Kasa-obake

Kasa - Obake ( Japanese傘 おばけ, dt "Screen Spirit " ) also Karakasa - Obake (から 傘 おばけ, dt " Paper Umbrella Spirit " ) and Karakasa - Kozo (唐 伞 小僧, dt "Screen boy called " ), is a fictional character from the Japanese folk belief, which belongs to the group of lower Yōkai. He is said to have an ambivalent character.

Description

The Kasa - Obake has the shape of a large, traditional paper umbrella. He wears a single, large eye and a mouth with a very long tongue. Its stem ends in a human foot or leg with foot. He moves hopping away or clamped itself on and floats around. In rare cases, the Kasa - Obake two human arms and / or legs have two.

Background

Design model was the Bankasa (番 伞), a large, aufspannbarer rain or sun screen, who enjoyed especially in the Edo period of great popularity. He was a rugged everyday screen with a short, relatively thick stem, a mass-produced and intended for the " little man ". Expensive luxury productions were covered with silk.

The essence Kasa - Obake belongs to a special group of Yōkai, the Tsukumogami (付 丧, dt " artifact spirits"神): The Japanese folk belief, according to articles, tools and appliances of all kinds after a period of 100 years, inspired and in yōkai transform. Kasa - Obake develop a life of their own when they are ignored for too long and seem useless. In retaliation for the neglect ( and out of sheer boredom ) they follow residents and walkers and scare them. Other Kasa - Obake operate only harmless practical jokes. Or they just fly away.

Modern

The shape of the Kasa - Obake has found its way into modern novels, manga and anime series. Children and young people paint Kasa - Obake motives. Also popular a jumping jack toy is in the shape of Kasa - Obake. A well-known parody of the essence is to be found in the Game Boy game Super Mario Land 2 as an enemy of Mario.