| Tengu | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Tengu |
|
First Appearance |
Nihon Shoki (720 AD) |
|
Created by |
Japanese mythology |
Origin[]
The Tengu is a Japanese yōkai (monster) and Shinto kami (god) - they have been portrayed in a variety of forms, including monkey and bird-like forms, but most famously a red skinned humanoid figure with a long, phallic nose. Within Shinto, the Tengu is a monkey diety which shines light on Heaven and Earth, while in Buddhism, they were once seen as demons and horsemen of war, but are now seen as protectors. They are said to carry hauchiwa feather fans, which can cause great winds and grow or shrink one's nose, which in one folk tale causes issues when a human scoundrel grows his nose to touch Heaven by accident during his sleep. Their powers are said to include transformation, possession, and immense strength.
Notes[]
- The "Japanese goblin" emoji, 👺, is based on a Tengu.
- Shiftry originally from the video game Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire is inspired by the Tengu.
- Nintendo used tengu in their earliest Hanafuda cards, making that iteration of the yōkai the only original Nintendo characters to be public domain.
- Bishaten from the game Monster Hunter Rise is based on the Tengu.