Crow like creatures from Japan

[Big Bad Voodoo]

There is a legend that Ninjers got their special ability from Tengu. Black brid humanoid. Not just Ninjers there is legend how Minamoto Yoshitsune/ Ushigawa-Maru learnd his martial art techniques from Tengus. One day Taira clan leader kill his father. Minamoto was captured with his mother and become slave. Later he was sent to monks in temple Kuruma. One day he met old master with red body and big nose. Old master was in fact Tengu king-Sojobo. Sojobo teach Minamoto martial arts. Then trained by Sojobo he defeated famous monk Saito Musashibo Benkei. During fight Minamoto jumps so high that people said Tengu king help him. Tengus also rescued Tametomo when typhoon hit his shipsailing to Kyoto. His wife jump in sea as sacrifice but nothing happened. With him in ship was his only child. After ship broke and his child,wife and soldiers were lost he want to kill himself. Then Tengu came and prevent him and suddenly he saw his child in sea and shark around. He try to save his only child and shark would kill them but ghosts of Tametomo soldiers saved both of them.

Chronicles of Japan is history book which dates from 720. In that book its mentioned Tengu-dog meteor. But word in later accounts Tengu was consider to be Bird humanoids. Its similar to Hindu Garuda. But also to Horus, Harpy and Thunderbird.

Todays Japan have to strugle with Crows. Crows attack people. Children were being attacked. They are fighting for their territory. Japan todays national hero is 17 year old girl, student, Misato Ishibashi,from Takeo city aka“schoolgirl falconer”. Misato relation with falcons is amazing. As we know that Japan have all kind of competitions they also have competiton is expelling avian pets. Misato show as one of the best at competition so governor Yasushi Furukawa sent her the request. Soon after Momotaro, Misamoto falcon , ran off „Karasu“ (Raven,Crows on japanese) and silence emerged. Did crows give a hard time to anccient Japanese too? Were Tengu become Humanoid bird based on crows intelligence? We know that New Caledonian crow uses a tool to acquire food. They probably look smart to Japanese. Were they thought on them as they were shapeshifters?

In Japanese legends they are described as monks from mountains, in nests on big trees which also have power of teleporting and shapechange.

So we see that Tengu were monks who lived in mountains, with special abilities, often want to help people, teach them martial arts. But how did they become bird like creatures? Due their suddenly appearing? Were Tengu early secret order like Ninjers who are established to help people? Did they have wings and beak? Maybe beak was mask. And wings were common accessories in history (Hint: Polish Winged Hussars) Or they were just myth based on smart and clever Crows? How come that we have Garuda, Horus, Harpies? Maybe they realy have gliders back then as one member proposed idea.

Thoughts?

[Big Bad Voodoo]

Minamoto Yoshitsune is learning to fight with sword by the Tengu

[Abramelin]

The problem with the socalled 'jungle crows' in Japan, a type of crows sometimes described as 'crows on steroids' because of the deeper voice and huge bill. started rather recently.

The more people lived in Tokyo (for that is where they cause the main problem) the more garbage was put on the streets for the trash collectors.

Japanese people still like/love these crows, so they try to invent ways to protect the garbage from these huge crows, but sometimes they do shoot them off when nothing helps.

It is also a recent phenomenon that they have become so bold and aggressive towards people, and that's simply because the Japanese people never used to harm them plus an overload of available food in the cities.

What I am saying is that the legend of the Tengu is not based on the aggressive behaviour of modern jungle crows.

[ReaperS_ParadoX]

Thats very interesting

[flareobox]

These creatures look alot like the Kappa, or the japanese river imp. Maybe there could be some kind of relationship between the two?

[NatureBoff]

These creatures look alot like the Kappa, or the japanese river imp. Maybe there could be some kind of relationship between the two?

Agreed. I've seen the 'black bird humanoids' on a few occassions in Cornwall UK. They are the aggressive males with the jet-black fur. They 'flap' their arms to simulate the wings of a black bird when they jump. They also have glowing yellow slit eyes and travel in pairs so that one is always on the look out for birds of prey etc. Also, as a warning before visual contact, they will leave a deposit on a nearby branch which looks like a small patch of dayglow orange fungus. It's just their way of getting humans out of their territory who have outstayed their welcome. The Cornish ones are *tiny* btw, about the size of the UK common garden blackbird, say 6 inches high perhaps. It suggests that the kappa are the female ones which hunt for fish and are looked after by the protective males. Edited November 24, 2012 by SunnyBlues

[Big Bad Voodoo]

In slavic mythology, especially in Dalmatia area, Croatia, there are stories about clashing between warlocks who would shapechange into giant crow and then made war.

Also in Sorbs people in Germany there is legend about Krabat. Here is what Germany wiki say about it:

Krabat (abgeleitet von Hrvat ,Kroate‘) ist eine Sagengestalt der Sorben.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krabat_(Sage)

And here is story re written by Otfried Preusler.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krabat

Anyway Karbat can also turn into crow as one of his magic abilities.

[Abramelin]

One of my favorite books.