| Baku | |
|---|---|
 | |
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Other Names |
Baku, Mo |
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First Appearance |
Japanese/Chinese Folklore |
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Created by |
Japanese/Chinese Folklore |
Origin[]
Woodblock illustration of the Chinese mythological Mo (貘), 1609
Baku (獏 or 貘) are Japanese supernatural beings that are said to devour nightmares. They originate from the chinese Mo. According to legend, they were created by the spare pieces that were left over when the gods finished creating all other animals. They have a long history in Japanese folklore and art, and more recently have appeared in manga and anime.
In the Sankai Ibutsu, the baku was described the baku as a mythical chimera with the trunk and tusks of an elephant, the ears of a rhinoceros, the tail of a cow, the body of a bear and the paws of a tiger.
Writing in the Meiji period, Lafcadio Hearn (1902) described a baku with very similar attributes that was also able to devour nightmares. Legend has it that a person who wakes up from a bad dream can call out to baku. A child having a nightmare in Japan will wake up and repeat three times, "Baku-san, come eat my dream."
Legends say that the baku will come into the child's room and devour the bad dream, allowing the child to go back to sleep peacefully. However, calling to the baku must be done sparingly, because if he remains hungry after eating one's nightmare, he may also devour their hopes and desires as well, leaving them to live an empty life. The baku can also be summoned for protection from bad dreams prior to falling asleep at night. In the 1910s, it was common for Japanese children to keep a baku talisman at their bedside.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- Sankai Ibutsu
Notes[]
- The Japanese term baku has two current meanings, referring to both the traditional dream-devouring creature and to the Malayan tapir.
- The Pokemon Drowzee, originally from Pokémon Red & Green (Blue & Red internationally) is based on the Baku.