Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: とろゐ, Toro-i
Category: Pig
The Myth
Toroi is a monstrous creature mentioned in Uetsufumi, a text describing Japanese history from the age of the gods through the seventy-two generations of the Ugayafukiaezu dynasty, before the reign of Emperor Jimmu. In one episode, the gods conduct a great hunt at the command of the Heavenly Prince Ninigi, seeking to exterminate evil beasts that threaten the people. Toroi appears among the creatures targeted for destruction.
According to the thirteenth fascicle of the Munakata manuscript tradition, eighty Toroi lurked inside a cave. They resembled white boars, stood approximately two hiro tall, and walked on their feet. Their hands were divided into seven parts and could grasp objects. Exceptionally strong, they could devour rabbits and seize and tear apart creatures called tokoi, possibly another name for boars. Toroi lived in groups and attacked the three gods who came to exterminate them, surrounding the deities with glaring eyes and bared tusks in an attempt to devour them. However, the creatures were no match for the gods’ hatchets and swords, and all were killed.
The dying Toroi’s groans echoed through the region and shook the mountains. These details derive from a modern decipherment and reconstruction of the text, and alternative interpretations exist. The researcher Katsuya Tanaka has suggested that Toroi may have been an imaginary beast combining characteristics of a tiger and a wild boar.
Sources
“Toroi.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1073637305.html