Revision as of 22:22, 29 April 2008 by Lilith (talk | contribs) (New page: thumb|180px|right|The ''basan'' as depicted in Takehara Shunsen's Ehon Hyaku Monogatari. '''Basan''' is a fowl-like bird with supernatural powers. ==Appearance=...)
Basan is a fowl-like bird with supernatural powers.
Appearance
According to the description on the illustration in the Ehon Hyaku Monogatar, Basan resembles a large chicken and breathes ghost-fire from its mouth.
Basan lives in the mountains of Iyo Province (today Ehime Prefecture).
=Behavior
During the day Basan hides itself away in bamboo groves, but at night it emerges and wanders into villages, making a strange rustling "basabasa" noise and causing people to peek out of their houses, only to find nothing there. The basan is also said to breathe fox-fire, creating eerie ghost-flames. It is, however, not known to cause any injury to humans.