Tanuki in Japan (Aswang?)

[Jeff S]

I don't know what aswang are, but I take it it has something to do with mythical creatures, folklore legends, or other para-normal type spirit world beings. The Tanuki of Japan are an interesting michievious critter who are the source of such folklore. Here's a great story:

http://modzer0.cs.uaf.edu/~logan/stories/train.html

and here's a little about them:

http://www.sonic.net/~anomaly/japan/tanuki.htm

Statues of a tanuki, either lifelike or stylized, are often displayed at the entrances to resturaunts, especially soba (buckwheat noodle) shops. They are said to lure passers-by into coming into the shop.

It's interesting how Asian mythical beasts are so different from European. Contrast the wisdom and good luck associated with an Asian dragon with the manevolence of the European one, or the mischievious humor of a tanuki with the horror of a werewolf.

- Jeff

[NateD]

... in response to Tanuki in Japan (Aswang?), posted by Jeff S on Sep 9, 2003

Hey Jeff,

What I find even more interesting in the mythical creatures is how the legends got started.  Even though Vampires haven't been mentioned on this board yet (I'm still waiting on that one , I watched a documentary on them on the Sci Fi channel once, and it's really fascinating to consider how TB basically gave birth to the legend.  It would wrack their bodies until they were slim and pale white.  And then, when people thought the TB sufferers were dead, they would "come back to life" (actually just wake up from a coma or deep sleep), and people thought then that they left their graves in search of blood.  Oh, yeah--and the medieval European vampires were no where near as elegant and nice on the eyes as the modern day ones are.

NateD

[Ray]

... in response to Tanuki in Japan (Aswang?), posted by Jeff S on Sep 9, 2003

Jeff,

That Tanuki sounds a little like Humabdos, though I always pictured him as a hairy Kapre, sitting in a tree house on Camiguin Island and smoking a huge joint.. ROFL!

Ray

[Humabdos]

... in response to Re: Tanuki in Camiguin?, posted by Ray on Sep 9, 2003

wok wok don't need a tree house just a tree will do. :-))