TENGU

more information English: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengu

The tengu most likely have their origins in China . The name "tengu" is probably derived from the Chinese Tiangou ("heavenly dog"), the Dog Star of Chinese astrology , or possibly a name given to a dog-tailed meteor that struck China in the 6th century BC . Eventually, an entire class of mountain demons called Tiangou developed in China, behaving much as the Japanese tengu in their more malevolent moods. These Tiangou were brought to Japan with the first Buddhists in the 6th or 7th century , where they perhaps became identified with native Shinto spirits. The earliest tengu legends feature only the karasu (crow) tengu, who are almost invariably evil in these tales. Tengu grew more humanoid over the years, as well as less evil and more mischievous.

During Japan's "middle ages", corruption infested much of the Buddhist clergy. It was during this period that the tengu took to punishing the blasphemous, and this association made them a favorite literary device used in the Kamakura period by authors wishing to safely criticize particular clergy or sects. The yamabushi mountain monks were also seen as fighting against this corruption, and eventually, the tengu took on their current yamabushi tengu form due to this association.

During the Edo period , Dutch traders were the only Europeans allowed into Japan, and it has been suggested that the ruddy-faced, wide-eyed, and big-nosed yamabushi tengu may have originated with peasants who thought that these "not-quite-Japanese-looking" strangers must be monsters in disguise.

As late as the Edo period , government officials posted notices warning tengu to leave the area before visits by the Shogun .

A well known Japanese children's story relates the tale of two tengu sitting atop mountains who can extend their noses great distances, following interesting smells down into the villages below. A whole set of stories feature a fan, received as a gift or bartered from tengu, waving which at someone can extend or shorten that person's nose magically, but not permanently.

more information Deutsch: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengu

Tengu ( jap. ??, wörtlich Himmelshund) ist der Name eines japanischen Fabelwesens , das in die Kategorie der Y?kai fällt. Ursprünglich als große Krähe dargestellt (Karasu-Tengu), etablierte sich nach und nach die Vorstellung der Tengu als eine Mischung aus Mensch und Vogel (Konsha-Tengu).

Tengu schlüpfen aus Eiern, haben jedoch eine menschliche Gestalt mit einer langen, schnabelartige Nase. Ihre Haut hat eine tiefrote Farbe und anstelle von Haaren wachsen ihnen Federn am Hals, auf der Schulter und auf dem Armrücken und alle Extremitäten enden in Adlerklauen. Sie leben in kleineren sozialen Verbänden in den Bergen und zeigen sich eher selten Menschen.

Tengu spielten in der volkstümlichen Variante der japanischen Shint? -Religion noch bis die frühe Neuzeit hinein eine wichtige Rolle, so wurden ihnen etwa Nahrungsgaben dargeboten, um sie zu besänftigen oder ihr Wohlwollen zu erregen. Minamoto no Yoshitsune soll von ihnen die Schwertkunst erlernt haben.

Europäer wurden früher ebenfalls als ?Tengu" bezeichnet. Dies bezog sich vor allem auf die aus japanischer Sicht sehr langen Nasen der Fremden. Heutzutage wird der Begriff Tengu auch im Zusammenhang mit ?eingebildet, hochnäsig" verwendet.