Mythology

Jatai

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Ja-tai, Snake Sash, 蛇帯
Category: Object

The Myth

Jatai is a supernatural apparition depicted in Toriyama Sekien’s 今昔百鬼拾遺 (Konjaku Hyakki Shūi). It appears as a sash draped over a folding screen, its shape resembling a snake extending its tongue. A pillow and a comb lie beneath the screen, completing the eerie scene. Rather than describing a creature with a clearly established body or behaviour, the image presents an ordinary clothing accessory taking on the threatening form of a serpent.

The accompanying text connects the Jatai with jealousy and a traditional belief that sleeping with a sash across the body causes dreams of snakes. It suggests that the three-layered sash of a jealous woman may become a venomous serpent winding around her seven times. The image plays on the similarity between the Japanese words for a snake’s body and a sash, linking the ideas of jealousy, serpentine transformation, and poisonous resentment.

The Jatai is generally understood as an artistic creation inspired by this wordplay and by older imagery of snakes emerging from clothing or accessories. Similar motifs appear in depictions of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, including a snake-like sash hanging from a clothing rack. The Jatai therefore transforms an everyday object into a symbol of jealousy and the dangerous emotions associated with it.

Sources

“Jatai.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010654355.html

Nihai

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Tradition: Chinese Mythology
Alternative Names: Mud Child, Mud Doll, Mud Figurine, 泥孩, 泥娃娃, 泥偶
Category: Object

The Myth

Nihai, also known as mud dolls or mud figurines, are supernatural beings formed from clay figures. They appear in Chinese accounts of objects that become strange or potentially dangerous after being treated as more than ordinary objects. In traditional Han Chinese customs, women seeking children sometimes tied red or colored threads to clay dolls in temples and brought them home as part of fertility-related practices.

In Yuewei Caotang Biji, Ji Yun recounts a childhood memory of seeing four or five small children dressed in colorful clothes and wearing golden bracelets. They played with him affectionately and called him their younger brother, but as he grew older, they disappeared. When he later told his father about them, his father recalled that Ji Yun’s deceased mother had desperately wanted children. She had repeatedly asked a Buddhist nun to bring clay dolls from a temple, tied them with colored silk threads, given each one a pet name, and placed them in her bedroom. She fed them fruit as though they were her own children. After her death, his father had the dolls buried in an empty courtyard behind the building. He suspected that the mysterious children Ji Yun had seen were these figures, and considered digging them up for fear that they might become troublesome spirits, but the exact burial place had long since been forgotten.

Another account in Jianhu Miji mentions a monster associated with a clay doll used to weigh down bedding. Together, these stories portray clay figures as objects that can acquire a supernatural presence, particularly when they are treated as substitutes for children or become associated with intense human attachment.

Sources

“Clay Dolls” (泥孩; 泥傀儡). Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B3%A5%E5%AD%A9 and https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B3%A5%E5%82%80%E5%84%A1

Suzuri no Tamashii

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Suzuri no Tamashii, Inkstone Spirit, 硯の魂
Category: Object

The Myth

The Suzuri no Tamashii is a supernatural spirit associated with an inkstone that has been used for generations to copy the same manuscript repeatedly. Over time, the inkstone begins to absorb aspects of the story it has helped preserve. It can then produce phantom sounds and illusory figures drawn from the manuscript, causing supernatural disturbances across the writing desk.

The spirit is particularly associated with the brutal destruction of the Taira clan during the final naval battle of the Genpei War. When the inkstone is used, it produces eerie sounds resembling the roar of the sea, the clash of armies, and the screams of dying warriors. The ink inside begins to ripple and swell like ocean waves, from which tiny boats and soldiers emerge as though the battle were being reenacted within the ink itself.

The Suzuri no Tamashii is connected to the vengeful spirits of the Taira warriors who perished in the conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans. According to the legend, many of the slain warriors became onryō, spirits driven by resentment and vengeance. Their lingering curse infects inkstones repeatedly used to reproduce the story of their downfall, allowing the tragedy to manifest whenever the ink is disturbed.

Sources

“Suzuri no tamashii.” Yokai.com. https://yokai.com/suzurinotamashii/


Koto Furunushi

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Koto Furunushi, Old Koto Master, 琴古主
Category: Object

The Myth

The Koto Furunushi is a supernatural yōkai resembling a koto, a long, harp-like Japanese musical instrument, transformed into a wild beast. It originates from the belief that objects neglected by their owners can develop supernatural life after being used for many years.

A koto that was once played frequently but later forgotten and stored away may transform into a Koto Furunushi. Despite its beast-like appearance, the creature retains the memory of every song ever played on its strings. When nobody is around, it plays music on its own, leaving people puzzled by the mysterious sounds coming from empty rooms.

The Koto Furunushi prefers old melodies that have fallen out of fashion and disappeared from human memory. Through its solitary performances, it preserves forgotten songs long after people have ceased to remember them.

Sources

“Koto furunushi.” Yokai.com. https://yokai.com/kotofurunushi/


Bakezōri

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Bake Zōri, 化け草履, Ghost Zōri, Haunted Straw Sandals
Category: Object

The Myth

Bakezōri are supernatural sandal yōkai said to emerge when traditional Japanese straw sandals, known as zōri, are mistreated and abandoned by their owners. They take the form of animated sandals with arms and legs growing from their bodies and a single large eye in the center. Once transformed, they become mischievous household spirits that run around the house at night, making noise as their little feet clatter across hard floors.

Bakezōri are known for singing a peculiar chant as they race through the house: “Kararin! Kororin! Kankororin! Managu mittsu ni ha ninmai!” The chant refers to the sandal’s physical features, with “three eyes” representing the three holes where its straps are attached and “two teeth” referring to the two wooden clogs on the underside of Japanese sandals. The remaining words imitate the clattering sound of sandals moving across a hard surface. Through their strange appearance and noisy nighttime antics, Bakezōri embody the idea that neglected everyday objects can acquire a supernatural life of their own.

Sources

“Bakezōri.” Yokai.com. https://yokai.com/bakezouri/


Nunobai

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Nuno-bai, 布這い
Category: Object

The Myth

Nunobai is a mysterious yokai from the Aomori region of Japan. It is described as a strange being that moves along the ground in a writhing motion, as though a piece of cloth were being dragged across the earth.

Little else is known about Nunobai, and its appearance, origins, and supernatural abilities are not described in detail. Its defining characteristic is its unusual, cloth-like movement across the ground.

Sources

“Nunoba.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010652669.html


Kasabake

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Kasa Obake, Karakasa Kozō, Umbrella Ghost, 傘化け, 傘お化け, 唐傘小僧
Category: Object

The Myth

The Kasabake is a classic Japanese yokai depicting a supernatural umbrella. It is typically portrayed with a single eye, a mouth, and a handle transformed into a leg, giving the umbrella a strange, animated appearance. This distinctive design has become one of the most recognizable visual representations of yokai and continues to appear in various forms of Japanese imagery.

The Kasabake is also known as Kasa Obake or Karakasa Kozō. Unlike many other yokai, however, it is not based on a specific legend or established traditional narrative. Rather, it is a depiction of an umbrella brought to life as a supernatural creature. Consequently, it has no clearly established behaviour, powers, or personality beyond its characteristic appearance as a monstrous umbrella.

Sources

“Kasa-obake.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010652592.html


Yakantsuru

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Yakan Tsuru, 薬缶吊る
Category: Object

The Myth

Yakantsuru is a mysterious yokai from Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Its name refers to a hanging kettle, reflecting the strange phenomenon associated with this supernatural being.

Those walking through a forest at night may encounter a kettle suddenly dangling down from the trees above. The sight appears unexpectedly in the darkness, making the Yakantsuru an eerie presence in the nighttime woods. Beyond this unusual occurrence, little is known about its appearance, behavior, or origins.

Sources

“Yakanzu.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010652582.html


Billy Blind

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Tradition: English Mythology, Scottish Mythology
Alternative Names: Billy Blin, Billy Blynde, Billie Blin, Belly Blin
Category: House dweller

The Myth

Billy Blind is a household spirit in English and Lowland Scottish folklore, similar to a brownie. Unlike many domestic spirits known for performing chores, Billy Blind is chiefly remembered for his appearances in traditional ballads, where he frequently offers advice to the human characters. His guidance can help them understand their circumstances and decide how to act.

Billy Blind’s appearance and exact nature are not described in the available account. His role is instead defined by his presence in ballad narratives, where he acts as a supernatural adviser who assists people through his knowledge and counsel. His association with the household-spirit tradition places him among the supernatural beings believed to exist alongside ordinary human life.

Some scholars have suggested that Billy Blind may preserve a folk memory of the Germanic god Woden, also known as Odin, particularly a more playful aspect of that deity. This remains a proposed interpretation rather than an established origin. He has also been speculated to be the same character as Blind Harie, described in Scottish tradition as the “blind man of the game.”

Billy Blind is therefore best understood through his function in traditional storytelling: a supernatural figure who appears at important moments to advise the characters. His connection to household spirits, together with the possible links to older Germanic mythology, gives him a place between domestic folklore and the supernatural advisers of traditional ballads.

Sources

“Billy Blind.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 18, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Blind

Jack o’ the Bowl

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Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: Jack-of-the-Bowl, Jean de la Boliéta, Napf-Hans
Category: House dweller

The Myth

Jack o’ the Bowl is a helpful house spirit in Swiss folklore, described variously as a brownie or a kobold. He is known for protecting cattle and guiding them safely through dangerous mountain terrain. Despite the risks of grazing in such places, the cows under his care never suffer injury.

To earn his assistance, people leave a bowl of sweet cream for him each night. In return, Jack o’ the Bowl leads their cows to graze in places considered too dangerous for humans. He guides the animals across rocky mountain slopes where ordinary paths would be difficult to navigate, ensuring that the herd remains unharmed.

The route used by the spirit is said to remain clear of stones, regardless of how rocky the mountainside may be. This remarkable path became known as Boliéta’s Path, a lasting sign of the spirit’s supernatural assistance to the local herders.

Known in French as Jean de la Boliéta and in German as Napf-Hans, Jack o’ the Bowl represents the helpful household spirits believed to reward small offerings with valuable services. His legend connects domestic hospitality with the protection of livestock and the safe use of otherwise dangerous mountain pastures.

Sources

“Jack o’ the Bowl.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 18, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_o%27_the_bowl