Tengu

Tengu aka heavenly dogs comes as the Japanese mythic creatures with red human face and long nose being supernatural monster-spirits. Sometimes this character was presented with the wings as a half-human and a half stork one, thus, showing both human and avian capabilities. Ten-gu was known to be fabulously strong and most often is found wearing the outfit common with the Yamabushi hermits residing in mountains.

Tengu people awe ere deemed to be the spirits wondering in or around mountainous area. People believe that Tengu strived to disturb the peace on the Earth; they provoked to war actions, triggered fire and hurricanes. They were assumed to be wicked creatures that made every endeavor to harm people. Nevertheless, the legends say there were Tengu people with noble and generous hearts who protected the temples and sacred people.

Tengu people were supernatural and they were highly skilled in the art of war actions and especially in cold arms using, becoming mentor for people deemed to be well-deserved by them. They were believed to be exceptional warriors though in personality they came as very resentful people who could not stand for vanity and haughtiness. It’s believed that a person known to be too arrogant or malicious can turn into a Tengu after death. Ten-gu creatures were associated with the ascetic Shugendo, picturesquely depicted in the recognizable outfit of its followers, the Yamabushi.