怨霊 (Onryou) Vengeful Spirits

Have you ever wondered what originally inspired such Japanese horror films as The Ring and The Grudge? Well let me introduce you to 怨霊(Onryou) which translates to vengeful or wrathful spirits.

These spirits are not like your typical Yokai and don’t have a cheeky or light hearted story. Tales of Onryou tell of people who have died in horrific ways, usually the victim of a particularly gruesome murder. These spirits are so full of hate and vengeance that they form Yurei (Japanese ghosts) attacking anyone that may be unlucky enough to stubble upon them. In rare cases however they don’t form out of hate, but out of passionate love, which is expressed in the from of jealousy.

Attacks vary wildly from simple revenge kills to natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tsunami’s, mudslides, floods, etc. If you are unfortunate enough to come across one sadly there is no means of escape. Unlike some spirits that can be satisfied or exorcised Onryou are so full of hatred or jealousy that there is nothing that can be done. In turn making them some of the most feared spirits in Japan. It is no wounder that so many films have been inspired by them.

Onryou are described as looking the way they did at the time of their death. Some examples include, soldiers who have bullet wounds or limbs missing and others are of women who have been strangled or had their throat cut. One characteristic seems to remain the same however, they are wearing a burial kimono.

There are hundreds of stories out there describing Onryou, but one of my personal favourites is of wife a to a samurai. The poor woman had a terminal illness. In her last breaths she asked her husband not to remarry, keeping her memory alive. He promised he wouldn’t and would think of her everyday. This however was not to be, only weeks after her death he slept with another woman. Falling in love with each other, the new couple planned to get married. This enraged the spirit of the deceased woman, who paid the samurais future bride a visit. Warning her of dyer consequences if she doesn’t call of the wedding. The warning seemed to have no effect and they continued with their plans. When the spirit returned the second time there was no further warning and she beheaded the bride in front of the man. Now filled with fear he never remarried again.

I think in some ways this story is a stark reminder to always remain faithful. I mean you never know you could be visited by an Onryou.

Thanks for reading and all the best