YOKAI!

I know I usually write articles on New Mexican folklore and the stories of the southwest but a rare opportunity has popped up. Currently, at the Santa Fe International Folk Art Museum, there is an exhibit on one of my most favorite subjects. 

The beginning of every civilization eventually falls into legend. A collection of thousands of stories hold them up even into the modern day. Yokai: ghosts, monsters, and demons of Japan are such stories. today I just want to give you a little taste of what you may see at the exhibit. 

One of the most famous Yokai of Japan is the Kappa. A water goblin of some kind, a Kappa is a tortoise frog… Thing... that haunts bodies of water from coast lines to local gardens. It has a beak like mouth, a tortoiselike shell on its back, froglike removable skin, and a water filled depression on the top of its head. If this head dish spills, the Kappa will be drained of it's energy and may die. 

Invoked as a bogeyman type of creature, stories of the Kappa are told to frighten young children away from bodies of water. According to one story, some 9000 of them swam from China to Japan around the fifth century. 

although considered an aggressive, when angered the Kappa is absolutely monstrous. They like to challenge passersby to wrestling matches but also tend to drown victims and eat their entrails. 

modern references to the Kappa include a term for men with a round bald spot on top of his head, raincoats: called amagappa, referencing the removable waterproof skin which by the way is absolutely required by them otherwise they are totally defenseless, and a specific sushi dish called a Kappa Maki, a cucumber roll which takes its name from the Kappa! 

This is but one of the many Yokai you will encounter at this exhibit. I highly suggest you check it out and learn more about the terrifying and wonderful creatures from Japan! 

Remember that you can email me at friendsoffolklore@gmail.com!