jigoku hell demons devils

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. Onipedia - 鬼ペディア　- Oni Demons - ABC-List - .
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jigoku no oni 地獄の鬼 demons of the Buddhist hell
densetsu　伝説 and their legends

On the way to the Buddhist after-life, the dead has to cross
. Sanzu no Kawa 三途の川 River Sanzu, the river on the way to hell .

Next he will meet
. Enma-O 閻魔天、閻魔王 the King of Hell, Emma / 閻王 En-O .
for his verdict : Heaven or Hell ?!


CLICK for more hell paintings !

Many paintings tried to scare people of the Demons of the Buddhist Hell
. jigokue, jigoku-e 地獄絵 paintings of the Buddhist hell .
地獄草子 Jigoku Soshi - Hell Scroll


. Juu Oo 十王, Juo, Ju-O - 10 Ten Kings of Hell - Ten Yama Kings .
- Introduction -


. Nihon Ryooiki, Nihon Ryōiki 日本霊異記 Nihon Ryoiki .
Ghostly Strange Records from Japan // Record of Miraculous Events in Japan
by Kyookai 景戒 （きょうかい/けいかい) Kyokai - Keikai, priest of Yakushi-Ji in the Nara period

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. onigokko, oni-gokko 鬼ごっこ game of tag .

This game has a long history, all the way to Hell,
where 地蔵菩薩　Jizo Bosatsu is trying to lead the poor souls out of hell, past the Oni guardian.




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The hot spring in Oita, Chinoike jigoku 血の池地獄, the "Blood Pond Hell", based on an image of hell found in Buddhism.

. Oita 大分県の鬼伝説　Oni Demon Legends .


. chinoike, chi no ike 血の池と伝説 Legends about "blood ponds" .

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In the 地獄道 Jigokudo, the Realm of Hell,
there are 8 hot and 8 cold hells. Here the Oni serve as gokusotsu 獄卒 wardens of hell to torture the dead.

. jigokudoo 地獄道 Jigokudo, the Realm of Hell .
one of the The Six Realms in the Buddhist after-life.

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. gakidoo 餓鬼道 Gakido, The Realm of Hungry Ghosts .
Good people go to Heaven, bad people fall into hell and become Hungry Ghosts.
Their necks are so thin, they can not drink water. If they see water, it turns into flames in front of their eyes.




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. Onibashi 鬼橋 the Demon Bridge .
and the Hell Demon vassals of Taishaku Ten 帝釈天が眷属の鬼



. 星光寺縁起絵巻 Seiko-Ji Engi Emaki - Legends about the origin of Seikō-Ji .




. Oojoyooshuu, Ōjōyōshū 往生要集 Ojoyoshu, Ojo Yoshu .
by Genshin　源信　 (942-1017), Eshin Soozu 恵心僧都 Eshin Sozu

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oni kyoogen 鬼狂言 Oni Kyogen - Kyogen performances with Oni
There are various Kyogen performances with Oni as their subject.




. kyoogen 狂言 Kyogen performance .
"mad words" or "wild speech"

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One story is about the strong man, Asahina.
The Oni of Hell eventually have to let him go and he heads for 極楽 Gokuraku, the Buddhist Paradise.

. Asahina Saburo Yoshihide - 朝比奈三郎義秀 . 13th century
the son of Wada Yoshimori 和田義盛 (1147-1213).

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武悪(ぶあく) Buaku, Bu-aku - 武悪『あずき』 azuki - 小豆武悪（あずきぶあく）Azuki Buaku
Oni-buaku, 青 Ao-buaku
Azuki - the most typical Oni masks in Kyogen

For Setsubun and special plays, such as
oni no mamako 鬼の継子 The Stepchild of an Oni
蓬莱の島の鬼 the Oni of Horajjima, Asahina and 八尾 Yao
- reference source : material.miyazaki-c.ed.jp/ipa　 -

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蓬莱の島の鬼 the Oni of Horaijima

Nagano 長野県
狂言「節分」では蓬莱の島から来た鬼が家にやってきて、女性にだまされ隠れ蓑を巻き上げあられてしまい、豆を投げつけられる。鬼は霊山から来るというのは現在とは違っている。蓑虫伝説との関係があるのではないか。

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oni no mamako 鬼の継子 The Stepchild of an Oni

- reference English : oni no mamako -

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八尾 Yao - Kyogen - Netuske

Jookooji 常光寺 Joko-Ji and the Yao Jizo 八尾の地蔵
- quote -
昔むかし八尾の里の住人で、生前一度も後生を願ったことのない不信者が死んで、冥土に旅立つことになりました。不信者は閻魔大王の審判で地獄に落とされることが心配です。ふと八尾を立つ時に、常光寺の地蔵さんから閻魔大王にあてた手紙を預かっていることに気づきました。 初めは、何がなんでも地獄へ落としてやろうと閻魔大王は取り合わなかったのですが、不信者が必死になって頼むので、手紙を開いてみると、昔なじみの地蔵尊からの手紙でした。
八尾地蔵尊 地蔵尊は「この者の親戚に大変な篤信者がいて、世話になっている。その人に免じてこの者を極楽へやってください」と書いていました。閻魔大王は「八尾の地蔵といえば、昔大変な美僧で、わしとことのほか仲が良かった。その地蔵の頼みとなれば仕方がない」と言って、不信者を極楽へ送るよう取り計らったとのことです。
- HP of the temple
大阪府八尾市本町5-8-1 / 5 Chome-8-1 Honmachi, Yao-shi, Ōsaka-
- reference source : jyokouji.com/about/kyougen -


A Sinner with References and the King of Hell - (Yao)
- full text in English :
- source : kyogen-in-english.com/wp-content -

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. Mibu Kyogen 壬生狂言 .
At the temple Mibudera 壬生寺 Mibu-Dera, Kyoto



Sai no Kawara 賽の河原　One of the typical performances of the Temple, to show the deep mercy of Jizo Bosatsu, trying to save the sinners from falling into hell.
The mask of the Oni is especially fearful, but sometimes the performance of the Oni is quite humorous.
閻魔の庁での閻魔の裁きや鬼の責めなど、恐ろしい場面が続くが、ユーモラスな鬼の演技が緊張をほぐし、壬生狂言の宗教劇としての優れた面を表している。
- reference source : mibudera.com/k_09 -

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. Jigokudoo 地獄堂 Jigoku-Do "Hall of Hell" .
Senkooji 全興寺 Senko-Ji, Osaka
- “Tell a lie and I’ll rip out your tongue!”

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. Japanese Legends - 伝説　民話　昔話 – ABC-List .

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愛知県 Aichi 豊田市 Toyota

oni no ido 鬼の井戸 the well of the Demon
At the Jigokudani 地獄谷 "hell valley" at the river 田代川 Tashirogawa there are three huge boulders, called "Oni no zashiki" 鬼の座敷 "Living room of the Oni".
The middle one is very much indented and always filled with water, called "the well of the Demon".
People who had to go downriver to have a rain ritual had to purify their bodies before using this water.
Once one of the 八大龍王 eight great dragon kings, 八坂龍王 Yasaka Ryu-O, passed here. He became thursty on the way and made this water gather in the dent. But then he became more angry and let heavy rain fall.



- one more legend about oni no ido
. Oni no Ido at 大分市 Oita city .


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青森県 Aomori

Jizoo Son 地蔵尊 Jizo Bosatsu
at 恐山 菩提寺 temple Bodai-Ji, Mount Osorezan

The statue of Jiso Bosatsu at the temple is out all night to help the dead children and sinners from the fangs of the Oni. To help them all fast, he has cut off the long sleeves and sems of his robe and slams his 錫杖 staff on the rocks with a loud noise.
The feet of the statue are always covered with sand - they say.



. Osorezan 恐山 Osoresan "Mount Fear" .


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福井県 Fukui 武生市 Takefu 坂口村 Sakaguchimura

jigoku no kama no futa ake 地獄の釜の蓋あけ opening the lid of the chauldron of hell
From August 14 to 16, during the O-Bon rituals,
the lid of the hell chauldron is opened and an Oni with his Kanabo throws out the dead people that got stuck under the lid. The living have to go to a temple and welcome their dead home, otherwise the dead souls will hang out at the eaves of the temple all the time.




. 地獄の釜の蓋が開く日 jigoku no kama hiraki .
In January and July, Emma (Enma, Ema) is out on a holiday (Emma saijitsu 閻魔賽日 and the lid to the chauldron of hell was opened 地獄の釜の蓋が開く日, so these two days are best to visit a temple where Emma is enshrined (閻魔堂 Emado).


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大阪府 Osaka 箕面市 Mino town - 茨木市 Ibaraki town

If someone tells a lie, the Oni from hell come and pull out the tongue with a kuginuki 釘抜き nail puller.
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If people eat roasted beans with the skin peeled off at Setsubun, they will be made to peel off the skin of stones when they go to hell.


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鳥取県 Tottori

jigokuana, jigoku-ana 地獄穴 the cave of hell

To the left of the waterfall 亀ヶ滝 Kamenotaki at 高山の焼山 there is a cave called "Cave of Hell". In former times there lived the Oni, and also the 平家の落人 samurai of the Heike clan in hiding.
If someone asks for plates and cups for a village ceremony and later comes back to this cave, the things he needed will be placed on the rocks. But you have to bring them back cleaned after use.
Then one day a farmer did not bring the plates and cups back and since then, the Oni never lent them to the villgers.
(This kind of legend is also known in other parts of Japan, where the Kappa or a Snake or other local Yokai monster does the lending.)


. The Heike Clan and Oni - Legends .


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山梨県 Yamanashi 北杜市 Hokuto town 白州町 Hakushumachi

If someone dies during the O-Bon rituals in August, he is put in his grave with a basket on his head. Since he has to go to hell for the first time, together with the other dead relatives of former years, the Demons of Hell hit his head to show who is the new master now, and the basket can protect him.

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- reference : Nichibun Yokai Database -




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. Onipedia - 鬼ペディア　- Oni Demons - ABC-List - .

. O-Mamori お守り　Amulets and Talismans .

. Japan - Shrines and Temples - Index .


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