Nue
Encyclopedia
A nue is a legendary creature
found in Japanese folklore
. It is described as having the head of a monkey
, the body of a raccoon dog
, the legs of a tiger
, and a snake
as a tail. According to the legend, a nue can metamorphose
into a black cloud and fly. Due to its appearance, it is sometimes referred to as a Japanese chimera
. Nue are supposed to be bringers of misfortune and illness.
According to The Tale of the Heike
, Emperor Konoe, the Emperor of Japan
, became ill after having terrible nightmares every night, and a dark cloud appeared at two o'clock in the morning on the roof of the palace in Kyoto during the summer of 1153. The story says that the samurai
Minamoto no Yorimasa
staked-out the roof one night and fired an arrow into the cloud, out of which fell a dead nue. Yorimasu then supposedly sank the body in the Sea of Japan.
In a local expansion of the story, the nue's corpse floated into a certain bay, and the locals, fearing a curse, buried it. A mound near the bay which exists today is supposed to be the grave created for this nue.
(712) and Wamyō Ruijushō
(c. 934). Due to the use of Man'yōgana, the historical spelling
is known to have been nuye. At this early time, although, it had a different semantic meaning. It referred to a bird known as White's Thrush
.
In the thirteenth century, Heike Monogatari makes reference to a creature called a nue. In addition to having the head of a monkey, the body of a tanuki
, the paws of a tiger, and a snake as a tail, it has the voice of a White's Thrush
.
Around 1435, Zeami Motokiyo
wrote a Noh
song titled Nue dealing with the events described in Heike.
Legendary creature
A legendary creature is a mythological or folkloric creature.-Origin:Some mythical creatures have their origin in traditional mythology and have been believed to be real creatures, for example the dragon, the unicorn, and griffin...
found in Japanese folklore
Japanese folklore
The folklore of Japan is heavily influenced by both Shinto and Buddhism, the two primary religions in the country. It often involves humorous or bizarre characters and situations and also includes an assortment of supernatural beings, such as bodhisattva, kami , yōkai , yūrei ,...
. It is described as having the head of a monkey
Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
, the body of a raccoon dog
Raccoon Dog
The raccoon dog , also known as the magnut or tanuki, is a canid indigenous to east Asia. It is the only extant species in the genus Nyctereutes...
, the legs of a tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
, and a snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
as a tail. According to the legend, a nue can metamorphose
Métamorphose
"Métamorphose" - a song by French singer Amanda Lear released in 1989 by Carrere Records.- Song information :"Métamorphose" was the first single from Amanda's French-Italian album Tant qu'il y aura des hommes. The album was actually a re-release of Uomini più uomini, and consisted mostly of down-...
into a black cloud and fly. Due to its appearance, it is sometimes referred to as a Japanese chimera
Chimera (mythology)
The Chimera or Chimaera was, according to Greek mythology, a monstrous fire-breathing female creature of Lycia in Asia Minor, composed of the parts of multiple animals: upon the body of a lioness with a tail that ended in a snake's head, the head of a goat arose on her back at the center of her...
. Nue are supposed to be bringers of misfortune and illness.
According to The Tale of the Heike
The Tale of the Heike
is an epic account of the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War...
, Emperor Konoe, the Emperor of Japan
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
, became ill after having terrible nightmares every night, and a dark cloud appeared at two o'clock in the morning on the roof of the palace in Kyoto during the summer of 1153. The story says that the samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
Minamoto no Yorimasa
Minamoto no Yorimasa
' was a prominent Japanese poet whose works appeared in various anthologies. He served eight different emperors in his long career, holding posts such as hyōgo no kami...
staked-out the roof one night and fired an arrow into the cloud, out of which fell a dead nue. Yorimasu then supposedly sank the body in the Sea of Japan.
In a local expansion of the story, the nue's corpse floated into a certain bay, and the locals, fearing a curse, buried it. A mound near the bay which exists today is supposed to be the grave created for this nue.
Etymology
The word, Nue, appears in the oldest of Japanese literature. Early quotes include KojikiKojiki
is the oldest extant chronicle in Japan, dating from the early 8th century and composed by Ō no Yasumaro at the request of Empress Gemmei. The Kojiki is a collection of myths concerning the origin of the four home islands of Japan, and the Kami...
(712) and Wamyō Ruijushō
Wamyo Ruijusho
The is a 938 CE Japanese dictionary of Chinese characters. The Heian Period scholar Minamoto no Shitagō began compilation in 934, at the request of Emperor Daigo's daughter...
(c. 934). Due to the use of Man'yōgana, the historical spelling
Jodai Tokushu Kanazukai
is an archaic kanazukai used to write Japanese during the Nara period. Its primary feature is to distinguish between two groups of syllables as discussed below that later merged together.-Syllables:Following are the syllabic distinctions made in Old Japanese....
is known to have been nuye. At this early time, although, it had a different semantic meaning. It referred to a bird known as White's Thrush
White's Thrush
The White's Thrush or Scaly Thrush is a member of the thrush family Turdidae. It was named after the English naturalist Gilbert White.-Distribution and habitat:...
.
In the thirteenth century, Heike Monogatari makes reference to a creature called a nue. In addition to having the head of a monkey, the body of a tanuki
Tanuki
is the common Japanese name for the Japanese raccoon dog . They have been part of Japanese folklore since ancient times...
, the paws of a tiger, and a snake as a tail, it has the voice of a White's Thrush
White's Thrush
The White's Thrush or Scaly Thrush is a member of the thrush family Turdidae. It was named after the English naturalist Gilbert White.-Distribution and habitat:...
.
Around 1435, Zeami Motokiyo
Zeami Motokiyo
Zeami Motokiyo , also called Kanze Motokiyo , was a Japanese aesthetician, actor and playwright.-Acting:...
wrote a Noh
Noh
, or - derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh "performance day" lasts all day and...
song titled Nue dealing with the events described in Heike.
In Popular Culture
- In the Nagasarete AirantōNagasarete Airantois a Japanese manga series created by Japanese author Takeshi Fujishiro. It was first serialized in the manga magazine Monthly Shōnen Gangan in January 2002, published by Square Enix. Eighteen volumes have been released in Japan as of March 2011. A few years later, a couple of drama CDs were...
manga Nue is the number one rival of the lord of the East - In the mangaMangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
/animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series Nurarihyon no MagoNurarihyon no MagoNura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, known in Japan as is a manga series written and illustrated by Hiroshi Shiibashi. The series was first published in Shueisha as a oneshot in 2007. The manga has been continuously serialized in the Japanese manga anthology Weekly Shōnen Jump since March 2008 and has...
(known as Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan in the United States), Nue is the first offspring of the Hagoromo no Kitsune (a type of nine-tailed fox demon). - In Michael Scott's series, " The Secrets of the Immortal Nicolas Flamel", a nue is held in a cell on Alcatraz Island.
- A Nue appears in Volume 5 of the mangaMangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
Genju no SeizaGenju no Seizais a Japanese supernatural manga created by Matsuri Akino. The series is focused on Kamishina Fuuto, a teenager who has spiritual senses, and his struggle to maintain a normal life while being a reincarnation of the High Priest of Dhalashar....
, by Matsuri Akino; when the characters unintentionally time travel back to the HeianHeianThe name Heian may mean:* Heian period, an era of Japanese history* Heian-kyō, the Heian Period capital of Japan that has become the present-day city of Kyoto* Heian series, a group of karate kata ....
period in Japanese history, they are attacked by one. - Nue Houjuu, one of Touhou ProjectTouhou ProjectThe , also known as Toho Project or Project Shrine Maiden, is a Japanese dōjin game series focused on bullet hell shooters made by the one-man developer Team Shanghai Alice, whose sole member, known as ZUN, is responsible for all the graphics, music, and programming for the most part...
characters, is based from Nue.