Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Ghost Fire, Onibi
Category: Flame
The Myth
Onibi, meaning ghost fire, is a mysterious supernatural flame said to appear in various regions of Japan. It is most often described as a blue fire, sometimes resembling a burning torch, although accounts also describe flames of other colours. These strange lights appear without an ordinary source and are associated with spirits and the lingering presence of the dead.
According to the Wakan Sansai Zue, which cites the Chinese Bencao Gangmu, onibi are formed from the blood of fallen soldiers or cattle and horses that seeps into the earth and transforms over time. This account distinguishes them from will-o’-the-wisps and shadow fires, which are also described as transformations of spirits. Onibi are said to gather together and separate as they approach people, absorbing their life force. However, they can reportedly be made to disappear by producing a sound, such as striking them with a horse’s stirrups.
The name onibi is also used more broadly for mysterious flames of uncertain origin. Depending on the account, it may refer to foxfire, fires born from the resentment of the dead, or other unexplained supernatural lights. These varying descriptions make onibi a broad category of eerie flames associated with spirits, death, and mysterious occurrences.
Sources
“鬼火 [おにび] (Onibi).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010652578.html