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Oni (myth): Difference between revisions
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|[[Image:Oni kanji.jpg|thumb|300px|Bungie's rendition of the '''''oni''''' (demon) [[ | |[[Image:Oni kanji.jpg|thumb|300px|Bungie's rendition of the '''''oni''''' (demon) [[wp:Kanji|kanji]]. | ||
<br>The corresponding Chinese is '''''[[guǐ]]''''' 鬼 (ghost). | <br>The corresponding Chinese is '''''[[guǐ]]''''' 鬼 (ghost). | ||
<br>See also '''''[[Daodan|dǎo dàn]] guǐ''''' 捣蛋鬼 (troublemaker).]] | <br>See also '''''[[Daodan|dǎo dàn]] guǐ''''' 捣蛋鬼 (troublemaker).]] | ||
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===Ghosts=== | ===Ghosts=== | ||
Before the influence of Buddhism, oni may have been depicted as immaterial spirits like the [[ | Before the influence of Buddhism, oni may have been depicted as immaterial spirits like the [[wp:Yūrei|yurei]], which needed to be driven out through [[wp:Onmyōdō|yin-yang magic]]. Instead of being the "official enforcers of the underworld", they would infest sacred places and prey on humans. However, the concept of oni eventually crystallized into a more solid form. | ||
===Ogres=== | ===Ogres=== | ||
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Some oblivious, some malicious, some downright malevolent. Some, however, could feel sympathy or pity for the humans and defend them against a greater evil (end-of-all-worlds kind). But mostly they're just outsiders, aliens in the mortal world. | Some oblivious, some malicious, some downright malevolent. Some, however, could feel sympathy or pity for the humans and defend them against a greater evil (end-of-all-worlds kind). But mostly they're just outsiders, aliens in the mortal world. | ||
A classic modern example of oni is found in [[ | A classic modern example of oni is found in [[wp:Urusei Yatsura|Urusei Yatsura]], where Lum (pictured below) and her relatives are aliens (an alien race literally called "Oni") who are sent to (fairly benevolently) conquer Earth. Their powers include flying, breathing fire, and shocking electrically. Lum has the typical two horns of an oni, but they're mostly hidden by her hair. | ||
===Satire=== | ===Satire=== | ||
Occasionally the modern take on oni is a bit more satirical, as in the case of George Saotome (below, center) from [[ | Occasionally the modern take on oni is a bit more satirical, as in the case of George Saotome (below, center) from [[wp:YuYu Hakusho|YuYu Hakusho]], who appears to be a traditional monstrous oni in tiger skins, but who is actually a mild-mannered, harried office worker, assisting the ruler of Spirit World. In [[wp:Dragon Ball Z|Dragon Ball Z]], Goku accidentally falls into Hell and encounters Goz and Mez (below, right), who challenge him to physical competitions. They display the traditional red and blue coloring and have one and two horns, as well as carrying kanabō (their names also come directly from [https://yokai.com/mezu/ this Gozu and Mezu]). | ||
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===Further reading=== | ===Further reading=== | ||
*[[ | *[[wp:Oni|Oni folklore on Wikipedia]] | ||
*[http://www.sonic.net/~anomaly/oniko/eprofile.htm Oniko's Gallery]; draws the connections between Buddhist oni and the ones in contemporary anime | *[http://www.sonic.net/~anomaly/oniko/eprofile.htm Oniko's Gallery]; draws the connections between Buddhist oni and the ones in contemporary anime | ||
*and a [https://web.archive.org/web/20140828132113/http://japanese.about.com/library/weekly/aa110400.htm lot] [https://www.artelino.com/articles/japanese_mythology.asp more] | *and a [https://web.archive.org/web/20140828132113/http://japanese.about.com/library/weekly/aa110400.htm lot] [https://www.artelino.com/articles/japanese_mythology.asp more] | ||
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What if Brent had received an accurate response that day as to the Japanese word for "ghost"? Well, the most common words for ghost seem to be ''youkai'', ''yurei'', ''youma'', and ''konpaku''. So in an alternate universe, it could be that we're all big "Youma" fans or avid players of "Youkai". | What if Brent had received an accurate response that day as to the Japanese word for "ghost"? Well, the most common words for ghost seem to be ''youkai'', ''yurei'', ''youma'', and ''konpaku''. So in an alternate universe, it could be that we're all big "Youma" fans or avid players of "Youkai". | ||
It's probably worth pointing out here that an "ou" is one of the ways of representing the long 'o' sound in the standard [[ | It's probably worth pointing out here that an "ou" is one of the ways of representing the long 'o' sound in the standard [[wp:Hepburn_romanization|Hepburn romanization system]]. The sound can also be written as an 'o' with a macron: '''ō'''. Since most English speakers don't know the proper reading of "ou", they would be inclined to pronounce "youma" as "yuu-ma" when it should really be said "yoh-ma". So presumably Bungie would have ended up just writing it "Yoma" or "Yokai" to avoid confusion if Brent had used one of those words for the project's code name instead of "Oni". | ||
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