for her arm. 

She disguised herself as Watanabe no Tsuna’s wetnurse, and was able to steal back her severed arm and escape, After that, her whereabouts were unknown. though for many years after, occasionally in some town or another, villagers would claim that they had seen Ibaraki doji from time to time

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Rashomon Gate was destroyed in the mid 1900's 

 

There is now a monument in its place too commemorate it...

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More Oni post's coming soon

Demon of love: The Succubus..

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                                                             ...🖤Happy Valentines Day 🖤....
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                                 Ecchi Succubus demon anime girl by Rezifound on pintreist...

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                                   ---Succubus---
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Succubus or (Sucubi) are powerful female demons commonly associated with sexual desire..

These demons use their sexuality to appear in the dreams of there victims, then seduce and prey on them. They prey on young men whose souls they slowly drain with each encounter. 

(There is also a male counter part to the Succubus called an Incubus  he prey's on woman)

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The Succubus is referenced in midevil European folklore and ancient  Jewish mythology.

In a biblical account Lilith the first woman and  Adam's fist wife turned into a demon (Succubus) after leaving the Garden of Eden., and later became the queen of Demons and one of the for Queens of the succubus.

In the Kabbalah  and the school of Rashla, the original three queens of the demons, Eisheth Zenumin, Naamah, and Agrat bat Mahlat. and all their cohorts give birth to children, except Lilith  According to other myth's, the children of Lilith are called Lilin.


The four queens of the Succubus are ...   Lilith, Eisheth Zenumin, Agrat bat Mahlat, and Naamah.

The word succubus comes from Latin...succuba "paramour"; from succubare "to lie beneath" (sub- "under" and cubare "to lie") used to describe this female entity's implied sexual position relative to the male sleeper's position.

The word succubus originates from the late 14th century (late 1,300's).

From a medical or scientific standpoint Succubus encounter's could be contributed to Sleep Paralysis.

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                                                          ---The Baobhan Sith-----

The  Succubus can also be  associated with the baobhan sith, a Scottish vampire / fairy  with deer legs..who seduce men  like other fay they are  afraid of iron. 

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 The baobhan sith is a female vampire in the folklore of the Scottish Highlands, though they also share some characteristics in common with the succubus and fairy. They appear as beautiful women who seduce their victims before attacking them and draining their blood.

  -(For more info on her see  earlier post https://theparanormal411.blogspot.com/2020/02/demons-of-love-baobhan-sith-or-scottish.html  )-

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Succubi are female daemon's that appeal to a man's sexual fantasy's/dreams  they can take on various sexually appealing forms.

From long haired, to lithe and winged.

Succubi appear in whatever form is most pleasing to her intended victim.

Though they commonly appearing as scantily clad, shapely, winged demons.

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In some legends a Succubi true form were described as being disfigured and monsters, with multiple of rows of teeth, 3 sets of breasts and razor sharp  talon-like nails.

Though the  descriptions vary from legend to legend.

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                                            Myth's regarding Succubi date back century's..

Victims of 'Succubi' attack's described their visits as a feeling of someone sitting on my chest or pelvic area.' and when they wake up , they feel drained, unable to move and petrified, though having had a wonderful and erotic dream the night before.

This is likely a form of sleep paralysis..

In medevil time's  succubi encounters were sometimes used  as an attempt to explain why some people had birth defects or as an excuses for  adultery.

 Succubus are said to  use there supernatural powers to seduce a man and steal his semen.

In some versions of the legend Succubus would later  transform into an Incubus and seduce a woman. 

After a woman has an encounter with  an incubus the baby might have some form  deformities or other supposed marks of the demons influence. 

Characteristically, a Succubi is a psychic, or 'manipulative' demon, using manipulation and compelling psychic abilities to overcome and seduce its prey, feeding from the victims soul and returning night after night until the soul is entirely consumed, resulting in the mans death..
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The Sirens of Greek mythology are similar in nature to a succubus, in that they use there attractive form's and mesmerizing song's to lure men to there death's..


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                                  The Odyssey - Homer ’s 8th century BCE about
Odysseus (known as Ulysses in Roman myths), king of Ithaca, and his journey home after the fall of                    Troy. along the way he and his crew encounter Sirens...
             



                                          


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Succubus in other media..
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 Morrigan from  Darkstalkers, by Capcom

                                         morrigan_by_artgerm https://www.deviantart.com/artgerm/art/Morrigan

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Interviews with Monster Girls --- Demi-Chan wa kataritai-- anime ..

Sakie Satou--

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Maria the Virgion Witch - Janketsu no Maria --

 Artemis

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 Rosario  to Vampire

Ageha Kurono

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Highschool DxD

Rias Gremory 

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Manga Series--

Shachiku Succubus no Hanashi

Lily--

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🖤. 🖤.Happy Valentines Day🖤.🖤. .

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Christmas: Krampus the Christmas Demon.

                                                       Krampus the Christmas Demon.



Krampus can be found in the folklore of many different European country's ... Austria, Bavaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, North Italy, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

His exact origin is unclear; some folklorists believe it to  have pre-Christian roots.

There are various traditional parades and events, a well known one is  the Krampuslauf (English: Krampus run), mostly young men dressed as Krampus to participate this is an annually  event  in most Alpine towns. 

 Krampus is also featured on holiday greeting cards called Krampuskarten.


By the 17th century Krampus had been incorporated into Christian winter celebrations by pairing Krampus with St. Nicholas.

Countries of the former Habsburg Empire  have largely borrowed the tradition of Krampus accompanying St. Nicholas on December  5th from Austria.


 A more  recent myth is that Krampus was the son of Hel the Norse goddess of the underworld, this myth  has been popularized on the internet, even appearing in an  articles in National Geographic and Smithsonian Magazine.

 However, this connection is likely the invention of the American fantasy artist and author Gerald Brom whose 2012 novel Krampus the Yule Lord features Krampus as the main protagonist.

The same idea also appeared shortly afterwards in two online games by the Norwegian games producer Funcom.


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Krampus, seems to the most popular holiday monster or at least one of the most well known he si described as a half-goat, half-demon, said to be hairy, usually brown or black, and has the cloven hooves  and the  horns of a goat. His long, pointed tongue hangs out, and he has fangs.

Krampus literally beats people into being nice.
He arrives with a chain  that he swings around, along with a bundle of birch sticks meant to swat ill behaved children. He carry's the bad kids down to the underworld

 Well Santa or St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children. ..Krampus is more of an anti Santa..

This yuletide demon was often seen accompanying  St. Nicholas on his Christmas journey from house to house.

However well St Nick rewarded well behaved children with sweets and toys Krampus. would beat the bad  kid's, stuff them in a sack, and take them away to his lair.

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      Celebrations...
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                                   Krampusnacht--Krampus Night and the  Krampus Run/parade

People have been dressing up like Krampus for centuries. During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, devil masks were used at winter church plays.

                                                          Old wooden Krampus masks...

On Krampusnacht in modern times, men dress up in Krampus costumes made of sheepskin. Women sometimes dress up as a Nordic figure named Frau Perchta.

This time of the year there are parades and parties and a lot of them  often have a  Krampuslauf—or Krampus Run—where people run through the streets dressed as Krampus.

The day has increasingly become commercialized. Krampus has appeared on cards and ornaments over the years. He has also been  graphic novels, television shows, video games, and movies.

Krampus night  is held annually on December 5th.

The next Krampusnacht, --- Krampus Night, will be on Saturday, December 5th, 2020.

The next day December 6th is The Feast of St Nickolas ...
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                                                         St. Nickolas vs Krampus

There is also  a seasonal play that spread throughout the Alpine regions it was known as the Nikolausspiel ("Nicholas play").

Inspired by Paradise plays, which focused on Adam and Eve's encounter with a tempter, the Nicholas plays featured competition for the human souls and played on the question of morality.

In these Nicholas plays, Saint Nicholas would reward children for scholarly efforts rather than for good behavior. 

 This is a theme that grew in Alpine regions where the Roman Catholic Church  had significant influence.

There were already established pagan traditions in the Alpine regions that became intertwined with Catholicism. People would masquerade as a devilish figure known as Percht, a two-legged humanoid goat with a giraffe-like neck, wearing animal furs.

 People wore costumes and marched in processions known as Perchtenlaufs, which are regarded as any earlier form of the Krampus runs. Perchtenlaufs were looked at with suspicion by the Catholic Church and banned by some civil authorities. Due to sparse population and rugged environments within the Alpine region, the ban was not effective or easily enforced, rendering the ban useless. Eventually the Perchtenlauf, inspired by the Nicholas plays, introduced Saint Nicholas and his set of good morals. The Percht transformed into what is now known as the Krampus and was made to be subjected to Saint Nicholas' will

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Krampus has appeared in several tv shows and movies even a Christmas ep of The Venture Bothers..

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=========== VINTAGE Krampus Christmas Cards====
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This is my last post before Christmas, hope you all have a great holiday and a Happy New Year Merry Christmas!! and thank you for an awesome 2019! :)

The Black eyed children,

                                          .....       THE BLACK EYED CHILDREN        .....

" BEC" Black Eyed Children or "BEK" Black Eyed Kids

There can be very few people within the field of paranormal research who have not heard of the BEC. But, the MIB parallels might be new to some.

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In the same way that the Men in Black wear black suits and black fedoras, the Black Eyed Children often wear black hoodies.

 So, we have a black outfit and black head-gear present in both phenomena. Both the MIB and the BEC very often surface late at night. Trying to convince people to let them into their homes is one of the most chilling aspects of the activities of both the MIB and the BEC. And they are very good – almost too good – at making their escape. But, certainly, no-one has done more to highlight the MIB-BEC connections and parallels than David Weatherly, whose 2012 book, The Black Eyed Children, is essential reading.

Another good read is “Children of the Men in Black.” by David Running to 18-pages, the paper makes it very clear that there are far more BEC-MIB links than many might imagine. David states in his paper: “On the surface, there may seem to be few connections between the UFO connected MIB and creepy little kids with black eyes showing up on doorsteps. But, when we delve into the actual accounts, we find numerous similarities. Consider the appearance of both beings.”

The BEKs are usually described as having pale or pasty skin. Some witnesses report that the skin looks ‘artificial.’ Still other accounts claim that the children have olive toned skin that implies they are of Mediterranean origin. Both of these descriptions are heard in classic MIB encounters. Oddly, no one who has ever encountered the BEKs report a blemish of any kind. Bear in mind, these are children usually in their pre-teen years. One would expect acne, pimples, freckles, something, but it’s never the case.”

Next is the manner of speech. The black eyed children are reported to speak in a very monotone manner. Their use of language is often awkward and unusual. They will use phrases that simply aren’t natural such as ‘Is it food time?’ Perhaps even more troubling, many people who encounter the BEKs believe that the children are attempting to exert some type of mind control through the use of repeated phrases and their cold, monotone speech patterns.

Typical MIB encounters certainly contain elements of attempted coercion by the strange men as witnesses to UFO sightings are encouraged to ignore what they saw. Are the attempts by the children another form of this same control dynamic?”

Then there is something that is reported very often in MIB-based situations: electronic interference. And, particularly so, problems with phones. .

Whatever they are, the black eyed children don’t appear to be going anywhere and they are leaving as many questions in their wake as the MIB before them. Whether the two are connected or not, it looks like we’re in for more bizarre manifestations ahead. So pay attention.

The next time there’s a knock at your door, there’s no telling what kind of strange figure will be waiting on the other
side....