Konaki-jiji (子泣き爺, Konaki-Jijī, translated into Old man crying) is a kind of Japanese yōkai, a supernatural spirit in Japanese folklore. It is similar to the Scandinavian myling and the Slavic poroniec.
Description
[edit]The Konaki-jiji is said to be able to take the appearance of an old man or a baby.[1][2] In either case, the spirit lures an unwary passerby towards it and allows him or her to pick it up. After the spirit is picked up, it suddenly becomes a heavy stone that crushes the victim to death.[1][2] In some versions of Konaki-jiji stories, the spirit is that of a baby left to die in the wilderness.[3]
The Konaki-jiji can be traced back to family records in Shikoku where the term was used to describe an old man who sounded like a child when he cried.[4] The term was eventually used in a national encyclopedia of yōkai and became a nationally known phenomenon.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Baker, Tom (24 December 2010). "A procession of countless demons; From animated trash to sharp-toothed education mamas, there's a yokai for everything". The Daily Yomiuri. p. 9.
- ^ a b Kan, Saori (18 January 2008). "TV's 'Kitaro' turns 40". The Daily Yomiuri. p. 12.
- ^ "Konakijiji". Element Encyclopedia of the Psychic World. Harper Collins. 2006. p. 369.
- ^ a b Frenchy Lunning (5 November 2008). Mechademia 3: Limits of the Human. U of Minnesota Press. pp. 27–. ISBN 978-0-8166-5482-6. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
Well, that’s interesting to know that Psilotum nudum are known as whisk ferns. Psilotum nudum is the commoner species of the two. While the P. flaccidum is a rare species and is found in the tropical islands. Both the species are usually epiphytic in habit and grow upon tree ferns. These species may also be terrestrial and grow in humus or in the crevices of the rocks.
View the detailed Guide of Psilotum nudum: Detailed Study Of Psilotum Nudum (Whisk Fern), Classification, Anatomy, Reproduction