From:	acjpenn@******.com acjpenn@******.com
Subject:	A Van that is also a Boat that is also a Submarine...
Date:	Fri, 2 Jun 2000 22:57:09 -0500

*snip snap*

> Some other fun oriental critters (This is the *Oriental* Companion so I
> don't know what comes from what culture):
> Oni: Demons ... Evil Evil Evil :)

Japanese. Nasty, come in several forms, Fish parts are quite common in
some myths.

> Shojo: Demons of the Deep. Nastier than the Oni (They have to be to shirk
> the rule of the Dragon King)

Again, Japanese.

> Sennin: Goodly mountain spirits who will grant a single wish in return
> for bringing their souls to them (one soul per Sennin ;) )... The catch
> is that soul resides in a chamber hidden deep within the underworld.

Hmmm.. not too sure on this one.. sounds Chinese to me.


> Baku: Dream spirit that devours nightmares.

Japanese again. ED has a horror based on these.. a minor one, but still a
horror.

> Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters.

Kinda multi-cultural on this one, though my fav are the were-spiders, the
Kumo.

> Kappa: Aquatic spirits that will drag victims to a watery death ... then
> eat them :)

Japanese again. Kappa look like small men with turtle shells, and a bowl
shaped depression on their heads full of water. If the water drains out,
the kappa can die. They spend most of their time around water because of
that. They're also multi, multi-jointed.

> Ghosts: Boo! Exorcism or rectifying the cause for the ghosts shame are
> the only methods to get rid of a (oriental) ghost. Additionally,
> disruption on lasts 1 night.

Japanese Ghosts (The kind I have most knowledge over) are Buddhist in
origin. Lost souls who have too many fetters to this present world to
re-incarnate. Also, a particularly nosy ancestor could hang around,
unconvinced his/her family has enough brains to take care of themselves.

> Rokiro-Kubi: Spirits of those killed by hanging who take revenge on the
> living.

This sounds to me like another Japanese myth, but I'm not quite sure.
Hanging was not that common a method of execution in the time frames I'm
familar with.. either this is more recent, or maybe a japanized version of
something else.

> Tengu: Crow-men pranksters.

You can tell them by their long noses, ruddy faces, and magical coats. Not
only pranksters, in some legends Tengu were fabulous swordsmen. Adept
avatar/teacher/mcguffin, anyone?

> Myo-o: Servants of Buddha.

Spirits, a form of kami.. see below

> Kami: Greatest of the spirits.

In Shinto, everything has a kami representation. The word means spirit.
Every blade of grass, every tree, every rock. To not respect this fact is
to invite their wrath. Some kami are more important than others, based on
village location, local myths, etc, etc. The great kami have the prefix O-
added, which in older Japanese means Great. In fact, O-Kami, great spirit,
is a term for Wolf.

> Bosatsu: Followers of Buddhism who have reached Nirvana and wish to help
> others reach Nirvana.

Literaly, the Buddahs. There are thousands of them. They've transcended
the world and no longer reincarnate, being something else entirely. When
they intervene, they do so for unknown reasons, with strange purposes that
no one really knows. These beings dwell in "deep time" and see things from
afar off, lifetimes, millinea, or even worlds away.

> Bakemono: Goblins.

Your average Japanese goblin is short, smells like rotten fish, and has a
VERY big head. (Physicaly and Mentaly)

> Shikome: Bigger Goblins. :)
>

I think these are the Ogres in Japanese myth, again not sure.

Thanks to D. Ghost for posting these. Hope this helps anyone looking for a
little spice.

Tig Da Pig