ONI; THE TRADITIONAL JAPANESE DEMON
East Asian Mythology
East Asian Mythology
Oni was commonly referred to as ghosts in Chinese. They carried iron clubs which were called Kanabo. That image led to the expression "oni with an iron club", which meant to be invincible or undefeatable
Originally, all spirits, ghosts, and even monsters were known as Oni. The root of their name comes from a word meaning "hidden" or "concealed", but over time, the Oni was associated with the word "ogre" or "demon"
The Oni were described as having a large and overbearing figure, and are said to be much taller than any man. They were said to have red or blue skin with two horns and fang like tusks, although depending on the story, the descriptions of the Oni does differ.
Their clothing was quite premitive as they only wore the skin of the beasts they had slain. Wherever the Oni went, disease and disaster followed and because of their enormous nature, they were said to have unimaginable strength.
The Oni were originally once human and were born when an evil human died. They were then sent to one of the Buddist hell(image below) where they would be transformed into an Oni.
The Oni then became the brutal servants of the Great Lord Enma, ruler of hell. They wielded clubs with which they would crush and destroy humans solely for their enjoyment.
The job of the Oni was to give out horrible punishments like crushing of bones or peeling off the victim's
The job of the Oni was to give out horrible punishments like crushing of bones or peeling off the victim's
skin (while they were still alive). These punishments were given to those who were wicked but not wicked enough to be reborn as an Oni.
Sometimes, when a human is so very wicked to the point where their soul was beyond redemption, they transformed into an Oni while alive and...
Sometimes, when a human is so very wicked to the point where their soul was beyond redemption, they transformed into an Oni while alive and...
remain on Earth to torture the living. These were the worst type of Oni and the ones most legends talk about.
Their skin was said to be a number of colours but the most common colours were red, green and blue
Their skin was said to be a number of colours but the most common colours were red, green and blue
The Oni were terrifying and some of the most deadly creatures in Japanese folklore but over the years, they have now been seen as a somewhat good luck charm. Oni masks have been made and people believed they scared away evil spirits that may want to harm them.
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