The legend of Shuten-dōji has been described since the 14th century in various arts, traditional performing arts and literature such as emakimono, jōruri, noh, kabuki, bunraku, and ukiyo-e. Shuten-dōji has been regarded as the most famous and strongest oni in Japan. It was not until the legend of Shuten-dōji was created that the oni began to be depicted in paintings, and the 14th century Ōeyama ekotoba ( 大江山絵詞) is the oldest surviving emakimono (picture scroll) depicting Shuten-dōji. There is the theory that the reason why stories of onihitokuchi were common is that wars, disasters, and famines where people lose their lives or go missing were interpreted as oni from another world appearing in the present world who take away humans. In Nihon Ryōiki, The Tales of Ise and Konjaku Monogatarishū, for example, a woman is shown being eaten in one mouthful by a oni. A prominent depiction of oni is that they eat people in one mouthful, which is called " onihitokuchi". ĭuring the Heian period (794–1185), oni were often depicted in Japanese literature, such as setsuwa, as terrifying monsters that ate people. As monstrous as oni are, they have been linked to bringing good fortune and wealth. When in disguise, oni are capable of appearing as a man or woman, regardless of their gender. Female oni are sometimes referred to by the name Yamauba. Oni can be male or female, but have been predominantly male throughout history. Oni are able to change their looks to fool their victims into trusting them. They also have three to six digits on each hand and foot tipped with claw-like nails. They are typically depicted with red, blue, black, or yellow colored skin, wearing loincloths of tiger pelt, and carrying iron kanabō clubs. They are typically portrayed as hulking figures with one or more horns growing out of their heads, massive teeth, and occasionally a third eye in the center of the forehead. Oni are known for their superhuman strength and have been associated with powers like thunder and lightning, along with their evil nature manifesting in their propensity for murder and cannibalism. They are believed to live in caves or deep in the mountains. An oni ( 鬼 ( おに )) ( / oʊ n i/ OH-nee) is a kind of yōkai, demon, orc, ogre, or troll in Japanese folklore.
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