Hikeshi baba
Hikeshi baba
Hikeshi baba (火消婆 – Fire Extinguishing Hag) is a type of Yōkai depicted in the Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki by Toriyama Sekien.
This creatures takes the form of a an older woman, portrayed as extinguishing the fire from a lantern she stands next to. Notes alongside the image state that fire acts and the Yang to Ying and so that whenever Ying must overcome Yang then this creature shall appear.
The particular lantern shown in Sekien’s image is that of one from the Yoshiwara Pleasure Quarters of Edo.1
External Links
- View the Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki online here: Konjaku Online.
Footnotes
1. Yoda, H. and Alt, M. (2016) “Japandemonium: Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopaedia of Toriyama Sekien.”. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.
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