Onryō (怨霊) is a Japanese ghost who is able to return to the physical world in order to seek vengeance. are figures in Japanese folklore, analogous to Western legends of Ghosts The name consists of two Kanji, 幽 ( yuu) meaning "faint"
While male onryō can be found, mainly in kabuki, the majority are women. is a form of traditional Japanese theatre. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate Make-up worn by some of its performers Powerless in the physical world, they often suffer at the capricious whims of their male lovers. In death they become strong.
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Origin of onryō
The traditional Japanese spirit world is layered, with Yomi on one extreme, and the physical world on the other. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Yomi (黄泉 the Japanese word for the underworld in which horrible creatures guard the exits according to Shinto mythology as related in Kojiki In-between is a sort of purgatory, an uncertain and ambiguous waiting area where spirits languish before moving on. See also Intermediate state Limbo|Heaven|Sheol|Hades in Christianity|Hell in Christianity Purgatory, in the original sense is the condition or process of purification Ghosts in this in-between state who are influenced by powerful emotions such as spite, love, jealousy, hatred or sorrow can bridge the gap back to the physical plane where they can haunt and wreak havoc on their Earthly tormentors.
Onryō vengeance
While driven by their desire for vengeance, they rarely follow the Western ideals of justified revenge. Western philosophy is a term that refers to philosophical thinking in the Western or Occidental world, as distinct from Eastern or Oriental philosophies In Religion, Ethics, and Philosophy, the phrase good and evil refers to the location of objects desires and Behaviors on a two-way For example, several tales involve abusive husbands, but these husbands are rarely the target of the onryō's vengeance.
Examples of onryō vengeance
- How a Man's Wife Became a Vengeful Ghost and How Her Malignity Was Diverted by a Master of Divination - A neglected wife is abandoned and left to die. She is transformed into an onryō, and torments a local village until banished. Her husband remains unharmed.
- Of a Promise Broken - A samurai vows to his dying wife never to remarry. He soon breaks the promise, and his former wife's onryō beheads the new bride.
- Furisode - A heartbroken woman curses her famously beautiful kimono before dying. The is the National costume of Japan. Originally the word "kimono" literally meant thing to wear ( ki wearing and mono thing but now has come Soon after, everyone who wears the garment soon dies.
Possibly the most famous onryō is Oiwa, from Yotsuya Kaidan. Yotsuya Kaidan (四谷怪談 the story of Oiwa and Tamiya Iemon is a tale of betrayal murder and ghostly revenge. In this story the husband remains unharmed; however, he is the target of the onryō’s vengeance. Oiwa's vengeance on him isn't physical retribution, but rather psychological torment.
The appearance of an onryō
Traditionally, onryō and other yurei had no particular appearance. are figures in Japanese folklore, analogous to Western legends of Ghosts The name consists of two Kanji, 幽 ( yuu) meaning "faint" However, with the rising of popularity of Kabuki during the Edo period, a specific costume was developed. is a form of traditional Japanese theatre. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate Make-up worn by some of its performers The, also referred to as the Tokugawa period (徳川時代 Tokugawa-jidai) is a division of Japanese history running from 1603 to 1868 The term costume can refer to Wardrobe and dress in general or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people class or period
Highly visual in nature, and with a single actor often assuming various roles within a play, Kabuki developed several visual shorthands that allowed the audience to instantly clue in as to which character is on stage, as well as emphasize the emotions and expressions of the actor.
A ghost costume consisted of three main elements:
- White burial kimono
- Wild, unkempt long black hair
- White and indigo face make-up called aiguma.
Popular culture
In some Japanese horror movies (most notably Ring,リング and Ju-on) onryō are the driving force in the plot. J-Horror is a term used to refer to Japanese contributions to Horror fiction in popular culture is a 1998 Japanese horror mystery Film from director Hideo Nakata, adapted from the novel of the same name is the title of a series of Horror films by Japanese director Takashi Shimizu.
In the videogame series Fatal Frame/Project Zero onryō frequently appear. Fatal Frame, known as Project Zero in Europe and Australia as in Japan, is a Survival horror Video game
In the first-person shooter F.E.A.R., Alma shares many characteristics with that of onryō. A first-person shooter ( FPS) is an action Video game from the Shooter game The initial development of Maze War FEAR First Encounter Assault Recon is a Survival horror First-person shooter developed by Monolith Productions and published by
Onryō is a professional wrestling gimmick in Japan since the late 1990s. Professional wrestling, or pro wrestling, is a non-competitive professional Sport, where all matches are scripted by the promotion's booking staff The actual identity of the wrestler portraying the gimmick is unknown, as he has used it since the beginning of his career.
See also
External references
- Ghoul Power - Onryou in the Movies Japanzine By Jon Wilks
- Yūrei-ga gallery at Zenshoan Temple
References
- Iwasaka, Michiko and Toelken, Barre. Character Sadako's character is not directly portrayed in Ring, but is expanded briefly in Rasen and to a much greater extent in Ring 0 Birthday, History and Origin Kayako's Origin story is outlined in Grudge 2. Ghosts and the Japanese: Cultural Experiences in Japanese Death Legends, Utah State University Press, 1994. ISBN 0874211794
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