The Lineage of the Oni
Shuten-doji, the oni of Mount Oe who terrorized the Heian capital, and Minamoto no Raiko and his Four Heavenly Kings who rose against him. And what exactly is an "oni"? Follow the legends of Japan's demons.
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The connections in words
- Minamoto no Raiko Poisoned sake → Shuten-doji Disguised as mountain ascetics, they entered Mount Oe, made him drunk on divine poisoned sake and cut off his head.
- Minamoto no Raiko Slashed it → Tsuchigumo (Earth Spider) Attacked on his sickbed, he slashed it with the sword Hizamaru, which came to be called "Spider Cutter."
- Watanabe no Tsuna Four Kings → Minamoto no Raiko The leader of the Four Heavenly Kings who served Raiko.
- Sakata no Kintoki Four Kings → Minamoto no Raiko Kintaro grew up and was taken into Raiko's service.
- Watanabe no Tsuna Cut off its arm → Ibaraki-doji He cut off the arm of Ibaraki-doji when it attacked him at Ichijo Modoribashi (or Rashomon).
- Ibaraki-doji Chief follower → Shuten-doji The strongest of the oni who served Shuten-doji.
- Yamata no Orochi Said to be his father → Shuten-doji In the legends of Mount Ibuki, Shuten-doji is the son of Yamata no Orochi.
- Shuten-doji Oni chief → Oni One of the most famous oni in Japan.
- Rasetsu A root of the oni → Oni Indian demons brought with Buddhism influenced the image of the Japanese oni.
- Amanojaku Little demon → Oni A small oni linked with the imps trampled by Buddhist statues.
- Hannya Woman to demon → Oni The idea that resentment and jealousy can turn a person into an oni.
- Namahage God in oni form → Oni It looks like an oni, but it is really a visiting god who drives away misfortune.
- Sakanoue no Tamuramaro Buried the oni → Onishigai Village The village is said to be named for the oni Tamuramaro defeated and buried there.
- Onishigai Village Oni legend → Oni One of many oni-slaying legends in northern Japan.
The Story
- Oni threaten the capital
In the Heian period, people kept disappearing from Kyoto, and it was feared to be the work of the oni of Mount Oe. Let us follow the story of the oni and those who fought them.
- Shuten-doji of Mount Oe
Mount Oe was the stronghold of Shuten-doji, chief of the oni. He loved sake and commanded many oni, led by Ibaraki-doji.
- Raiko and the Four Heavenly Kings
The emperor's orders went to the warrior Minamoto no Raiko. He set out for Mount Oe with his Four Heavenly Kings, including Watanabe no Tsuna and Sakata no Kintoki (Kintaro).
- The poisoned sake
Disguised as mountain ascetics, they slipped into the oni's feast and served the divine poisoned sake. Once Shuten-doji was dead drunk, they finally cut off his head.
- Ibaraki-doji's arm
Ibaraki-doji escaped and later attacked Watanabe no Tsuna in the capital, but lost his arm to Tsuna's sword. He later disguised himself as Tsuna's aunt, took the arm back and fled.
- Son of a serpent?
Legends of Mount Ibuki say Shuten-doji was the son of Yamata no Orochi. His love of sake was inherited, they say, from a father defeated by sake.
- Raiko's other battle
On his sickbed, Raiko was attacked by the earth spider disguised as a strange monk. He slashed it with his sword Hizamaru, which became known as "Spider Cutter."
- So what is an oni?
Horns and a tiger-skin loincloth come from the "ox-tiger" direction of the demon gate. The Indian rakshasa and the hannya born of human resentment all helped shape the image of the oni.
- Oni-slaying in the north
Far from the capital, legends of Sakanoue no Tamuramaro defeating oni remain in northern Japan. Onishigai Village in Iwate is said to be where a slain oni was buried.
- The connections go on
Tap any circle to read more in the encyclopedia, and keep exploring one legend after another.