Rokurokubi (folktale)
Encyclopedia
Rokurokubi is a tale from Lafcadio Hearn
’s Kwaidan. It features a monster by the same name (actually a classification error took place; in reality it features a nukekubi
, not a rokurokubi
). It takes place, “nearly five hundred years ago”. Considering Kwaidan was first published in 1904, over one hundred years ago, we can assume the story is most likely from the Muromachi Period in Japanese history (c.1336-1573). It features a manly protagonist who exemplifies the values of the time and age. He is said in the tale to have served well in the Eikyō
War, which took place in 1438, during the Muromachi period. His name is Isogai Heidazaemon Taketsura and was a vassal in the service of the feudal lord Kikuji. At that time in Japan, regional warfare was rampant and feudal lords were constantly being uprooted, defeated, and having their houses thrown into disarray. When such a fate befell Isogai’s master, instead of finding another master to serve, he became an itinerant priest and assumed the name Kwairyō.
Aside from telling a tale of supernatural
adventure, this tale reflects the values of its time well. During the Muromachi period, manliness took a new form. As the courtier culture faded into the past, samurai
machismo
and military strength became more prevalently valued. Indeed, it was a harsh time when warrior skills and the ability to endure difficulties was paramount. It is even possible that the scary role played by the supernatural beast
s may have been an expression of superstition
, which Japanese mythology
is rife with.
"For that was an age of violence and disorder"…
(a garment worn by Buddhist priests) and remains clamped there even after death, impossible to remove. Kwairyō travels to a near village called Suwa and after being questioned by authorities about the decapitated head attached to his clothing, he explains about the night’s events. A wise magistrate recognizes the character on the back of the neck, which signifies that it was indeed a nukekubi and not a murder victim. He is released and encounters a thief on the highway who after some discussion acquires the koromo from Kwairyō to play himself off as a hardened thug. He learns of the actual events of the night and brings the head back to the woodcutter’s cabin and buries it.
Lafcadio Hearn
Patrick Lafcadio Hearn , known also by the Japanese name , was an international writer, known best for his books about Japan, especially his collections of Japanese legends and ghost stories, such as Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things...
’s Kwaidan. It features a monster by the same name (actually a classification error took place; in reality it features a nukekubi
Nukekubi
are monsters found in Japanese folklore. By day, nukekubi appear to be normal human beings. By night, however, their heads detach at the neck smoothly from their bodies and fly about independently in search of human prey. These heads attack by screaming , then closing in and biting.While the head...
, not a rokurokubi
Rokurokubi
are yōkai found in Japanese folklore. They look like normal human beings by day, but at night they gain the ability to stretch their necks to great lengths. They can also change their faces to those of terrifying oni to better scare mortals....
). It takes place, “nearly five hundred years ago”. Considering Kwaidan was first published in 1904, over one hundred years ago, we can assume the story is most likely from the Muromachi Period in Japanese history (c.1336-1573). It features a manly protagonist who exemplifies the values of the time and age. He is said in the tale to have served well in the Eikyō
Eikyo
was a after Shocho and before Kakitsu. This period spanned the years from September 1429 through February 1441. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1429 : The era name was changed to mark the beginning of the reign of Emperor Go-Hanazono...
War, which took place in 1438, during the Muromachi period. His name is Isogai Heidazaemon Taketsura and was a vassal in the service of the feudal lord Kikuji. At that time in Japan, regional warfare was rampant and feudal lords were constantly being uprooted, defeated, and having their houses thrown into disarray. When such a fate befell Isogai’s master, instead of finding another master to serve, he became an itinerant priest and assumed the name Kwairyō.
Aside from telling a tale of supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
adventure, this tale reflects the values of its time well. During the Muromachi period, manliness took a new form. As the courtier culture faded into the past, 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...
machismo
Machismo
Machismo, or machoism, is a word of Spanish and Portuguese origin that describes prominently exhibited or excessive masculinity. As an attitude, machismo ranges from a personal sense of virility to a more extreme male chauvinism...
and military strength became more prevalently valued. Indeed, it was a harsh time when warrior skills and the ability to endure difficulties was paramount. It is even possible that the scary role played by the supernatural beast
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s may have been an expression of superstition
Superstition
Superstition is a belief in supernatural causality: that one event leads to the cause of another without any process in the physical world linking the two events....
, which Japanese mythology
Japanese mythology
Japanese mythology is a system of beliefs that embraces Shinto and Buddhist traditions as well as agriculturally based folk religion. The Shinto pantheon comprises innumerable kami...
is rife with.
"For that was an age of violence and disorder"…
Synopsis
Kwairyō finds himself traveling through the hills in a province called Kai when he realizes that he is far from any hamlet or village. Having resigned himself to sleeping outside (something which does not bother our stalwart hero in the least), he is warned of “Hairy Things” and offered a place to pass the night by a woodcutter. Kwairyō accepts the offer and follows the woodcutter to his warmly lit cottage. Kwairyō meets the other four members of the household and has a brief conversation with the woodcutter who admits that he used to be a warrior of rank but through his selfishness, he brought about the ruin of his house. Kwairyō offers to recite some Buddhist sutras for him then retires to his room. Sleep eludes him and he is getting a drink when he finds five bodies on the floor, without heads. He assumes they are rokurokubi, but they are more likely nukekubi (Hearn’s mistake or Kwairyō’s, we don’t know for sure). A rokurokubi’s head does not detach from the body but merely travels far from it on the end of an infinitely extendable neck. These were most likely nukekubi since their heads were completely detached from their bodies. Also, in Japanese, nuku (抜く), while having several meanings, means to detach or unplug while the word rokuro refers to a pulley as well as a potter’s wheel. We can infer that these were indeed nukekubi. Whatever the case, Kwairyō moves the body of the woodcutter from its original position in order to prevent the head from finding its body ever again (an inherent weakness of the nukekubi) then finds the heads bobbing around outside discussing how best to go about eating him. Kwairyō, with a small element of surprise, manages to beat away four of them who later flee while the last one, the head of the woodcutter, bites onto the sleeve of his koromoJapanese clothing
The various traditional ethnic garments worn in Japan are still in use, they are mainly worn for ceremonies and special occasions- like weddings or festivals. Both men and women favor "western-style" clothing in their daily lives- due to the comparative convenience and the influx of global...
(a garment worn by Buddhist priests) and remains clamped there even after death, impossible to remove. Kwairyō travels to a near village called Suwa and after being questioned by authorities about the decapitated head attached to his clothing, he explains about the night’s events. A wise magistrate recognizes the character on the back of the neck, which signifies that it was indeed a nukekubi and not a murder victim. He is released and encounters a thief on the highway who after some discussion acquires the koromo from Kwairyō to play himself off as a hardened thug. He learns of the actual events of the night and brings the head back to the woodcutter’s cabin and buries it.