Violet Harada
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The Badger in Japanese Folklore
1976, Asian Folklore Studies
https://doi.org/10.2307/1177646
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Abstract
AI
AI
The badger, known in Japanese folklore by various names such as tanuki, mujina, and mami, emerges as a significant figure endowed with transformative powers across different cultural narratives. Its first mention in Japanese literature dates back to the eighth century, highlighting its ability to shapeshift and engage in various mischievous activities. Though often portraying itself as a trickster, capable of inflating its belly and drumming to lure unsuspecting victims, the badger is also depicted as a vengeful entity seeking retribution for wrongs done against it. Its tales traverse a spectrum from foolishness to cunning intelligence, illustrating its multifaceted role in the oral traditions of Japan.
Key takeawaysAI
AI
- The badger, known as tanuki, mujina, or mami, features prominently in Japanese folklore.
- First literary mention of the badger in Japan dates back to the eighth century.
- Tanuki can transform into various forms, including humans and objects like trees or fences.
- The badger exhibits dual characteristics as a vengeful prankster and a benevolent figure in folklore.
- It plays a unique role in Japanese oral tradition, reflecting complex cultural narratives around shape-shifting and trickery.
The Badger in Japanese Folklore
By
V io l e t H. H arada
Introduction
Down through the ages, the badger has been a popular figure in
Japanese folklore. In various periods and in different locales the animal
endowed with transcendental powers has been referred to as tanuki
mujina, or mami.1 Of these three terms tanuki is the one most widely
used.
Originally mentioned in Chinese lore, the first reference to the
badger in Japanese literature is recorded in an eighth century document,
“Laws Concerning Robbers” (^Zokuto Ritsu ” where possible trans-
gressors are warned against “smoking foxes and badgers out of graves”
because of their special bewitching powers.2
In this same period, first accounts of the badger’s ability to trans-
form itself into other shapes appear. A passage from a chronicle Shoku
Nihongi reads:
“In the second month of the thirty- fifth year of the Empress Suiko there
was in Michinoku province a badger who changed itself into a man and
sung.’ 3
By the eighteenth century, the badger or tanuki was a firmly en-
trenched figure in the folklore tradition. A racoon- faced creature in its
natural form it could assume numerous shapes. Sometimes it appeared
as a one-eyed hag; at other times, it transformed itself into a beautiful
young woman. Another favorite shape it could take was that of a black-
garbed Buddhist priest (as such, it was known as the tanuki- bozu). How-
ever, it was not confined to human shapes. The tanuki could also fly
1 . M. W. De Visser “The Fox and the Badger in Japanese Folklore,” in
Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan, vol. XXXVI (1908) p .1.
2. Ibid” p . 11.
3. Ibid” p. 20.
2 V IOLET H. HARADA
as a dazzling comet or change itself into a fence post, stone or tree.4
Possessing extraordinary powers, the badger could predict deaths and
see into the future, as well as know of a man’s former existences.5
One of its peculiarities was its ability to inflate its belly and to drum
on it making the following sounds: ^Taketen- teketen- teketenjDokodon-
dokodon- dokodon.^ It often accompanied itself by singing uPom- poko-
pom, pom- poko- shoy On moonlight nights badgers were known to amuse
themselves by playing on their belly- drums (referred to as hara tsuzumi)
and luring men who fell under the spell of the music, into ditches and
swamps.6
Still another curiosity was the phallic significance attached to this
animal. In many tales, the badger was described as inflating its scrotum
so that it could cover “eight
iam な ”) a measure referring
Badger’s Roles
mats” (referred to as
to the size of a room.:
“hachi- jd- shiki kin-
badger in folklore fall
transformer grateful
basically into three
inend and roguish
seeking revenge for
The roles played by the
categories: that of vengeful
prankster.
As the vengeful transformer, the badger comes
some wrong committed against it—such as someone destroying its den,
or killing its relative or persecuting the badger itself. In such cases, the
badger can be extremely tenacious and ferocious.
One such account from the eighteenth century describes the badger
as transforming itself into an old hag and haunting a big oak in a certain
neighborhood. According to this tale, it would throw a child it was
suckling at any passerby. Finally a samurai warrior succeeds in cutting
it and making it bleed. Later, the badger avenges this act by preventing
the warrior from jumping a fence during battle. As a result he is killed
by his pursuer.8
By far the best known tale in this category is “The Crackling Moun-
tain” (“Kachi Kachi Yama^) of which there are at least eighty- eight
known versions. In this story, the badger is strung up by a hunter as
punishment for eating food intended for the man’s pet hare. Using wily
4. Ibid., p. 156.
5. U. A. Casal, “The Goblin Fox and Badger and Other Witch Animals of
Japan ” in Asian Folklore Studies, vol. XVIII (1959) p. 55.
6. Ibid. p. 55.
7. Ibid., p. 57.
8. De Visser, op. cit” pp. 78- 79.
THE BADGER IN JAPANESE FOLKLORE 3
persuasion, the evil badger manages to convince the hunter’s wife that
she should release it. When she frees it, the animal immediately kills her
and cooks her in a stew. Assuming her shape, it tricks the hunter into
eating the gruesome meal. Later the badger taunts the hunter by reveal-
ing the horrible truth to him. Ultimately, however the hare pays the
badger back in good measure when he sets it on fire and destroys its clay
boat.9
The tanuki as a grateiul and benevolent animal also appears in a
few stories.
One such account comes from Kashihara where a man who befriends
a family of badgers is repaid for his kindness. As the story goes, robbers
steal into the man's house one night where they threaten the frightened
members of his family. Several huge wrestlers appear from nowhere and
and chase off the thieves. Later on, a badger comes to the man in a
dream to explain that the wrestlers were actually tanuki.10
An old monk treats a badger with kindness in “The Badger’s Money”
and the latter displays its gratitude by working hard to present honestly-
earned gold to the priest as a holy offering.11
In “Danzaburo ” a money- lending badger tries to repay a physician
for curing its illness. The good doctor refuses the gold but later accepts
a precious sword given by the well- meaning animal.12
A favorite in children’s collections is “The Dancing Tea Kettle”
(“Bunbuku- Chagama” • Rescued from captivity by a tinker, the badger
decides to take the shape of a magical tea kettle to help the man. (In
some versions it is sold to the good- hearted tinker by frightened priests
of the Morin Temple.)13 With its head, legs and bushy tail protruding,
it performs acrobatic stunts; and the fame of the strange- looking kettle
spreads. People flock to pay and see the show. In this way, the tinker
grows wealthy. The kettle is ultimately returned to a temple and kept
as a treasure there.14
Most of the badger tales, however, depict the animal as a rogue and
a trickster whose practical jokes range from harmless to tragic.
9. Keigo Seki, Folktales of Japan (Chicago, 1963) pp. 6- 14.
10. Casal, op. cit,, pp. 53- 54.
1 1 . A. B. Mitford Redesdale, Tale of Old Japan (London 1871) pp. 110-
116.
12. De Visser, op. cit” p. 85.
13. F. Holland Davis, Myths and Legends of Japan (London 1912) pp.
261- 263.
14. Helen Me Alpine and William McAlpine, Japanese Tales and Legends
(New York 1958) pp. 202- 210.
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References (14)
- Keigo Seki, Folktales of Japan (Chicago, 1963)， pp. 6-14.
- Casal, op. cit,, pp. 53-54.
- A . B. Mitford Redesdale, Tale of Old Japan (London， 1871)， pp. 110 116. 12. De Visser, op. cit" p. 85.
- F. Holland Davis, Myths and Legends of Japan (London，1912)， pp. 261-263.
- Helen Me Alpine and William McAlpine, Japanese Tales and Legends (New York， 1958)， pp. 202-210.
- Richard M. Dorson, Folk Legends of Japan (Tokyo, 1962)， p. 137.
- Ibid., pp. 135-136.
- De Visser, op. cit,，pp. 45-46.
- Lafcadio Hearn, Kwaidan; Stories and Studies of Strange Things (Tokyo, 1971), pp. 77-80. 20. lafcadio Hearn, Kotto (New York， 1902)， pp. 21-26.
- D e Visser, op. cit., pp. 45-46.
- Hiroko Ikeda, "A Type and Motif Index of Japanese Folk Literature， " in FF Communications, no. 209 (1971 )， p. 86. 24. Seki, op. cit" pp. 14-20.
- De Visser, op. cit., p. 93.
- Casal, op. cit., p. 52.
- Redesdale, op. cit" p p . 117-122.
FAQs
AI
What explains the badger's transformative abilities in Japanese folklore?
The badger, known as tanuki, is referenced as a shape-shifter in eighth-century texts, demonstrating its ability to transform into human and non-human forms, as seen in 'Shoku Nihongi'.
How has the badger's role evolved through different historical periods?
Research indicates that from its eighth-century origins to its eighteenth-century prominence, the badger's character transitioned from a supernatural figure to a central trickster in folklore.
What are common themes associated with the badger in folklore tales?
The tales often depict the badger as a vengeful prankster or grateful benefactor, highlighting dual characteristics of malice and benevolence, as showcased in stories like 'The Crackling Mountain'.
What cultural significance does the badger's physical attributes have in folklore?
The badger's inflated scrotum is often used in tales to create illusions, representing its trickster nature and intimacy with themes of fertility and transformation.
When did the badger first appear in Japanese literature, and what was its role?
The badger first appeared in 'Laws Concerning Robbers' in the 8th century, depicted as a creature with bewitching powers that could influence human fate.
