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Ferocious Fiends: 001

Karasu-tengu

烏天狗

Pronunciation:

(KAH-rah-soo TEN-goo)

English Name:

Raven-tengu

Gender:

Male/Female

Height:

5 to 6 ft. (150 to 180cm)

Weight:

Unknown

Locomotion:

Bipedal, flight, teleportation

Distinctive Features:

Generally humanoid Bird-like or dog-like face with beak. When clothed, attire is similar to that of a Buddhist monk

Offensive Weapons:

Tremendous strength

Ability to cloud human minds

Possession of human hosts (according to some tales)

Claws and shape shifting

Abundance:

Prevalent

Habitat:

Mountainous regions

Feathers found near a Karasu-tengu sighting

Claim to Fame:

The wings on their backs may be reminiscent of angels, but the similarities end there. Crafty, adroit, and extraordinarily dangerous, these unpredictable tricksters are a constant presence in Japanese myth and folklore. Their portrayal has varied greatly over the centuries since their first recorded appearance in eighth-century Japanese literature, but let us boil those thousand years of history down for you: Tengu equal trouble.

According to the Tale of the Heike, a twelfth-century chronicle of Japanese military and political intrigue, the Karasu-tengu are “men, but not men; bird, but not bird; dog, but not dog; they possess the hands of a human, the head of a canine, a pair of wings, and are capable of both flight and walking.”

The Karasu-tengu are, essentially, a metaphor for the travails of becoming a Buddhist monk. In their earliest incarnation, they were portrayed as taking great pleasure in playing tricks, spiriting disciples away to far-flung locations, and taking various forms to tempt holy men and believers from the path of virtue. They were also said to have the ability to possess human hosts, causing madness or inciting political intrigue. Over the years they have been blamed for causing all manner of catastrophe and mayhem, including the spreading of plagues and other natural disasters. That being said, Karasu-tengu are not always viewed as harbingers of death and destruction. They are also famed for their skill with a variety of weapons and are credited with having taught some of Japan’s most renowned swordsmen their skills.

It is not exactly clear how Karasu-tengu reproduce, but the population includes females as well as males. They are said to hatch from enormous eggs, occasionally found deep in the mountains by wayward travelers.

The Attack!

Karasu-tengu are the foot-soldiers and enforcers of the Tengu world. Unlike the related Hanadaka-tengu (p. 22), who generally eschew random violence, the Karasu-tengu instigate disaster on scales both widespread and personal. They are fiercely protective of their territory and will relentlessly attack those who insult them or their masters.

If you find yourself face to face with an angry Karasu-tengu, you are in serious, serious trouble. Its proficiency with a wide array of man-made weapons is dangerous enough. But its ability to shape-shift and take flight makes it far more deadly than any human opponent, and its raptor-like claws and beak are as capable of disemboweling you as any sword.

Surviving an Encounter:

If you happen to live in an area where a Karasu-tengu has decided to spread a plague or other form of mass calamity, with any luck you can pack your bags and get out. If one is targeting you personally, you’re going to have to take your medicine. No human power can halt a Karasu-tengu on the warpath.

As a preventive measure, you can avoid incurring the wrath of a Karasu-tengu by treating the mountainous areas in which they dwell with care and respect. And who knows—if you’re lucky, you might even earn yourself some lessons from one of these undisputed masters of martial arts. In 1806, villagers in Gifu prefecture reported that Tengu kidnapped a fifteen-year-old boy named Jugoro. He returned three years later, completely unharmed, but had become an expert marksman with the tanegashima, a flintlock rifle that represented the cutting edge of Japanese weaponry at the time.

Some Scholars Say:

The roots of the Tengu can be found in the Hindu deity Garuda, a similar avian-humanoid hybrid, tales of whom arrived in Japan along with the importation of Buddhism in roughly the same era.

An image of the Karasu-tengu by Sekien Toriyama, circa 1780s

THE TENGU LIBRARY:

The first mention of the Tengu is believed to be in the eight-century book of classical history Nihon Shoki (“The Chronicles of Japan”).

Tengu Trivia: Popular legend has it that the famed general Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159?-1189) learned swordsmanship and military tactics from a variety of Tengu in the mountains near Kyoto.