Seven Demon Stories from Medieval Japan
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of nobles and courtiers in the palace, high and low alike; he chops them with
a knife and eats them. Now, because a man called Seimei in the capital wor-
ships taizanfukun,69 serving gods70 and divine boys71 constantly surround the
countryside to protect the emperor’s people, so when the demon king comes
back without human beings to eat, he gets fiercely upset, beats his chest, and
clenches his teeth. He plays the flute idly and passes the time.
“There is a strange thing,” the old crone continued. “The demon king
took a very young disciple of Tendai Abbot Ryōgen (912–85),72 a son of
the priest of the Enshrinement Hall (Fujiwara no Michinaga [966–1027]),73
and confined him in a cage made of iron and stone. This child does noth-
ing but pray. His voice reciting Lotus Sutra can be heard here at dawn. I am
receiving evil retributions like this while I am alive. I grieve over my sins.
But when I hear his prayers, I feel like my sins are being extinguished. So
I am most appreciative. Also, perhaps because Ryōgen himself performs
services for the boy, various heavenly beings and benevolent deities gather
like rain and clouds to protect him from early morning till late at night. The
demon king knows not what to do with the boy.”
Following the words of the old woman, they walked up the hill a little
distance, and there indeed was a big gate with eight pillars. The pillars and
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Part I: Samurai
doors were beautiful and admirably shining. The mountains in all directions
looked like lapis lazuli, and the grounds were as if crystal sand were strewed
all about. When they looked at the scenery carefully, deep frost grew in a
stone hut as if one came to Kashō’s74 cave; small paths had light snow on
them, as if one looked out on a confession yard.
Raikō summoned his retainer Tsuna and told him to enter the gate to
seek an audience with the master of the house. Whereupon Tsuna, feeling
like Hankai,75 passed the gate alone. Reaching the place that looked like the
main residence, Tsuna loudly announced, “Excuse me. Is anyone there?”
From within there came a grave voice, “Who is this?” and a man
about ten feet tall appeared. Raising a bamboo blind with his hand hold-
ing a flute, Shuten Dōji had a human form, adorned in a quilted silk gar-
ment with a crimson hakama. There he stood looking serious and noble,
with his sharp eyes.
Not a bit daunted, Tsuna replied, “We, more than ten of us, are moun-
tain ascetics training through various provinces, but we have become lost
and wandered here. Please give us lodging for the night.”
“In that case,” Shuten Dōji replied, “enter the veranda near the main
gate,” and he sent a maiden to guide the troupe.
The maiden, walking before Tsuna, pressed her face to her sleeve to
wipe her tears. Tsuna asked why she was crying so bitterly. The young lady
replied, “As I see it, you are an ascetic priest. After you come here you
will not be able to go back to your hometown, and I am so sad and sorry
for you. I am the third daughter of Lord Munenari, palace minister of
Tsuchimikado. one night last autumn while I was viewing the moon, the
demon took me away and brought me here. I am in such a miserable state.
Shuten Dōji eats anyone whom he dislikes on the spot, calling them his
snack. It’s such a misery even to see him. I feel like a bird on snowy moun-
tains, as I always worry that today will be my last. How terrible.” Listening
to her, Tsuna thought it a grave matter. But he pretended that it was not so
serious and led his comrades onto the veranda.
After a short while, beautiful young ladies came onto the veranda with
ten round straw mats for the troupe to sit on. They also brought saké in
a large silver decanter and a golden bowl filled with unidentifiable meat.
This encounter was perhaps comparable to that of Chōbunsei (Zhang
Wencheng) in China, who met playful goddesses in an enchanted cave.
Raikō, in harmony with Hōshō, said compliantly, “It would be wonder-
ful if the host could attend. only we ourselves would be boring. Would you
please ask for his presence?” After a while, Shuten Dōji came into the room.
Ten feet tall and looking wise with his sharp eyes, he was adorned in clothing
Drunken Demon
45
of various colors with a glossy silk garment over his upper body and a white
hakama. Having made four or five beautiful maidens carry round straw mats
or an armrest, he made the whole surrounding look radiant and solemn.
“Mountain priests,” Shuten Dōji asked of Raikō, “where did you come
from and where are you going?”
“We have been traveling in various provinces for training and sightsee-
ing,” replied Raikō, “but we lost our way in the mountains and arrived here.”
Shuten Dōji then turned the conversation to himself. “I love saké, so
my relatives and fellow men call me Drunken Demon,” he said. “I lived on
Mt. Hirano a long time ago because it had long been my property. But a
strange priest named Saichō76 took the mountain to build a temple on the
peak and seven shrines at the foot. Because it had long been my place and
I was reluctant to part with it, and to be honest I had nowhere else to live,
I transformed myself into a camphor tree and tried to obstruct his project.
But the priest cut down the tree, leveled the ground, and opened the area. So
I changed myself into a bigger tree that night. But then the priest thought
it strange and put a magical barrier over the area, chanting, “Anokutara san-
myaku sanbodai no hotoketachi waga tatsu soma ni myōga arase tamae” (I pray, the
omniscient Buddhas, bless me and the temple I am about to build).”77 I
could hardly restrain myself, but as I was overpowered I revealed myself to
the priest. ‘Then please give a place to live,’ I said. He gave me Mt. Kaga of
Ōmi Province, since it was his property. So I moved to the new mountain.
“Then, Emperor Kanmu (737–806) sent an imperial envoy and had
him read an imperial proclamation to leave the place. As I was living on
sovereign land, it was hard not to obey the imperial command; besides,
heavenly beings came to expel me. Powerless, I had to leave Mt. Kaga and
had nowhere to go. Annoyed, I wandered around riding on wind and clouds
for a long while. But sometimes, when I felt a grudge and an evil thought, I
comforted myself by bringing disaster to the land of Japan, sometimes as a
storm, sometimes as famine.
“During the reign of Emperor Ninmyō (reigned 833–50), around 849
perhaps,” Dōji continued. “I started to live here. When the king is wise, our
power thrives too. The reason is that when the imperial authority declines,
the power of his subjects also wanes; when divine protections become
enfeebled, the land decays. Under the reign of an ignorant one, my mind is
of no use; during the reign of a wise king, I gain my supernatural power.
I’ll tell you more of my past. But first, have a cup of wine.” So saying, he
offered saké.
“You are the dōji,” Raikō replied. “How can I have a cup before you?
; Please allow me to offer you one first.”
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Part I: Samurai
“Your courteous words please me,” Shuten Dōji smiled and drank three
cups. Then, he offered one to Raikō. As Raikō raised the cup to drink it, it
smelled extremely bloody and nauseating. Raikō, however, calmly drank it
without so much as a disagreeable look. Raikō gave the cup to Hōshō, who
pretended to drink it but discreetly threw it away. Then the old man and
the mountain ascetic said, “Thank you for your saké. We too have prepared
saké. If we don’t take this out in front of you now, when should we do it?”
So saying, they took a saké tube out of the pannier and offered it to Shuten
Dōji. As the leader drank it up, they kept pouring it and all the participants
followed. Soon the demon king lay slumped in a drunken stupor.
S C R o L L T W o
[Led by the old man, Raikō and Hōshō set about the task of exploring
the palace.] There, confined in room after room they found the young and
old, from the cities and the countyside, to [ . . . ]. As the party moved on,
they heard a whispering voice reciting a sutra. Wondering who it could be,
they followed the sound of the chanting voice to the presence of a pure
and clean-looking boy of fourteen or fifteen years old who, alongside four
[ . . . ] maidens, was imprisoned in a copper cage. The child was wearing
a silk garment with a white hakama. Having taken a small sutra from his
charm, he was chanting tearfully. As Raikō and Hōsho looked to the left and
right of this child, Jūrasetsunyo (Ten Female Rakshasis),78 putting down vari-
ous heavenly fruit, were guarding the boy, and so were Jūnishinshō (Twelve
Divine Generals)79 of Yakushi nyorai (the Healing Buddha),80 who stood
outside the bars. one monkey stood towering over the cage surrounded by
roaring flames like Fudō myōō (Immovable Protector of Dharma).81
Looking on in amazement, Raikō asked the white-haired old man,
“What is the meaning of all this?”
“Because of this child’s virtue,” the old man answered, “in reciting the
Lotus Sutra, Jūrasetsunyo have descended to protect him. As for Jūnishinshō,
this child’s master performs the ritual of shichibutsu yakushi (the Seven
Healing Buddhas),82 so the Twelve Divine Generals, who protect and serve
the Healing Buddha, descend to guard him. That very being who takes the
form of yonder monkey is the deity enshrined in the Hayao Shrine83 at Mt.
Hiei. The original form of the deity is Fudō myōō, sworn protector, and a
monkey is a messenger of the shrine; so both appearances are manifested
as such.”
Raikō thought to himself, “This old man is mysterious himself. It is
true that without divine protection it would be hard to subdue the demon’s
heinous acts. This must be solely thanks to the benefits of the miraculous
yu Culture
the Hank
tesy of
s troupe with unidentifiable meat and blood. Cour
tains Raikō’
t Museum.
Figure 1.2. Shuten Dōji enter Foundation, Itsuō Ar
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Part I: Samurai
deities we have always prayed for.” Raikō was delighted and glanced secretly
at Hōshō, who nodded to him in agreement. This child was the page about
whom the old woman spoke—the disciple of Ryōgen and a son of Fujiwara
no Michinaga, the priest of the Enshrinement Hall.
Leaving that place, they looked to the south. Near the eaves of the
palace, the breeze wafted the scent of citrus tachibana, reminding them of
the fragrance of sleeves in olden times; the underbrush of the woods grew
wildly. Here and there, flowers of beloved star lilies looked on charmingly. It
was then that they saw many large barrels placed in line, in which was human
flesh pickled with vinegar. The smell coming from the barrels was foul, and
the sight was too miserable to witness. Turning their eyes to the side, they
saw mounds of carnage; moss grew on old corpses and bloodstains were
on fresh dead bodies. When they look to the west, treetops were tinged with
rain swishing; the color of paulownia and catalpa is red.84 Dewdrops formed
on a variety of fruit; bluebeards gave off fragrance. The sound of pine
crickets was captivating. Then they saw a number of imprisoned Chinese
people and realized that the demons abducted people not only from their
own country but from India and China as well. It was indeed piteous.
In the direction of north, snow was heavy on the pine trees, pining for a
storm;85 autumn still lingered on the frosty chrysanthemums in the garden.
It was appealing scenery.
The number of demons wasn’t many, they thought. A little over ten.
The rest were minor servants of various shapes, and they were numer-
ous. Thinking it all mysterious beyond understanding, they returned to their
quarters and reported their findings to their retainers.
About sunset, perhaps scheming to fool the troupe, five or six oni dis-
guised as beautiful women adorned in multilayered ceremonial robes visited
the group’s quarters.
These oni, without saying much, tried to seduce them, like a heavenly
maiden’s love affair with Kaiō (King Huai, reign 329–299 BCE) of Sokoku
(Chu guo) in ancient China.86
Hōshō said, “It is hard to believe that women come to the place of
mountain priests. Leave immediately.” But the women did not listen and
remained there. Thereupon, Raikō gave the oni-women an intense glare.
The demons, startled at the fierceness in Raikō’s eyes, made a hasty retreat,
murmuring, “This priest among them looks noble and important. His eyes
are sharp and disturbing. We had better leave.” Revealing their real appear-
ances, the oni scurried off.
Shortly after that, black clouds shrouded the area and soon it became
pitch black. The strong wind blew wildly, the earth was shaken, and thunder
Drunken Demon
49
and lightning began to strike. “What’s happening?” the warriors thought.
While they were wondering, numerous shape-shifters, tall and horrendous-
looking, emerged, dancing dengaku (field music and dance).
These goblins with different faces and shapes started to perform music.
Some were funny, some were beautiful, and others were frightening. It was
beyond description, beyond imagination. While the warriors were watching
this, Raikō remained in his seat, unmoved, and stared fiercely at the shape-
shifters for some time, whereupon five-colored lights began to emit from
Raikō’s eyes. The shape-shifters talked to themselves, “Have you seen that
mountain priest? With his eyes and face, he is no ordinary person. I hear
there is in the capital a man called Raikō of whom everyone is afraid. They
say his eyes give out sparkles.”
“Is that so? There is such a man, then. We won’t be able to deceive
such a person.” So saying, they ran off in all directions, some stumbling
over the rocks.
[ . . . ]
The warriors found Shuten Dōji asleep in a room strongly built of
iron and stones. Four or five noblewomen were forced to massage his giant
/> body. So strong and formidable did the room’s fortifications appear that
the warriors and their retainers found it impossible to enter. But then, the
old and young priests made signs with their fingers underneath their stoles
and earnestly prayed, “This is the time to reveal the merits of years of our
training and prayers for the main Buddha. Exalted one, please do not break
our vows!” Whereupon the iron and stones melted like morning dewdrops,
and the sturdy-looking chamber was destroyed instantly.
Although the dōji had looked like a human being during the day, when
the troupe entered the room he was revealed in his true monstrous form
at night; his height was well over fifty feet, a five-colored giant; he had a
red head and body, a yellow right arm, and a blue left arm. His left leg was
black, and the right one was white. This oni with a five-horned head and
fifteen eyes was sleeping peacefully, oblivious to the fate that awaited him.
Looking at this giant, the warriors felt as though they were in a nightmare,
but they calmed themselves and became anxious to attack the dōji. The
young priest, however, warned that they would be uncertain of a quick vic-
tory if the warriors attacked Shuten Dōji on different places of his body
with their swords. “If the dōji wakes up, it will be of great consequence
indeed,” the priest continued. “Therefore, we four priests will hold each of
Shuten Dōji’s limbs, and you the warriors must behead him in one accord.”
Thus the four priests held on firmly to the Dōji’s limbs; thereupon the
demon king raised his head and cried, “Where is Kirinmugoku? Where is
t Museum.
oundation, Itsuō Ar
yu Culture F
the Hank
tesy of
ay from Raikō. Courw
un a
mance r
perfor
aku
deng
yed the
he oni who pla
Figure 1.3. T
Drunken Demon
51
Figure 1.4. Shuten Dōji’s severed head lunges at Raikō. Courtesy of the Hankyu Culture
Foundation, Itsuō Art Museum.
Jakengokudai?87 Deceived by these men, I am now to be done with. Kill
these enemies!” Hearing Shuten Dōji’s voice, the decapitated oni rose from
the ground and were running about without their heads.