baku

Baku is a mythical creature introduced from China that is said to live by eating dreams. Since it eats nightmares, it is popular for tattoos as a lucky charm.

In the Muromachi period, it is said that there was a custom to draw the character 獏 on the sail of the “treasure ship picture” that was put under the pillow in order to have a good dream in the first dream of the New Year. During the Edo period, pillows with paintings of baku and pillows in the shape of baku became popular among the common people.

But eating this nightmare seems to be only in Japan. It is written as a spiritual beast that eats iron in the Chinese Baishi Bunshu, and is said to symbolize a peaceful age. It seems that if there is a war, metal will be supplied and the iron that is food will be lost.

faith

At shrines and temples, it is often seen as a talisman against evil, such as on the wooden nose of worship.

feature

According to the Wakan Sansai Zue, “Baku resembles a bear, with a small head, low legs, and mottled black and white patterns. It has the trunk of an elephant, the eyes of a rhinoceros, the tail of an ox, and the legs of a tiger, and is strong enough to bite and eat body iron and bamboo bones. It is so strong that even swords and axes can break down, and even fire cannot burn it.”