Japan is a big monster culture country, and the "Kappa" (かっぱ) is one of the most famous.
The concept of kappa originated in Chinese folklore as the water tiger and river boy, which is widely distributed in Japan, mostly living in ponds or rivers. The body is green, some have hard carapace on their backs, some have long plates on their heads, some have bird beaks, some have hair on their bodies, and sometimes they grow into the shape of children, and their favorite food is cucumbers. In short, there is no fixed statement about their appearance, but everyone defaults to this is a kind of water monster that integrates turtles, frogs and people.
The kappa depicted in the Twelve Pins of the Water Tiger
Why has the kappa become a popular national monster in Japan? What kind of cultural charm is given to its image? Today, Xiaoyu will talk to everyone about the legend of kappa and the culture behind it.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > interesting legend of kappa</h1>
To say that the most classic behavior of kappa is the "Jirizi Jade" who plucks people. What is "Jiri (kāo) Ziyu"? It refers to a ball inside the anus imagined by the Japanese in ancient times. According to records, kappa loves sumo wrestling with people, and if humans lose, they will be taken away by kappa, and the person who takes Jiriziyu will become a wasted person; kappa will also drag horses into the river, or pull out the "Jiriziyu" of children or adults playing by the river and drown them. It is said that the reason why the anus of the person who drowned was opened was because the kappa plucked the "Jirizi Jade" in the eyes of the ancients.
Kappa with people sumo wrestling
In fact, the origin of the Kappa legend in Japan begins in the Amakusa region. Unable to complete the castle-building project, Sashigoro made many dolls. The spell-cast dolls were discarded and thrown into the river. They asked Goro what he should do to survive after that, and Goro replied, "Then eat people's butts!" As a result, these dolls living in the river eventually became kappa.
The real popularity of kappa legends came to the Edo period. In records such as "Hundred Ghosts nocturnal Walk" and "Japanese Yamakai Mingwu Picture", kappa began to appear frequently.
One of Kappa's little bad tastes is lustful. In the story circulating in Niigata Prefecture, it tells that kappa especially likes the side of women's butts. It is said that in a certain family, every time the wife went to the toilet, she felt that her cold hands would touch her ass. So, one day, the man put on women's clothes and went into the toilet, and cut off the hands that wanted to stroke his ass. The next day, Kappa came to the door and pleaded, "I'll give you the fish, and you'll give it back to me!" "No way, the master gave the kappa back. After that, the family received fish every day.
Kappa's classic behavioral fetish
The Kappa is most frightening, or he will pull people into the water. Many kappa legends are recorded in the Japanese Yokai Encyclopedia. It tells of a samurai walking along the Jingkei River when he suddenly heard someone in the river calling his name. Originally, he thought that a child had fallen into the water and was calling for help, so he approached and reached for it. Unexpectedly, he felt that what he had caught was sinking like a big rock, and he was constantly pulling him into the water, so he hurriedly gave up and stumbled back home. Along the way, the crowd saw him and sniffled, because he was constantly emitting an unpleasant stench. Later, he learned that he should have met the "kappa".
It can be said that the legend of the kappa is well documented in Japan. This guy is weird looking and doesn't behave very well. Interestingly, until modern Japanese society, people did not regard kappa as an evil and disgusting monster, and even in many cartoon characters, temple statues and mascot images, kappa can be seen.
The statue of the kappa in the onsen of Jozankei, Japan, the land of kappa
Why do the Japanese love kappa so much that they honor him as a national leprechaun?
In the next issue, we'll move on.