Samebito
Encyclopedia
The is a creature that appears in "The Gratitude of the Samebito", a short story by Lafcadio Hearn
. It is described as a humanoid
with inky black skin, emerald green eyes, a face like a demon's, and a beard like a dragon
's.
In the story, a man named Tōtarō meets the Samebito one day on a bridge. Although frightening, the creature turns out to be a gentle being who, as punishment petty fault, has been expelled from the sea by his former employer, one of the eight great Dragon King
s of the ocean. Tōtarō takes pity on the creature and allows it to live in a deep pond in his garden. Meanwhile, Tōtarō has been seeking a bride, and eventually falls in love with a beautiful woman he sees at a female pilgrimage at Mii-dera
. He becomes deathly sick with grief, however, on learning that her family requires a betrothal gift of ten thousand jewels for her hand in marriage. When the Samebito learns that his master is on his deathbed, he begins to cry tears of blood which become precious rubies when they hit the ground. Through the Samebito's tears, Tōtarō eventually wins the hand of the woman with whom he is infatuated. When he has finished weeping, the Samebito is also pardoned by the dragons, and the story ends happily.
Hearn notes that the name for this being is usually read as Kōjin. The kōjin are creatures thought to live in the South China Sea
, which resemble ningyo
, are always weaving at their looms, and whose tears become jewels.
Hearn's story appears to have been based on another story called Kōjin by Kyokutei Bakin
.
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...
. It is described as a humanoid
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
with inky black skin, emerald green eyes, a face like a demon's, and a beard like a dragon
Japanese dragon
Japanese dragons are diverse legendary creatures in Japanese mythology and folklore. Japanese dragon myths amalgamate native legends with imported stories about dragons from China, Korea and India. The style of the dragon was heavily influenced by the Chinese dragon...
's.
In the story, a man named Tōtarō meets the Samebito one day on a bridge. Although frightening, the creature turns out to be a gentle being who, as punishment petty fault, has been expelled from the sea by his former employer, one of the eight great Dragon King
Dragon King
The four Dragon Kings are, in Chinese mythology, the divine rulers of the four seas . Although Dragon Kings appear in their true forms as dragons, they have the ability to shapeshift into human form...
s of the ocean. Tōtarō takes pity on the creature and allows it to live in a deep pond in his garden. Meanwhile, Tōtarō has been seeking a bride, and eventually falls in love with a beautiful woman he sees at a female pilgrimage at Mii-dera
Mii-dera
', formally called ', is a Buddhist temple located at the foot of Mount Hiei, in the city of Ōtsu, in Shiga Prefecture. It is only a short distance from both Kyoto, and Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake. The head temple of the Tendai Jimon sect, it is something of a sister temple to Enryakuji, at...
. He becomes deathly sick with grief, however, on learning that her family requires a betrothal gift of ten thousand jewels for her hand in marriage. When the Samebito learns that his master is on his deathbed, he begins to cry tears of blood which become precious rubies when they hit the ground. Through the Samebito's tears, Tōtarō eventually wins the hand of the woman with whom he is infatuated. When he has finished weeping, the Samebito is also pardoned by the dragons, and the story ends happily.
Hearn notes that the name for this being is usually read as Kōjin. The kōjin are creatures thought to live in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
, which resemble ningyo
Ningyo
is a fish-like creature from Japanese folklore. Anciently, it was described with a mouth like a monkey's, small teeth like a fish's, shining golden scales, and a quiet voice like a skylark or a flute. Its flesh is pleasant-tasting, and anyone who eats it will attain remarkable longevity...
, are always weaving at their looms, and whose tears become jewels.
Hearn's story appears to have been based on another story called Kōjin by Kyokutei Bakin
Kyokutei Bakin
was a late Japanese Edo period gesaku author best known for works such as Nansō Satomi Hakkenden and Chinsetsu Yumiharizuki.-Life:He was born as , he wrote under the pen name which is a pun as the kanji may also be read as Kuruwa de Makoto meaning a man who is truly devoted to the courtesans of...
.