Kamaitachi
Japanese whirlwind demon. I could not find the name of the artist but I
am guessing that the red kanji is a signature. These invisible demons employ their sickle claws to do their thing.
Pretty malevolent, if you ask me. If anybody has invisible flying bloodthirsty slasher weasels it
would be the Japanese.
This vicious fellow is by Xatchett off DeviantArt. https://www.deviantart.com/xatchett These yokai ride
dustdevils and whirlwinds and slash up the unwary, while drawing no
blood. In the 1890's there was a rash of these attacks.
Some anime.
The whirlwind thing seems to be a big part of all this.
Kamaitachi, by Eikoh Hosea, 1969.
And another. This is the photographer who took the dynamic black and
white pictures of Yukio Mishima I had posted in an earlier essay. The model
in this series, Kamaitachi, is a famous avant-garde dancer, Tatsumi
Hijikata.
Speaking of Japanese supernatural demons...
Hijikata, on left. Flying Weasel Sickle Cut Demon series. Hijikata is well worth reading about.
Arylkia
And here is Usagi doing something with a blade-clawed bat demon. Close enough. Stan Sakai, artist.
My world enlarged with more excellent creativity! Love this!
ReplyDeleteI never heard of it either but the Japanese think these things really exist. The best explanation I can find attributes such cuts to cold and wind. I am inclined to believe in invisible flying sickle weasels, nothing compared to a billion dollar industry built around a fat man flying around the world in a sled pulled by reindeer distributing karma.
DeleteThe 8th image is by Nicole 'Nikki' Morris arting as 'Arylkia'.
ReplyDeleteThis is a yokai I've never heard of before. If I remember, I'll bring it up over dinner with the Kitsune on Wednesday.
I don't know how you do it. Right now blogger is putting up all the posts in code if you try to edit it, but I will make that change. Many thanks.
DeleteI've got a digital copy of that issue of Usagi Yojimbo. The mortal ninja bats opposed Usagi returning the wrapped sword to where it belonged, and the rest of that is the story.
DeleteIf I haven't read that one I have read the others. Those bats are nothing but trouble.
DeleteThat's one fantasy creature to avoid! But great story and art too!
ReplyDeleteThe Japanese have an awesome supernatural world, some of those critters are malevolent beyond all imagination. The weasel thing is bizarre because people are still being attacked by them, well, we have folks who think there are Bigfoots out there just waiting to be discovered. Same with chupacabras.
Delete