
Tengu Theme
Tagged under Youkai, Identity, Japanese Terms.
Tengu (天狗) are mythical creatures found in Japanese folklore.
Throughout the history of these folk tales and
into modern storytelling, tengu have been depicted in many different forms. They are known for their mischievous nature
and association with the elements.
Tengu always have wings and
are commonly depicted as giant birds, most of which wear Japanese
clothes.
They are nearly always as large as a person, walking upright and speaking.
The second
most well-known depiction of the tengu is of creatures with red faces and very long, bulbous noses.
These are
commonly seen as masks at Japanese festivals.
More modern stories have revamped the tengu to be even more human-like,
but they may also be characterized by a single horn coming out of the top of their head.