Ningyo

Ningyo (Japanese人鱼, dt "human fish ") is a fish -like creature from Japanese folklore. The term is often translated as a mermaid.

According to the description her mouth like that of a monkey, their teeth are small as the fish with golden scales and it has a quiet voice, similar to a skylark or flute. Their meat is tasty and supposedly gives anyone who eats it, immortality. Catching a Ningyo intended to cause storms and misfortune. Therefore, it was rumored that, if one catches a mistake, she should throw back into the sea again. A Ningyo that is washed up on the beach was considered a harbinger of war and calamity.

Happyaku Bikuni

One of the most popular legends is that of the Happyaku Bikuni (八百 比丘尼, dt " eight hundred [ years ] Buddhist nun " ), also read Yao Bikuni. The story is about a fisherman from the province of Wakasa, who once caught an unusual fish. Since he never had a fish came in all his years as under the eyes, he invited his friends for review of the flesh.

One of the guests saw in the kitchen the head of the fish. He saw that he had a human face and warned the others to eat it. The fish, however, was already prepared, so everyone took a piece of it to go to dispose of.

However, one was drunk on sake and forgot to throw away his part. When he came home, his little daughter asked for a gift and the man gave her carefree the meat. When he came to his senses, he tried for fear of poisoning to prevent his daughter from eating, but it was already too late. However, since nothing bad happened, he did not worry anymore.

The years passed, the girl grew up and got married. From now on, they no longer aged and retained her youthful face, while her husband was getting older and eventually died. After she married and widowed again, the woman became a nun and wandered through the land. Finally they returned to their home in Wakasa, where she ended her life at the age of 800 years in a cave at Kuin Temple (空 印 寺, Kuin -ji) in today's Obama.

The Ningyo of Ehon Sayo Shigure

In the second register (二 之 目录) of Ehon Sayo Shigure (絵 本 小 夜 时 雨, dt " picture book of the night rain" ) by Hayami Shungyōsai can be found at Naniwa Higashibori ni Igyo o Tsuri (浪華 東堀 に 異魚 を 釣, dt. ' catch of the strange fish in the Eastern Channel of Naniwa " ) from the Edo period, a story about catching a Igyo ( " strange fish "). 1800 a 3 shaku (90 cm) long was caught fish in Nishibori - Hirano -machi of Osaka. According to the book he is regarded as a kind of Ningyo. He had a human face, the scales of a big -headed mullet and the voice of a small child. When Shigeru Mizuki, he finds himself under the name Hatsugyo (髪 鱼, dt " Hair fish").