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(Redirected from Obake)

Bakemono (化け物)(sometimes obakemono) and obake (お化け) are a class of monster or spirit in Japanese folklore.


Etymology

bakemono means a thing that changes, referring to a state of transformation or shapeshifting.


Origin

These words are often translated as ghost, but primarily they refer to living things or supernatural beings who have taken on a temporary transformation, and these bakemono are distinct from the spirits of the dead. In common usage, any bizarre apparition can be referred to as a bakemono or an obake whether or not it is believed to have some other form, making the terms roughly synonymous with yokai. As a secondary usage, the term obake can be a synonym for yurei, the ghost of a deceased human being.


Appearance

bakemono can refer to many creatures — such as a fox (kitsune), a raccoon dog (tanuki), a badger (mujina), or a transforming cat (bakeneko) — the spirit of a plant — such as a kodama — or an inanimate object — which may possess a soul in Shinto and other animistic traditions. Obake derived from household objects are often called tsukumogami.


See also

Part of this article consists of modified text from Wikipedia, and the article is therefore licensed under GFDL.