Atmospheric ghost lights
Atmospheric ghost lights are lights (or fires) of unknown origin. Examples include the onibi, hitodama and will-o'-wisp. They are often seen in humid climates.[1]
According to legend some lights are wandering spirits of the dead, the work of devils (or yokai), or the pranks of fairies. They are feared by some humans as a portent of death. In other parts of the world, there are folk beliefs that supernatural fires appear where treasure is buried; these fires are said to be the spirits of the treasure or the spirits of humans buried with grave goods.[1] Atmospheric ghost lights are also thought to be related to UFOs.[2]
Some fires of unknown origin (such as St. Elmo's fire or the shiranui) have been explained as optical phenomena of light emitted through electrical activity. Other theories concerning the origin of these fires include the combustion of flammable gases, ball lightning, meteors, torches and other human-made fires, the misperception of human objects, and pranks.[2][2][3]
Examples from Japan
In addition to the onibi and hitodama, there are other examples of atmospheric ghost lights in legend, such as the kitsunebi and the shiranui:
- Osabi (ç¬ç«, lit. "guide for yarn on loom fire")
- In the Nobeoka, Miyazaki Prefecture area, atmospheric ghost lights were described in first-hand accounts until the middle of the Meiji period. Two balls of fire would appear side by side on rainy nights at a pond known as the Misuma pond (Misumaike). It was said that a woman lent an osa (a guide for yarn on a loom) to another woman; when she returned to retrieve it, the two argued and fell into the pond. Their dispute became an atmospheric ghost fire, still said to be burning.[4] Legend has it that misfortune befalls anyone who sees the fire.[5]
- Obora
- Related in legends on ÅŒmi Island in Ehime Prefecture, it is said to be the spiritual fire of a deceased person.[6] In Miyakubo village, Ochi District in the same prefecture (now Imabari), they are known as oborabi. A legend exists of atmospheric ghost fires appearing above the sea or at graves;[7] these are sometimes the same kind of fire.[8]
- Kane no Kami no Hi (金ã®ç¥žã®ç«, lit. "fire of the metal god")
- Related in legends on Nuwa Island, Ehime Prefecture and in the folklore publication SÅgÅ Nippon Minzoku Goi, this is a fire appearing at night on New Year's Eve behind the patron Shinto god's shrine on Nuwa Island. It is accompanied by sounds similar to human screaming, and is interpreted by local residents as a sign that the goddess of luck has appeared.[9]
- Kinka (金ç«, lit. "gold fire")
- This fire appeared in the fantasy collection, SanshÅ« Kidan. It is said to appear at Hachiman, JÅshikaidÅ and Komatsu as a fuse-like atmospheric ghost light.[10]SayÅ ShunsÅ AnzekyÅ« Ika wo Mishi Mono from Nishihari Kaidan Jikki
- Kumobi (蜘蛛ç«, lit. "spider fire")
- In a legend in TenkÅ village, Shiki District, Nara Prefecture (now Sakurai), hundreds of spiders became a ball of fire in the air and one would die upon contact with it.[11] Similarly, in Tamashimayashima, Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture the Kumo no Hi is said to be the work of spiders. As a red ball of fire appears above the forest near the Inari shrine on the island, it is said to dance around above the mountains and forest and then disappear.[12] In BanshÅ« (now HyÅgo Prefecture), according to Nishihari Kaidan Jikki (in the section "SayÅ ShunsÅ AnzekyÅ« Ika wo Mishi Mono") an atmospheric ghost light would appear in the village of SayÅ, SayÅ District, BanshÅ«. Although "perhaps it is a spider fire", its details have not been made clear.[13]
- GongorÅbi (権五郎ç«, lit. "GongorÅ fire")
- In legends from the area around HonjÅ-ji, SanjÅ, Niigata Prefecture, Isono no GongorÅ, after winning at gambling, was killed; his murder became an atmospheric ghost light. At a nearby family farm GongorÅbi is a sign of impending rain, and peasants who see it hurry to retrieve their rice-drying racks.[14]

- JÅsenbi (地黄煎ç«, lit. "JÅsen fire")
- In a Yomihon (Ehon Sayo Shigure) from the Edo period, at Minakuchi, ÅŒmi (now KÅka, Shiga Prefecture) there was a person who made a livelihood out of selling jÅsen (candy made from the sap of Rehmannia glutinosa, boiled into a paste) who was killed by a robber. It is said that the vendor became an atmospheric ghost fire, floating on rainy nights.[15]
- SÅrikanko
- Told in legends of Shioire, Oodachi, Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, its name means "the Kanko of Shioiri village".[16] A beautiful girl named Kanko received many marriage proposals, but refused them all since she loved someone else. One of her suitors buried her alive in the Niida River, and her atmospheric ghost light became able to fly. When a cement factory was later built there, a small shrine to Kanko was included.[17]
- Susuke ChÅchin (ç…¤ã‘æç¯, lit. "stained paper lantern")
- Told in the legends of Niigata Prefecture, on rainy nights it would fly airily around a place where bodies are washed for burial.[18]
- Nobi (野ç«, lit. "field fire")
- A legend from Nagaoka District, Tosa Province (now KÅchi Prefecture), nobi appears in a variety of locations. An umbrella-sized fire would float, bursting apart into star-like lights that would spread from four or five shaku to several hundreds of meters apart. It is said that by putting saliva on a zÅri and calling it, it would dance brilliantly in the sky above one's head.[19]
Notes
- 1 2 Tsunoda 1979, pages 11-53
- 1 2 3 Kanda 1992, pages 275-278.
- ↑ Miyata Noboru (2002). 妖怪ã®æ°‘ä¿—å¦ãƒ»æ—¥æœ¬ã®è¦‹ãˆãªã„空間. ã¡ãã¾å¦èŠ¸æ–‡åº«. Chikuma Shobo. pp. 168–173. ISBN 978-4-480-08699-0.
- ↑ 柳田國男 (1977). 妖怪談義. Kodansha academic library. ja:講談社. p. 214. ISBN 978-4-06-158135-7.
- ↑ åŠ è—¤æµ (December 1989). "県別日本妖怪事典". æ´å²èªæœ¬ (新人物往æ¥ç¤¾) 34 (24(通巻515å·ï¼‰): 332. 雑誌 09618-12.
- ↑ 日野巌・日野ç¶å½¦ (2006). "日本妖怪変化語彙". In Kenji Murakami. 動物妖怪èš. ä¸å…¬æ–‡åº« 下. ä¸å¤®å…¬è«–新社. p. 243. ISBN 978-4-12-204792-1.
- ↑ Folklore Institute 1955, p.287
- ↑ æ‘上å¥å¸ç·¨è‘— (2000). 妖怪事典. 毎日新èžç¤¾. p. 88. ISBN 978-4-620-31428-0.
- ↑ Folklore Institute 1955, p. 385.
- ↑ å €éº¦æ°´ (2003). "三州奇談". 江戸怪異綺想文芸大系 5. 高田衛監修. 国書刊行会. p. 164. ISBN 978-4-336-04275-0.
- ↑ Inoue EnryÅ (1983). ãŠã°ã‘ã®æ£ä½“ [Identity of the ghost]. 新編妖怪å¢æ›¸ 6. 国書刊行会. p. 23. BN01566352.
- ↑ ä½è—¤ç±³å¸ç·¨ (1979). 岡山ã®æ€ªè«‡. 岡山文庫. Japan Educational Publishing. p. 40. BA7625303X.
- ↑ å°æ —æ –å¥æ²»ãƒ»åŸ´å²¡çœŸå¼“編著 (2001). æ’磨ã®å¦–怪ãŸã¡ 「西æ’怪談実記ã€ã®ä¸–ç•Œ. 神戸新èžç¶œåˆå‡ºç‰ˆã‚»ãƒ³ã‚¿ãƒ¼. pp. 161–164. ISBN 978-4-343-00114-6.
- ↑ 外山暦郎 (1974). "越後三æ¡å—郷談". In æ± ç”°å½Œä¸‰éƒŽä»–ç·¨. 日本民俗誌大系 7. 角å·æ›¸åº—. p. 203. ISBN 978-4-04-530307-4.
- ↑ 速水春æšæ–Ž (2002). "絵本å°å¤œæ™‚雨". In 近藤瑞木編. 百鬼繚乱 江戸怪談・妖怪絵本集æˆ. 国書刊行会. pp. 158–159. ISBN 978-4-336-04447-1.
- ↑ ä½è—¤æ¸…明 (1935). ç¾è¡Œå…¨åœ‹å¦–怪辞典. 方言å¢æ›¸. ä¸åœ‹æ°‘ä¿—å¸æœƒ. p. 28. BA34159738.
- ↑ 森山泰太郎・北彰介 (1977). é’森ã®ä¼èª¬. 日本ã®ä¼èª¬. 角å·æ›¸åº—. pp. 27–28. BN03653753.
- ↑ æ°‘ä¿—å¦ç ”究所編著 (1955). 綜åˆæ—¥æœ¬æ°‘俗語彙 2. 柳田國男監修. 平凡社. p. 775. BN05729787.
- ↑ 高æ‘日羊 (August 1936). "妖怪". æ°‘é–“ä¼æ‰¿ (æ°‘é–“ä¼æ‰¿ã®ä¼š) (12): 7–8.
References
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- 角田義治 (1979). ç¾ä»£æ€ªç«è€ƒ (in Japanese). 大陸書房.
- 神田左京 (1992). ä¸çŸ¥ç«ãƒ»äººé‚・ç‹ç«. ä¸å…¬æ–‡åº« (in Japanese). ä¸å¤®å…¬è«–新社. ISBN 978-4-12-201958-4.
- æ°‘ä¿—å¦ç ”究所編著 (1955). 綜åˆæ—¥æœ¬æ°‘俗語彙 (in Japanese) 第1å·». 柳田國男監修. 平凡社.