According to Japanese folklore, Oni is a kind of yokai that means evil or ghost, basically referring to a negative character. Oni could also be well explained from the mythology of other religions as well like in Hinduism it is termed as rakshasa which also in some or the other way symbolizes a negative character.
“Oni is a part of Japanese yokai which are mysterious creatures that are considered to have quite a scary appearance, they are red or blue in color, the appearance of Oni has been depicted numerous times with two horns on his forehead, with protruding claws, with long deadly tusks and sometimes having a third eye to uplift their scare factor.”
History And Folklore
Oni is derived from on, the on’yomi reading of a character meaning “to hide or conceal”, due to Oni tending “hiding behind things, not wishing to appear“.
It is said that Oni is an after-death phenomenon but in some cases, it is said one can undergo this transformation while living, there is a famous medieval story of Shuten-Doji who just to trick other people wore the mask of an Oni appearing from darkness but couldn’t take off and was mocked by the town folks, enraged by this behavior Shuten-Doji went to the mountains practicing dark magic and returned being more powerful, he influenced other people as well but was later killed by the bravest warrior Minamoto Raiko.
As stated in the research by Noriko T Reider – Japanese demon lore: oni, from ancient times to the present.
“Oni, ubiquitous supernatural figures in Japanese literature, lore, art, and religion, usually appear as demons or ogres. Characteristically threatening, monstrous creatures with ugly features and fearful habits, including cannibalism, they also can be harbingers of prosperity, beautiful and sexual, and especially in modern contexts, even cute and lovable. There has been much ambiguity in their character and identity over their long history.”
“Usually male, their female manifestations convey distinctively gendered social and cultural meanings. Oni appears frequently in various arts and media.”
Japanese Beliefs v/s Chinese Beliefs
The Japanese word and concept of an Oni, meaning a kind of evil and malevolent
While The Chinese do not consider Oni as a ghost or evil but it could be anything referring to the life it lived, it is considered neutral could be good or bad. They also consider Oni as evil if the person has “not lived well” and likewise a benevolent spirit who lives “a life of virtue”. It is even worshipped as an ancestral spirit.
Setsubun Festival
It is a festival primarily considered to be the beginning of spring but also as a process to purify evil and diseases where male members of the group wear masks and one of them wearing a mask of Oni with people gathered casting roasted soybeans on demons. This is a large festival with many people gathered together also meant as a symbol starting of good luck for upcoming days of the year.
Conclusion
An Oni is a famous demon with supernatural powers who is believed to be dangerous and mysterious with great history depicted in Japanese mythology considered to be entities of punishment and cruelty, in some of the houses in Japan the head of the Oni is placed above the house so that they may keep away evil spirits or bad omens from the household.