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Prevalent
in legends is the character of the Snow Woman. She appears
in the guise of a ghastly, young woman who is beautiful and gentle. She
appears during snowstorms and lulls men to sleep in the cold, which leads
to their deaths.
Dragons, in one form or another, are evident in most cultures. At the very least, its counterpart, the serpent, makes an appearance. Like that of the badger and fox, Dragons and serpents are both capable of changing into human forms. There are several tales about serpents disguising themselves as either beautiful men or women. Dragons, on the other hand, are very unlike their Western counterparts. Whereas they are branded as breathing fire, Japanese, or should I say, Asian (like the belief of the Chinese) Dragons are direct opposites. They can live in water and there is a story of the Dragon King living in a river. Their coming also heralds storms and rains. A Dragon is more of a water entity than a fiery one. The Phoenix, like the dragon, is also evident in most cultures. Like what most believe, the Phoenix is a bird-like creature bathed in the flames. Out of its own ashes will it be reborn, fulfilling an endless cycle of death and rebirth. It has come to symbolize many things and several lessons can be learned from its myth. One of Japan’s religions is Shinto, the belief that everything has a spirit, be it a living creature or a nonliving creature. From this arises the things such as Spirits and Ghosts. There are several stories of the spirits of the plants taking on the form of humans, communing their message to the people. Ghosts, on the other hand, were once human and usually have unfinished business, usually that of a lover. There is a belief that ghosts have no feet and instead float around, waving a ghastly tail where their feet should be. Thus ends the feature of Japan’s mythical creatures. Remember that it is but a brief background of each creature and is far from complete in any way. Every culture has their own set of creatures and monsters. However, frightening people is not done by merely mentioning the names of horrible creatures. If they are unfamiliar with it, the effect could be cumbersome. A very good knowledge and background of the creatures in Japanese culture makes you appreciate and enjoy more the value of the creatures as they appear in various forms whether it be in Anime, Manga, the movies or just plain stories. |
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