As the doctor prescribes: Better stay away... HE’LL TEAR YOUR LUNGS OUT, JIM!!!
From the depths of the night it emerges. A creature of your worst nightmares. Covered in so much hair that not even the invincible Gillete could make headway in the forest of follicles. A scream-inducing howl echoes through the night. And no, it’s not the gunk clogging up your bathtub drain, unfortunately. Nay, it is...
A WERE-WOLF!!! (*dun dun dunnnn*)
How’s that for a dramatic opener? Anyway, obviously the subject of this month’s blog is werewolves, or wolf-men, or whatever you want to call them. Specifically, I’ve been looking into whether or not Japan has something equivalent to the traditional Western Werewolf mythology that has become so well-known in modern-ish times. (Meaning I suppose the last 600 years or so, at least in Europe.) You know, the beastly, animal transforming full-moon addicts with a serious binge eating disorder. I was wondering whether or not there was some connection between werewolves in a “traditional” sense and the wolves of Japanese mythology. So hopefully by the end here I’ll have unmuddled some muddling complexities. Heh.
Also, I’m going to try and change things up a bit here. While I’m going to present you guys with some information that I’ve gathered via research, as always, I am hoping this will spark more of a dialogue by the end. It something I’ve been thinking about for a while now, and has a lot to do (actually) with many different discussions that have taken place here on BFF. As Z wisely put, however, there has yet to be a centralized conversation about it. So here we go.
Part 1: The Werewolves We All Know and Love[]
Exhibit A: European Werewolf
- were·wolf /ˈwerˌwo͝olf/ (homo lupus, lycanthrope)
- any of several large carnivorous mammals of the genus homo, of the dog family Canidae, especially C. lupus, usually solitary hunters, formerly common throughout the Northern Hemisphere but now chiefly restricted to the more supernatural parts of its range. These animals are capable of transforming from human to wolf under certain circumstances regarding the cycle of the full moon, not to be confused with other cycles. See also: wolf-man, lycanthrope, bogey-men, sasquatch, and Chuck Norris.
Because what blog's complete without a Chuck Norris reference?
‘nough said. I think we all get the picture.
Okay, sure, that’s a pretty basic, well-recognized definition of a werewolf in the traditional, European sense. I’m not going to go into their origins, nor am I going to talk about the connections between witchcraft, the church in the middle-ages, silver, seventh sons, the moon, hexes, or stake burnings. While that may be relevant to the subject of werewolves, frankly it’s beside my point here. Let’s narrow down the scope, shall we?
Part 2: Wolf Lore in Japan[]
While Japan is rich in its mythology of wolves and wolf-gods and other such majestic lupine creatures, werewolves in the traditional sense of shape-shifting man-beasts are scarce indeed. In Japan, grain farmers once worshiped wolves at shrines and left offerings of food near their dens. They would beseech the wolves to protect their crops from deer and boars. Wolf-embossed charms and talismans were said to keep fire, disease, and other disasters at bay, and to bring fertility. Eventually these traditions merged with those of Ta-asobi: the rituals associated with rice planting and the god of rice. As such the wolf as a messenger or deity was melded with beliefs held about Sarutahiko Okami, god of the crossroads. At first, I thought this could be a possible connection between Japanese and European folklore, because crossroads back in the good ol’ dark ages was where you buried criminals, those who had committed suicide, and vampires; in order to keep their dead spirits confused by the different directions and unable to come back to haunt the land. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any connection there between werewolves. Well, in Latin America and Portugal, a crossroads is supposedly where a werewolf transforms. At any rate, this is all just conjecture and I think it’s safe to say it’s a happy coincidence. Crossroads were important to any society with traveling messengers and merchants, and since those were the people who generally spread folk-tales and rumors from town to town, my educated guess is that’s the reason for the similarity. Moving along...
In ancient days, mountains were regarded as dangerous, strange places, associated with gods and spirits of the dead. Since wolves inhabited these mountains, they played a prominent role in old folklore and in many ways were considered gods themselves, the Ōkami (狼). Regarded as special messengers of the mountain gods, they were seen as benevolent, benign, and protectors of the forests and fields. It should be noticed that many times lines blurred between the distinction between wolves and mountain dogs, and even Kitsune. When we are talking about a canine creature with these powers and roles, however, we are generally talking about Ōkami, even if that Ōkami happens to be a fox or a dog. Whatever the case Ōkami were revered, especially by those travelling through mountain paths at night. It was said that a wolf would often follow them until they reached their house and then disappear. A silent, enigmatic protector. Obviously this view contrasts rather sharply with the widespread perspective outside Japan of the wolf as a threat to human livelihood and human life itself, something to be feared and the very embodiment of evil. So we get wolf-killing that was celebrated, encouraged (seen a lot in children’s fairy tales, if you haven’t noticed) and even institutionalized in Europe, and of course the werewolf mythology. But in Japan, far from being a threat to agrarian life, wolves helped to protect it from the destructive raiding forest animals such as deer, wild boar and rabbits. This probably explains why the wolves became associated with the goddess of rice and why they were worshipped with food offerings left at their dens. It also explains why wolves thrived (relatively speaking) until the Meiji Restoration and the arrival of Western-ness, which brought cattle farms, rabies and strychnine with it.
Nevertheless, shrines to wolves can still be found here and there in Japan, and one of the most famous is Mitsumine Jinja. It is located within a national park that covers an area of 1250 km² (777miles²), has eight peaks higher than 2000 m (6,570ft), and is the source of several major rivers. Mitsumine Jinja is remote, and according to one traveler, “so old that no one seems to know when it was established,” although it was said to have been built by Yamato Takeru, who was supposedly once saved by a white wolf after becoming lost on a war campaign and guided through the mountain pass. If it was built by that guy, it means the place is nearly two-thousand years old. Surrounded by cedars and immaculately maintained, the place is associated with Shugendō, a mystical Buddhist sect in which enlightenment is equated with attaining oneness with the kami (gods). It is now technically a Shinto shrine, and in the past was the major distributor of wolf iconography, ranging from statues to hanging-style prints, with the great majority of these images feature two wolves facing each other. So why is all of this relevant? Well, when talking about Mitsumina Jinja, we are talking about worship to the Ōkami. Take a look at what this guy says here on the subject:
- "There are many wolves which are called the messengers of the gods of the mountains, and people from other parts of the country come and, applying through the guards of these mountains, choose and borrow one of these wolves as a defense against fire. That is to say they only arrange to borrow it and do not take a wolf to their place. And from the day of borrowing they offer daily food to the spirit of the wolf.
But if through neglect several days pass without food being offered then the wolf chosen becomes thin, emaciated, and weak. There is a case where a man I know borrowed a wolf and neglected to offer food for four or five days, and misfortune came to him from that source and he was fearfully surprised." - —Hirata Atsutane (1776-1843)
Now, keep that in your mind a moment, whilst I take a break from the main course here to address the Ainu. The Ainu people believed that they were born from the union of a white wolf and a goddess, and knew the Hokkaidō wolf as vestiges of the high-ranking white-wolf god, Horkew Kamuy. Some regional versions exist that feature a white dog rather than a white wolf, but the difference seems to be less important in imagination since both inhabited the same classification, similar to what I mentioned earlier about the kitsune. One version of the myth is that Horkew Kamuy could find no suitable mate even after searching the entire island. So he summoned his divine powers and saw across to lands beyond the seas, and at last spotted a mate in a distant country. (Possibly Mongolia? More on that later.) So he coerced the woman with his powers to get on a small boat, cross the seas, and once on the island become his wife.
Alright, I don’t know about you, but by this time this is all sounding incredibly familiar. White wolves? Guardian spirits of the mountain forests? A girl coerced away into the pack? Hmmm. Well, wait. Isn’t that...
As one blogger so eloquently put: “Not only is the film visually breathtaking, its deep themes of ecology, historical tradition, and animal spiritualism inspire staring contests with the moon, for it will take you that long to convince yourself the moon is not actually a kodami staring back at you.”
Personally, the first time I saw the film I immediately picked up on the familiar “child/warrior abandoned in woods and raised by wolves” theme, as it is one we are intimately familiar with. Romulus and Remus, obviously, as well as Rudyard Kipling’s Mowgli. (Which is ironic considering the speculated origin point of many kid-raised-by-wolf legends, more on that later). But looking back now, it is quite clear to me that the entire movie can be framed within the terms of Japanese mythology. I mean, look at what we already have. Atsutane warned about the neglecting of the guardian wolves. Emaciated and malnourished, would they not then turn against the humans? And if we look at the film, it seems that is the case. A people who starve the forest from its spiritual resources, and the wolves who are trying to protect it and who retaliate as a result. Not only that, but we have a very clear-cut reference to a deer riding mediator (read the next section) and boars as the “enemies” of both wolves and men. Interesting considering their traditionally cast roles. As far as werewolves go, however, the only possible lines I could draw (besides Sun being raised by wolves, that is) was the connection to the moon god, you know, the headless forest Kirin deity thing.
But whatever he was doing, Miyazake knew what he was doing. On first glance the movie may seem to be a warning about the destruction of nature and the necessity to preserve our ecological bonds. But I never felt that was the film’s message. There was something too deep and too pessimistic to me about it, more like a statement than a prediction. I didn’t realize it though until I started looking up the meaning of wolves in that film. By the time Mononoke came around wolves had been extinct in Japan for almost a hundred years, the last one apparently being killed around 1905. The wolves’ extinction came about by the hands of hunters and farmers who embraced modern agriculture and international business and politics. Wolves became seen as pesky deterrents, not as solemn and aloof protectors, and so were exterminated with somewhat ruthless efficiency. Although I have always wondered if their end was inevitable anyway, considering their dwindling numbers at the time and the shrinking wild at the hands of rapid industrialization and development of land. Maybe this film appealed to me so much because I have seen with my own eyes the encroaching of the city mass in my own state over my short lifespan and can remember when there was nothing but open grass and forests and fields where there are now subdivisions and sterile concrete streets and nothing but robins and earthworms and people are transported in metal boxes through the choked arteries of civilization, never stopping, never considering the desecrated beauty that once was...
Though the ending of Princess Mononoke seems ambiguous at best, the fact that Miyazake chose to represent the forest’s primary mediators between humans and animals as wolves seems to foreshadow a tragic loss of communication. More relevant to our topic at hand, however, is the connection between a girl raised by white wolves, which is a tale reflected it many, many world mythologies.
Now for some examples...
Part 3: Common Mythology[]
"Free" actually refers to his dance moves.
European and Asian wolf lore isn’t as separate as you may first think. And no, I’m not talking about Free from Soul Eater, “that guy” from Kekkaishi, or even Tōshirō Hitsugaya. While perhaps interesting, they are most clearly based off of the western folklore, so that’s not exactly of help to us here. (Except "that guy" from Kekkaishi, but more on that later.) No, if we are to find a connection we have to go back, waaay back.
Wolves hold great importance in the cultures and religions of nomadic peoples. It’s obvious in the North American Plains cultures, and is also extremely prevalent in the historical mythologies of the Eurasian steppe cultures. Warriors are often identified with wolves, either mythically or ritualistically, and this may have eventually given rise to the idea of Lycanthropy. In the shamanic Turkic mythology, wolves are revered and were even believed to be the ancestors of the people themselves. According to the legend of Asena, once in Northern China a small Turkic village was raided by Chinese soldiers. Everything except one small baby boy was destroyed. Along came a she-wolf with a blue mane named well, Asena, found the baby, nursed him, mated him (eventually, we hope) and gave birth to half-wolf, half-human cubs. And that’s how the Turkic people were born. It was also believed in Turkic mythology that a gray wolf showed them the way out of their spiritual homeland, which allowed them to spread and conquer their neighbors. Some of the neighbors happened to be the Mongols.
In modern Mongolia, the wolf is still seen as a good luck symbol, and holds high importance in medicinal folk practices. According to their “secret history,” the Mongol people are said to have descended from the mating of a god wolf and a white deer. (Once again, throw-backs to the Ainu and Princess Mononoke. Or would that be a throw-forwards?) They also shared the story of the boy who was found and nursed by a she-wolf, and this story appears to have been borrowed itself from some earlier civilization. It seems there was a branching off of the Indo-aryan (remember Mowgli? Yeah, here’s the part where I would mention him again) and Eurasian wolf myths that centered around this same story. It permeated nomadic Asian cultures and in Europe, bears a striking similarity to the story of Romulus and Remus, which I assume we all know as the “origin” of the Roman Empire. By now this should be ringing a bell. Ainu legends seem to be influenced by the greater Asian, particular Mongolian, wolf mythology. And Shintoism (as discussed in the previous section) seems to owe many of its ideas about wolves to the Ainu. Meaning they are possibly connected. And if they are connected, that means we can maybe draw a connection between Western Werewolves and Japanese Wolf Lore. But there is one more thing that must be considered first, and I’d call it the crux of this entire blog.
Part 4: Sajin and the Animal Realm[]
So the real reason why I wanted to do this blog is because I cam across a thread the other day on Bleach Asylum that addressed the issue of Sajin, meaning, where did he come from? Where did he go? Where did he come from, Cotton Eyed Joe?
So let’s switch gears. So far I’ve been talking about Shintoism and very very very old folktales having to do with wolves, but Buddhism is a relative newcomer (hah) to Japan. Nevertheless, it is by no means insignificant, and has heavily influenced the storytelling patterns and philosophy of “modern” Japan. (Meaning, post-550 A.D. or so). And while I think the verdict is still out on this one (considering “kami” and “shinigami” and all that) Bleach does seems to owe more to Buddhism than Shintoism as far as its influences go. Actually scratch that last statement. Bleach is almost entirely based off of Buddhism. Reincarnation, Espada holes at chakra points, the VERY heavy references to “eyes” (Ywhach and Soul King anyone?) etc. etc. etc.
Right, so what is the Animal Realm? In Buddhist cosmology there are three main forms of being. The form realm, the formless realm, and the desire realm into which wandering spirits may be reborn. Unless I’m mistaken I believe this is often just simplified to the “desire realm,” or more aptly, “the universe, spiritually and physically, as a whole as we know it.” Within the desire realm there are six domains: God Realm, Asura Realm, Human Realm, Animal Realm, Preta Realm, and Hell Realm. In traditional Buddhist thought, the Animal Realm (aka "Tiryag-yoni realm") is the only realm we as humans can see and interact with naturally, and wandering spirits typically end up there based on strong mental states of stupidity and prejudice cultivated in a previous life or lives.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Isn’t that what happened to the Komomura Clan? Based on that, we can see that the family probably originated from the Human World, due to their sins they were banished to the Animal Realm, which is traditionally also located in the World of the Living, but this is Bleach so who knows? And after dying they regained “human” thoughts and sentience and were reincarnated in the Soul Society. Possibly, there are more than one ways to look at this.
First we have to consider Sajin’s great-grandfather, who is a giant dog/fox/wolf thing who resides in... the Soul Society. Hmm. He’s also a lot less human-like than Sajin is. Hmm. Perhaps the curse was only translated by one individual from the Human World then, and simply passed down to the descendants. It’s something to think about. Was there a Komomura in the original Gotei 13? Perhaps, it would be neat and would make a lot of sense. If Sajin had a father in the Gotei before him, and said father was just as loyal to Yamamoto as Sajin is, then it would make sense for him to be taken in. Also interesting to ponder is what the reason for the clan’s original banishment was in the first place? And when and where it actually took place?
Let’s go back to the Animal Realm. In Mahayana Buddhism, animals possess a Buddha nature and are therefore capable of suffering and also achieving enlightenment, although they must first be reborn as a human, which is not so easy a feat if you happen to be born into the three lower realms, which the Animal Realm is part of. When a human is reborn as an animal, their state of being devolves in a sense. Now, in Bleach a significant factor of the Komomura clan's punishment is not where they carry out their punishment, because they carry that curse punishment even into Soul Society. Apparently, it is the suffering of their hearts that binds them. Which is interesting to note because in Buddism the place of nirvana is... *plot twist* the human heart.
Allow Zuko to “enlighten” us here (yuk yuk yuk):
In Buddism it is the heart that chains or frees.
Of course Bleach fans should recognize this immediately. In Bleach it is the heart that is the seat of power. Soul Chain + Soul Booster/Sleep = heart in a “literal” sense, but it's only by understanding one's heart and trusting it that someone can achieve their full power, usually by finding what they wants to protect and sacrificing their heart every time the reach for that true power. Final Getsuga Tensho is perhaps the clearest example of this, of course. But there are also the Hollows who “lost” their hearts, the Espada who seal their “hearts” away into souls, and the Shinigami who communicate constantly with their “hearts” (Zanpakutou) in order to gain more power.
Interesting to note because during his transformation, Komomura ripped out his heart (or something) in order to become closer to a human). As seen here:
As I mentioned before, in the Animal Realm spirits exist in a state of ignorance, bigotry, and inflexibility. Prone to fear, (“eat or be eaten”), they shy away from the unfamiliar. Is that then the reason for the gulf between Komomura and his estranged great-grandfather? Ah hah. Unlike Sajin, who is much more human in appearance and character, great-granddaddy Komomura clings to a rigid view of how to approach a changing world. To endure, no matter what, without complaint, without question and without rebellion. But Sajin is closer to the human state, and therefore is closer to the Human Realm. He therefore sees and grasps at something that exists just beyond his touch. (Kaname Tosen, anyone?) Also as an interesting side-not is that Komomura’s bankai is associated with Wisdom Kings (“Myou-ou”), which obviously has to do with knowledge, which obviously contrasts with the ignorance of the Animal Realm.
But as “Milareppa” (the Bleach Asylum guy and resident Buddhism Expert who pointed out much of these connections between Komomura and Buddhism I must say, all credits to him) pointed out:
- "However, we have to bear in mind the transient nature of the ritual Komamura has performed. It does not free him from the burden of his clan's punishment, it simply allows a temporary alleviation of the burden. The bankai almost acts as a warning: for any attempt to circumvent a state of being, there's inevitably a price. Something almost seems wrong about a bankai, released during a state of empowerment, appearing more chained than the form that exists during his state of punishment.
Or perhaps it's more accurate to say that revealing the true form serves also to reveal the chains that bind him to his clan's state of punishment." - —Mila
But anyway, let’s get back to the subject at hand.
Part 5: Is it Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral?[]
All that being said, can we count Sajin as a werewolf? Can we count “that guy” from Kekkaishi as a werewolf for that matter? Well, let’s do a bit of compare-contrast, shall we?
Werewolves in Japan, Recap[]
Remember, Japan doesn’t have a werewolf tradition in the well, traditional sense asides from the Ōkami lore that I’ve already discussed. (Or does it? Keep reading to find out, mwah hah hah.) Taking that into consideration, any “traditional” werewolf that makes its appearance in anime is obviously a recent phenomenon and influenced by Western, well, influences. Again I’ll mention sin from Soul Eater here, who is a prime example of that, well, example.
Sheesh, talk about redundancy.
Komomura[]
Well, THAT was unexpected...
The fact that his transformed state resembles a traditional werewolf tends to hide the wealth of traditional Buddhist lore that he was based in. As I discussed in part 1 of this blog, “werewolf” lore in Japan would be more associated with the sacred, protective guardian spirits of the land. With Komomura, however, that’s pretty much a non-existent factor unless we stretch his dedication to the Soul Society as = “protection,” but since that motive is also based in Buddhism and the Animal Realm (essentially, Fudō Myō-ō has a Sanskrit name meaning “Acala,” meaning “immovable” and “protector,” which sumerise his approach to battle which has to do not just with fighting, but with faith, as Komomura is on a path he believes in and one that, in the end, is an unshakable resolution. Now, where were we?) so since Komomura is so heavily based on Buddhism in other aspects, is reasonable to say that even his motive to “protect” is Buddhist in nature. So the only two things I got for a connection between “werewolves” meaning “Japanese folk wolf lore” and Komomura was that, one, as I already pointed out, Japan isn't consistent in terms of Ōkami mythology. Remember, in parts of the country they’re seen as equivalent to the kitsune, which is sometimes based on legends of the dog, not fox. And remember, dogs and wolves are often interchangeable in folklore. Interesting because in Bleach Komamura is supposedly a wolf, but is often confused in-universe as a dog, which his great-granpappy looks more similar to anyway, and then in the anime he just looks 100% fox. Go figure. Secondly, while I didn’t mention this before, the method for creating an Inugami is grisly, (see the next section) and their vengeful nature is the result of what goes wrong when control is lost. It could be taken then, as a concept of a wolf-man (Komomura) sinning and being punished for that, and the gruesome effects when that animal nature takes hold. However, the werewolf features Komamura DOES possesses in human form (ears, heavy eyebrows, manly chest/arm) are classic, modernized European werewolf signs. In other words, I’m guessing Kubo just used that as inspiration for the way the character ended up looking, while everything else was based off of traditional Buddhism. Of course, all of this is just speculation, as we can’t read his mind, but the connections drawn are very convincing, I’d say.
Verdict: I imagine Buddhist werewolves would find tofu hard to stomach.
Side note: While writing this section, I just realized that Komomura contrasts rather sharply with the wolves of well, Wolf’s Rain. In that series, the human/wolf shape-shifters are after a particular flower in order to protect and restore the land to its natural state. Hmm. Sounds more similar to those guardian spirits of Japan’s wolf lore that we were talk about, and should provide a counter-point to Komomura’s own protection of Soul Society. If you’ve seen the series you know what I’m talking about, if not then just ignore this point.
"That Guy" from Kekkaishi[]
Not sure how many people have seen Kekkaishi, but if you haven’t you should, as I believe Kubo once stated that he himself had drawn inspiration from the series, which is why I watched it in the first place. It also has some pretty cool Onmyōji and Japanese folklore references, and the anime isn’t too long so if you like that stuff it might be something up your alley. Anyway. In Kekkaishi the main character is accompanied by the spirit of a mountain dog (who is actually a Honshu Wolf) known as Madarao. (No, not THAT Madao...) Madarao was once known as Ginro, and many, many, many years ago lived in the mountains with his childhood friend, Kouya. Deer was their primary and preferred food source, and they enjoyed hunting them until humans over-hunted the deer and turned the mountain into a barren, desolate rock. Ginro eventually chose to leave, accompanied by a more reluctant Kouya, but everywhere they went the story was the same. Ginro eventually starved to death, which caused Kouya to attack the root of their suffering—humans, in a blind rage. He was killed by a soldier, and the spirits of both wolves returned to the mountains. They continued to guard the place for many many years until found by a Kekkaishi, (for our intents here, an Onmyōji) and were thus involved in the main events of the story.
Sounds a whole lot like Princess Mononoke, doesn’t it? So already the bar is set pretty high as far as traditional Japanese wolf-lore goes, which means we’re hopeful at this point.
Now for “that other guy.”
Gen is his name. Born as a half Ayakashi (demon), Gen was fiercely protective of his sister who shielded him from bullies in his childhood. Protective spirit? Check. Gen transforms into a werewolf when cornered, and so he is sent away for training and to protect those around him. A tattoo/seal is given to him, which will cause intense agony and force him to return to human form if he ever fully transforms again, because when in this fully transformed state he often loses control completely and can’t make distinctions between friend and foe.
Seals? Cursed wolf spirits and dangerous transformations? Hmm, sounds a lot like... Naruto, of course. Which brings us full-circle to the Japanese mythology associated with Inugami and Kitsune and such. So while Gen may be more “Western werewolf” than Komomura, he is more “Shintoist” in nature than Komomura is, but I suppose both of them are topped by Naruto. But because I’ve already gone on for 50 bazillion pages now, and because this is a Bleach wiki, not a Naruto wiki, I’ll just leave it at that.
Oh horror of horrors, my conclusion is thus: Naruto is the closest thing we’ll probably get to a “Japanese werewolf.”
Verdict: Oh well. Dattebayo
Word to the wise... don't get on his bad side.
Side side note: Writing this section reminded me of Inugami from Nurarihyon no Mago, whom Gen more closely resembles and is actually sort of a half-way point between Gen and Naruto. Due to his past of being looked down on and treated like trash, Inugami bears an intense hatred towards humans. When his hatred towards humans increases, his power grows in strength. Conversely he is severely weakened if his resentment is turned to fear. He is formidable and rabid in his dog form. And there is yet another link between the Inugami of Japan and the Werewolves of Europe. Now that’s what I’m talking about...
Part 6: The Missing Link[]
Well, guess I got so excited about Komomura and Japanese wolf lore that I forgot all about the Inugami, who are of course the closest example of a Japanese werewolf that we have, and is so obvious my grandma would have spotted it. *face desks*. Anyway, here we go.
Inugami are a type of “familiar”, or spirit of possession, and the legend seems to be most prominent in west Japan. In public, they are said to look identical to an ordinary dog in order to blend in, but its true form is that of a desiccated, mummified dog’s head which is dressed in ceremonial trappings and kept in a secret shrine in the owner’s home. Ech. But this stood out to me because the head of a werewolf holds a lot of significance in European mythology as well. They say if you want to keep a werewolf from coming back from the dead, you have to bury its body away from its head. Interesting because in this case, the Inugami seem to be the reverse of that.
My, but what big ears you have.
It is said that Inugami are used more in areas where foxes are more rare or unusual, thus another connection between the kitsune and the Inugami. Worship of the Inugami is ancient, and it is said that powerful sorcerers were said to be able to create these spirits through monstrous ceremonies (in the example of Kekkaishi and Nurarihyon, brutally torturing the poor guys over a constant period until they transformed). The most usual method is to keep the dog just barely out of reach from its food (chained or buried all the way up to its head) until it goes mad with starvation, (now, that sounds like Madarao doesn’t it?) at which point you cut off the head and mummify it. After this point the master can revive the dog, now an Inugami, and use them for all sorts of nefarious deeds. The Inugami serve their masters loyally and perform tasks faithfully, just like a normal dog. They are loyal to one person or one family only, and unless seriously mistreated they remain loyal forever; these spirits can be passed down from generation to generation like an heirloom. (Again, see Madarao from Kekkaishi, who is the familiar of the main character’s family and has been for generations). Inugami were mostly treated like family by their owners, and most of the time would obediently do their master’s bidding. However, like living dogs, occasionally a resentful Inugami might betray a master that grew too abusive or domineering, savagely biting him to death. Apparently a person can also be possessed by the spirit of an Inugami, and signs of possession include chest pain, pain in the hands, feet, or shoulders, feelings of deep jealousy, and suddenly barking like a dog. (Like Gen from Kekkaishi). Some victims develop intense hunger and turn into gluttons, and it is said that people who die while possessed by an Inugami are found with markings all over their body resembling the teeth and claw marks of a dog. It is unknown where these practices were invented, but the legend stretches to the Heian period, where that form of sorcery was actually outlawed.
One more thing to note here about the complex and cruel ceremony. The severed head of the dog is supposed to be buried in the street for a time— usually a crossroads where many people pass by. The trampling of hundreds or thousands of people over this buried head would add to its stress and cause the animal’s spirit to transform into an onryō (a powerful malevolent spirit). Occasionally these severed heads were said to escape and fly about, chasing after food, animated solely by the onryō’s anger— such was the power of the dog’s hunger. The head was then baked or dried and enshrined in a bowl, after which the spirit could be used for whatever the sorcerer commanded for the rest of time.
And what do you use an Inugami for? Why criminal activities of course. Murdering, kidnapping, and mutilating your victims. If the Inugami is perfectly trained, they can possess humans and manipulate them, often driving them to suicide, homicide, or lunacy. Hmm. Sounds similar to a western werewolf wouldn’t you say? But an Inugami is a dual-edged sword, and can be very dangerous for the evoker himself, since the Inugami’s soul is blinded by its desire for revenge and its unstoppable rage (Gen, Inugami from Nurarihyon, and Naruto) and they can quickly escape the master’s control and kill their own evoker.
Well, and with that I’d say I think we’ve found our werewolves. Especially when mixed with humans or more human like elements (to beat a dead horse, Gen, Inugami from Nurarihyon, and Naruto) they very closely resemble western werewolves. Only difference is that these are dogs we’re talking about, not wolves. But hey, remember as I said, mountain dogs and wolves are often used interchangeable in Japanese folklore. Makes you wonder: what if it was a wolf that was buried and starved and turned into an Ōkami/Inugami? I personally, would not want to mess with that.
Part 7: Discussion Questions[]
Well, since I am too lazy to come up with a conclusion for this one here’s how I’ll end this. I said I was hoping for this blog to spark more of a discussion, so here it is:
- 1. Where do you think the Animal Realm is located in Bleach? Is it in the World of the Living? In the Soul Society? Are there two of them? What do you all think?
- 2. Based on that question, what do you think the original well, origin story of the Komomura clan was? Where they lived/what realm they were in when they were cursed, if it was an entire family or just one guy, how the curse is transmitted, and what their original sin was?
- 3. Do you think Komomura could ever become a full “human,” or would he have to die for that to happen? What would happen to the curse in that case?
- 4. Do you know of any other werewolf examples in anime that I may have missed? Specifically connections between Japanese traditions and Western traditions in one Frankenstein-esque monster, like Gen from Kekkaishi?
- 5. Besides the Inugami, which do you think is closer to a “Japanese werewolf,” the Buddhist Animal Realm version, or Japanese/ancient Asian folklore, and how did you reach that conclusion?
- 6. So I covered what I believe the connection to be between the “raised by wolves” Romulus and Remus story, and the same legend but in Asia, but how do you suppose the facets about heads of werewolves and crossroads came about? Just happy coincidence, or some other connection?
And with that, dear reader, I’d say this month’s mystery has been (mostly) solved.
