Hitodama
Encyclopedia
are believed in Japanese folklore
to be the souls of the newly dead taking form as mysterious fiery apparitions. The word hitodama is a combination of the Japanese words hito, meaning "human", and tama (short for tamashii), meaning "soul". These flames supposedly appear as pale blue or sometimes green spheres with long tails, and they are believed to be tricksters originating from fluorescent gases that can sometimes be seen above human graves.
s and in gloomy forest
s in summer time, where they are said to live. They are allegedly sometimes seen close to a dying person as an apparition of the soul leaving the body before going to the other side. Most hitodama fade away or fall to the ground shortly after being spotted.
Among tricks they are believed to play on people is leading travelers off track, causing them to become lost. Some Japanese myths consider hitodama a trick of the kitsune
, employing their "fox-fire" (kitsune-bi) to lead travelers astray.
Ghostly fires in Japan may also be called . In Chinese they are called guǐ-huǒ (Pinyin
) or gwäe-fo (Cantonese
). Hitodama is the Japanese counterpart to the English "Will o' the wisp
".
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 ,...
to be the souls of the newly dead taking form as mysterious fiery apparitions. The word hitodama is a combination of the Japanese words hito, meaning "human", and tama (short for tamashii), meaning "soul". These flames supposedly appear as pale blue or sometimes green spheres with long tails, and they are believed to be tricksters originating from fluorescent gases that can sometimes be seen above human graves.
In folklore
Hitodama are usually said to be found near graveyardGraveyard
A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...
s and in gloomy forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s in summer time, where they are said to live. They are allegedly sometimes seen close to a dying person as an apparition of the soul leaving the body before going to the other side. Most hitodama fade away or fall to the ground shortly after being spotted.
Among tricks they are believed to play on people is leading travelers off track, causing them to become lost. Some Japanese myths consider hitodama a trick of the kitsune
Kitsune
is the Japanese word for fox. Foxes are a common subject of Japanese folklore; in English, kitsune refers to them in this context. Stories depict them as intelligent beings and as possessing magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. Foremost among these is the ability to assume...
, employing their "fox-fire" (kitsune-bi) to lead travelers astray.
Ghostly fires in Japan may also be called . In Chinese they are called guǐ-huǒ (Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
) or gwäe-fo (Cantonese
Standard Cantonese
Cantonese, or Standard Cantonese, is a language that originated in the vicinity of Canton in southern China, and is often regarded as the prestige dialect of Yue Chinese....
). Hitodama is the Japanese counterpart to the English "Will o' the wisp
Will o' the wisp
A will-o'-the-wisp or ignis fatuus , also called a "will-o'-wisp", "jack-o'-lantern" , "hinkypunk", "corpse candle", "ghost-light", "spook-light", "fairy light", "friar's lantern", "hobby lantern", "ghost orb", or simply "wisp", is a ghostly light or lights sometimes seen at night or twilight over...
".
In Manga and Anime
- In the manga and anime Dragon Ball ZDragon Ballis a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995; later the 519 individual chapters were published into 42 tankōbon volumes by Shueisha. Dragon Ball was inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the...
, hitodama are seen frequently as Son Goku (and many other characters) traverse through "The Otherworld" and Hell. - In the series InuyashaInuYasha, also known as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It premiered in Weekly Shōnen Sunday on November 13, 1996 and concluded on June 18, 2008...
the re-animated priestess, Kikyo, is sustained by Hitodama which are harvested for her by special "soul carrier" demons. - In Soul EaterSoul EaterSoul Eater may refer to:* Soul Eater , a Japanese manga series by Atsushi Okubo and adapted into an anime television series** Soul Eater Evans, one of the main protagonists of the Soul Eater manga and anime....
the souls of defeated characters are depicted as Hitodama
See also
- AnchimayenAnchimayenThe Anchimayen is a mythical creature in Mapuche mythology. Anchimayens are described as little creatures that take the form of small children, and can transform into fireball flying spheres that emit bright light...
- Ball lightningBall lightningBall lightning is an unexplained atmospheric electrical phenomenon. The term refers to reports of luminous, usually spherical objects which vary from pea-sized to several metres in diameter. It is usually associated with thunderstorms, but lasts considerably longer than the split-second flash of a...
- LuciolaLuciolaLuciola is a genus of "flashing" fireflies , especially well-known from Japan. They are often called "Japanese fireflies", but their members range farther into Asia and reach southern Europe and Africa...
- Naga fireballsNaga fireballsThe Naga fireballs , also referred to as Mekong lights, are a phenomenon seen in the Mekong river—in Thailand and in Laos —in which glowing balls rise from the water high into the air...
- OrbOrb (paranormal)The term orb describes unexpected, typically circular artifacts that occur in flash photography — sometimes with trails indicating motion — especially common with modern compact and ultra-compact digital cameras....
- Spontaneous human combustionSpontaneous human combustionSpontaneous human combustion describes reported cases of the burning of a living human body without an apparent external source of ignition...
- St. Elmo's FireSt. Elmo's fireSt. Elmo's fire is a weather phenomenon in which luminous plasma is created by a coronal discharge from a grounded object in an electric field in the atmosphere St. Elmo's fire is named after St. Erasmus of Formiae St. Elmo's fire (also St. Elmo's light) is a weather phenomenon in which luminous...
- Will o' the wispWill o' the wispA will-o'-the-wisp or ignis fatuus , also called a "will-o'-wisp", "jack-o'-lantern" , "hinkypunk", "corpse candle", "ghost-light", "spook-light", "fairy light", "friar's lantern", "hobby lantern", "ghost orb", or simply "wisp", is a ghostly light or lights sometimes seen at night or twilight over...