Baku (spirit)

The Baku (Japanese貘and貘) is a benevolent creature of uncertain lineage chimeras from the group of Yōkai, a group of monsters essence of Japanese folk belief. Its origin is in China. He is depicted with the head of an elephant and a rather stocky trunk, small ears, four legs with four claws, a curly tail and the body and mane of the lion. His coat is spotted, and occasionally he shows flames at the groin and elbow joints.

The Baku stays in the vicinity of people and can swallow its bad dreams when the formula獏 食らい( baku, kurai - dt: Baku devour, ) is called three times to do so. In this role, his portrait should provide on the pillow for a dreamless sleep. Also Netsuke were decorated with the image of Baku. At the mausoleum of shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616), there are also carved representations of Baku.

Under the name of a tree deity ( " Shirakina Kami " ) helps the Baku against epidemics, for which purpose a calligraphy was hanged with his name on the affected house.

Since the characters貘in Chinese the tapir, the there - unlike in Japan, where the animal was unknown - has been known since the time of the Han Dynasty designated, it is presumed that the shape of the animal originally influenced the shape of the mythical creature.

Figure of Baku at the shrine of Konno Hachiman - gū in Shibuya

Figure of Baku and a lion on the same shrine