Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Onmorake, Onmoraki
Category: Flame
The Myth
Onmorake is a mysterious supernatural fire described in Japanese folklore, appearing on gloomy, rainy nights near execution grounds, old battlefields, and ancient tombs. One account from Suruga no Kuni Zasshi describes a strange blue flame spotted at the execution grounds of Abegawara in Suruga Province. The light took the shape of a standing human figure, glowing eerily in the darkness as though a person were engulfed in ghostly fire.
According to local belief, these strange lights were ghost fires formed from human blood that had soaked into the earth and remained there for a long time without disappearing. The Onmorake was therefore associated with places marked by death and suffering, where the remnants of the dead were believed to give rise to supernatural flames. Its appearance near execution grounds and battlefields made it an unsettling reminder of the violence that had occurred there.
The Onmorake is also known from other Japanese writings, including Hayashi Razan’s Kaidan Zensho, where it is described as a transformed corpse that takes the form of a black bird. Although this bird-like creature differs in appearance from the blue human-shaped flame described in Suruga no Kuni Zasshi, both traditions connect the Onmorake with transformations arising from the remains of the dead.
Sources
“陰摩羅鬼 [おんもらけ] (Onmoraki).” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). October 13, 2018. https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1072599976.html