Nikōbō
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Nikobo was an exorcist located in Nikaido according to ancient Japanese legend.[1] He was described to be gentle and kind-hearted,[2] with the ability to send away evil spirits and cure the sick or the possessed.[1]
When the local governor's wife was sick, Nikobo was sent to heal her. He spent days by her bedside to help the wife recover by practising his exorcism.[2] However, when the wife recovered, the governor avoided paying him by accusing Nikobo of a crime and sentenced him to death. In some versions, the governor was jealous of Nikobo and wished to revenge.[2] This made Nikobo furious and he returned as a globe of fire, within which a human face can be seen, and he nested in a tree outside the governor's home.[3] Eventually, the governor fell sick with a fever that killed him, and the globe of fire disappeared.[3] In some versions, the governor's death was ruled a mystery.[1] Legend says that every year, Nikobo's soul returns to visit the scene of its suffering.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Roberts, Jeremy (2009). Japanese Mythology A to Z. Infobase Publishing. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-4381-2802-3.
- ^ a b c d Davis, Frederick Hadland (1919). Myths & Legends of Japan. G.G. Harrap. pp. 357–358. ISBN 978-7-230-00976-8.
- ^ a b Bush, Laurence C. (5 October 2001). Asian Horror Encyclopedia: Asian Horror Culture in Literature, Manga, and Folklore. p. 135. ISBN 9781469715032.
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