Online dictionary of history and traditions in Japan: Oni

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French version

Oni

鬼
alternative words: Demon, Fiend
keywords: buddhism , mystery , religion
related topics: Buddhism , Onmyodo , Nara period , Heian period , Setsubun
related web sites: http://www.geocities.co.jp/SilkRoad-Desert/7644/ , http://www.people.or.jp/~yoshiyasu/index.htm , http://www.waw.ne.jp/youkai/9802/trad.DBindex.html , http://www.park.org:8888/Japan/CSK/hyakki/
explanation: Initially it designated spiritual and neutral beings like gods or death's souls. Under the influence of Buddhism in Nara period, it became awful creatures who fill the hell, then everything of demoniac and harmful even in the current world. Finally when the society became unsecured at the end of Heian period, it designated brigands or bandits. Oni is frequently represented with 2 horns and tiger's fur because Oni's gate should be bull-tiger direction (ushi-tora), i.e. north-east according to Onmyodo.