The Bake-kujira (Japanese: 化鯨, ghost whale)[a] is a mythical Japanese yōkai (ghost, phantom, or strange apparition) from western Japan. It is described as being a skeleton whale that is accompanied by unknown fish and weird birds.[1][2] It takes its revenge against people who hunt whales or eat whale meat,[1][3] and does so by cursing them with plagues and fire.[4] It is also known as Hone Kujira (骨鯨, bone whale).[5]
References
editNotes
edit- ^ Alternatively romanized as bakekudira or bake kudira.
Citations
edit- ^ a b Bane, Theresa (2016-03-09). Encyclopedia of Spirits and Ghosts in World Mythology. McFarland. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-4766-2339-9.
- ^ McElroy, D. R. (2020). Superstitions: a handbook of folklore, myths, and legends from around the world. New York, NY: Wellfleet Press. p. 54. ISBN 978-1-57715-191-3.
- ^ Roberts, Jeremy (2010). Japanese mythology A to Z (2nd ed.). New York: Chelsea House Publishers. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-60413-435-3.
- ^ Howerton, Alex (2021-04-07). "Toward a Poetics of Allyship: Rajiv Mohabir's Radical, Animal Coolitude". MELUS. 46 (1): 8. doi:10.1093/melus/mlaa063. ISSN 0163-755X.
- ^ Mizuki, Shigeru (1994). 水木しげるの世界幻獣事典 (in Japanese). The Asahi Shimbun. pp. 134–135. ISBN 978-4-02-258572-1.
External links
edit- Bakekujira and Japan's Whale Cults at hyakumonogatari.com (English).
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