Sōgenbi
Sōgenbi
The Sōgenbi (叢原火) (Thicket-Fire) is a type of Yōkai created from the wicked life of a monk called Sōgen.
Toriyama Sekien in the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō describes the creature saying:
Said to appear near Mibudera Temple south of Saiin, located outside of Kyoto. There they call it Sōgen’s Fire of Suzaku.
The story he references above relates to the 1683 collection of stories called Shin Otogi Bōko. In the story, the monk Sōgen steals money offerings and lamp oil left at his temple, after dying he is punished in hell. His soul returns later as a mysterious blue fireball near the temple.1
External Links
- View the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō online here: Gazu Hyakki Yagyō Online.
Footnotes
1. Yoda, H. and Alt, M. (2016) “Japandemonium: Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopaedia of Toriyama Sekien.”. New York: over Publications, Inc.
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