Tengu

Tengu is a term used for Japanese gargoyles (of which the only surviving clan is the Ishimura Clan).

History

Hunter told Dingo and Matrix they were going to Tokyo, Japan to hunt for a tengu, referring to Yama. ("Strangers") Only after they arrived at Tokyo did Dingo realize just what that word meant. ("The Lost")

Real World Background

Tengu appear in Japanese legend as a race of winged beings who lived in the forests and mountains of Japan. Like the Ishimura gargoyles, they sometimes taught bushido to humans; their most famous pupil was Yoshitsune of the Minamoto clan, who, thanks to their teachings, was able to defeat his family's chief rival, the Taira clan, which had overthrown his clan. The tengu were also said to have great magical abilities, and to be fond of playing tricks on humans (which makes them sound more like a branch of Oberon's Children than like gargoyles).

See also

• Tengu (mythology) at Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia