Who here believes in the legend of the Japanese Tengu?

Question

if you don't know what I'm talking about...or are interested...feel free to ask me

please provide your input ^_^

Answer 1

Tengu are Japanese goblins who are beleived to have come from China sometime in the 6th century. They are either crow headed or they have human faces with long noses and they have wings. Tengu could be helpful, harmful, or just playful.

http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/3884/tengu8wu.jpg

the Shoguns believed in Tengu up to the mid-19th century and would ask them to behave and not harm anyone. At Nikko, twice a year they have a procession of a thousand warriors to honor Tokugawa Ieyasu the first shogun of the Edo Period (1603-1867). among them march people dressed as Tengu to represent their submission and respect of the shogun's authority.

The Genji hero of the Gempei War (1180-1185) Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune was supposedely trained by Tengu on Mt. Kuruma in Kyoto.

http://japundit.com/archives/2005/11/23/1573/#comments

Another place that is beleived to be or have been a haunt of Tengu is Mt. Takao in Tokyo.

At Takao Station you can find this large Statue of a Long-Nose Tengu:

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/5967/597powtakaostationtengurs0.jpg

So anyway I like Tengu. I beleive in them as mythical creatures like unicorns and dragons. Of course who knows maybe they were some other form of evovled men.

Answer 2

As much as I do in Loki or any of a myriad of other mythologies.

Answer 3

Um ... I hope it ain't contagious.

Answer 4

I haven't heard the legend... could you please put a summary of sorts up?