Tengu: Goblin? Demon Crow? Celestial Dog?
Before talking about Sojobo and Yoshitsune's mysterious mountain training, one must first understand what a tengu is. The problem is that defining exactly what a tengu is a difficult task.
Theories on the origin of tengu as mythological creatures vary from a variation on a Chinese myth about a celestial dog that fell from the heavens on a comet to a take on Garuda, a violent eagle-like creature from India. Indeed, the name 天狗 (tengu) is a combination of the Chinese characters for heaven and dog. To complicate things further, there are different types of tengu. Common examples are the karasu (crow) tengu and yamabushi (mountain warrior) tengu. The karasu tengu is beaked, lives in the tops of trees, and possesses visible wings. The yamabushi tengu, on the other hand, impersonates a member of that mountain ascetic tradition. Yamabushi tengu also possess wings, but don't always show them. These two main types of tengu have both similarities and differences. As magical creatures, they can fly and shapeshift. They are also often depicted as being telepathic. Moreover, both are fond of trickery such as burning houses and abducting people. However, the karasu tengu is generally the less powerful of the two and is even shown as being subservient to the stronger yamabushi tengu, a minion of sorts.
Frequently depicted as long-nosed or beaked tricksters, tengu often cause people wandering in the forest to lose their way by changing the appearance of the forest. At their worst, tengu are child-eating monsters, who are sure to dissuade any adventurous youngster from wandering into the forest at night. It seems clear that the tengu are an amalgamation of various myths about mountain-dwelling creatures. Likely, the syncretism of Chinese and Japanese folklore brought about the creature we today call a tengu. However, if anything is certain about tengu, it is that their exact origins are uncertain.
The yamabushi tengu, while potentially devious, can occasionally be cajoled into sharing their power with mortals. This was the case with Minamoto no Yoshitsune, known as Ushiwakamaru during his youth. In a definitive work on the subject of tengu, Tengu, the Mountain Goblin, Pat Fister writes, "He (Yoshitsune) was spared by Taira no Kiyomori during the Heiji rebellion in 1159, on the condition that he become a priest and be educated at the temple of Kurama-dera" (Fister 105). It was during his time on the mountain that Yoshitsune came into contact with the powerful tengu king, Sojobo. Sojobo's reasons for teaching Yoshitsune aren't perfectly clear. However, Fister suggests that, " The reason Sojobo agreed to instruct Yoshitsune was to incite a battle, and indeed tengu came to be regarded as harbingers of war" (ibid). Fundamentally devious creatures that revel in chaos, it seems reasonable that Sojobo would involve himself in human affairs. In turn, Yoshitsune's motivations for training with the devilish king of the tengu are apparent enough. Though he had been sent to live on a secluded mountain, Yoshitsune's desire for revenge was strong. He knew that if he could learn the secrets of the tengu's powe he would have the upper hand in combat.
The images above show Yoshitsune training with Sojobo, who is dressed in the garb of a yamabushi (mountain ascetics who seek to channel the powers of nature and unlock spiritual secrets through rigorous training). There is no doubt that Yoshitsune's connection to Sojobo is an example of tariki. While admittedly mythological, the fact that Yoshitsune's legacy has a strong connection to supernatural forces is telling of the importance of such forces in Japanese history. On the one hand, we the Heike Monogatari paints a picture of Yoshitsune as a hard-nosed, quick-thinking warrior who relies on his own power to guide his men to victory against the Taira. On the other, we see that stories of his pupilage are steeped with elements of tariki...
Citation: "Tengu, the Mountain Goblin," by Pat Fister, in Stephen Addiss (ed.), Japanese Ghosts and Demons, New York: George Braziller, Inc. 1985, pp. 103-112.
Theories on the origin of tengu as mythological creatures vary from a variation on a Chinese myth about a celestial dog that fell from the heavens on a comet to a take on Garuda, a violent eagle-like creature from India. Indeed, the name 天狗 (tengu) is a combination of the Chinese characters for heaven and dog. To complicate things further, there are different types of tengu. Common examples are the karasu (crow) tengu and yamabushi (mountain warrior) tengu. The karasu tengu is beaked, lives in the tops of trees, and possesses visible wings. The yamabushi tengu, on the other hand, impersonates a member of that mountain ascetic tradition. Yamabushi tengu also possess wings, but don't always show them. These two main types of tengu have both similarities and differences. As magical creatures, they can fly and shapeshift. They are also often depicted as being telepathic. Moreover, both are fond of trickery such as burning houses and abducting people. However, the karasu tengu is generally the less powerful of the two and is even shown as being subservient to the stronger yamabushi tengu, a minion of sorts.
Frequently depicted as long-nosed or beaked tricksters, tengu often cause people wandering in the forest to lose their way by changing the appearance of the forest. At their worst, tengu are child-eating monsters, who are sure to dissuade any adventurous youngster from wandering into the forest at night. It seems clear that the tengu are an amalgamation of various myths about mountain-dwelling creatures. Likely, the syncretism of Chinese and Japanese folklore brought about the creature we today call a tengu. However, if anything is certain about tengu, it is that their exact origins are uncertain.
The yamabushi tengu, while potentially devious, can occasionally be cajoled into sharing their power with mortals. This was the case with Minamoto no Yoshitsune, known as Ushiwakamaru during his youth. In a definitive work on the subject of tengu, Tengu, the Mountain Goblin, Pat Fister writes, "He (Yoshitsune) was spared by Taira no Kiyomori during the Heiji rebellion in 1159, on the condition that he become a priest and be educated at the temple of Kurama-dera" (Fister 105). It was during his time on the mountain that Yoshitsune came into contact with the powerful tengu king, Sojobo. Sojobo's reasons for teaching Yoshitsune aren't perfectly clear. However, Fister suggests that, " The reason Sojobo agreed to instruct Yoshitsune was to incite a battle, and indeed tengu came to be regarded as harbingers of war" (ibid). Fundamentally devious creatures that revel in chaos, it seems reasonable that Sojobo would involve himself in human affairs. In turn, Yoshitsune's motivations for training with the devilish king of the tengu are apparent enough. Though he had been sent to live on a secluded mountain, Yoshitsune's desire for revenge was strong. He knew that if he could learn the secrets of the tengu's powe he would have the upper hand in combat.
The images above show Yoshitsune training with Sojobo, who is dressed in the garb of a yamabushi (mountain ascetics who seek to channel the powers of nature and unlock spiritual secrets through rigorous training). There is no doubt that Yoshitsune's connection to Sojobo is an example of tariki. While admittedly mythological, the fact that Yoshitsune's legacy has a strong connection to supernatural forces is telling of the importance of such forces in Japanese history. On the one hand, we the Heike Monogatari paints a picture of Yoshitsune as a hard-nosed, quick-thinking warrior who relies on his own power to guide his men to victory against the Taira. On the other, we see that stories of his pupilage are steeped with elements of tariki...
Citation: "Tengu, the Mountain Goblin," by Pat Fister, in Stephen Addiss (ed.), Japanese Ghosts and Demons, New York: George Braziller, Inc. 1985, pp. 103-112.