Amabie
Amabie
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Amabie(アマビエ) is the mermaid came on to the Japanese legend. It is said that she come from the sea and make a prophecy of abundant harvest or epidemic. As her relatives, there are Amabiko (アマビコ?), (Amahiko (尼彦?), Amahiko-nyudo (尼彦入道?), Amahiko (あま彦?), Amahiko (天彦?), Amabiko (天日子?), Arie (アリエ?)...etc.
Legend
It is reported that she appeared in Higo-no-kuni (Kumamoto Prefecture) in Edo era. On the middle of April 3 Koka (1846), the something object shines undersea appeared every days, one day the Oyakunin (administrator) of the town went to the coast then the Amabie appeared. Her appearance liked the Mermaid of the West, but her lip was pecker shape and her body was covered with the scale. For Oyakunin the Aamabie identified oneself as "My name is Amabie and I lives in the sea" and made a prophecy ,"In future, for six years, the good harvest will continue, and if a epidemic will gain ground, then show the picture portray of my figure for people at once." Then she came back to the sea. The story reported by the Kawara-ban (the media used tile engraving), and her image was portrayed in it and known to the all over Japan.
Specter of that ilk
Amahiko (尼彦?)is the merman and he is a relative of Amabie. He appeared in the sea of Higono-kuni, and proclaimed the harvest and obviate a disaster by showing a of picture him like Amabie. And in Hiuga-koku (Miyazaki prefecture), it is said that a specter named Amahiko Nyudo (尼彦入道, the monk Amahiko?) appeared and left a similar prediction. On the article of Yamanashi Nichinich Shinbun (newspaper) June 17 in 1876, it reported that the a specter termed as Arie who had similar appearance poked up in Higono-kuni Aoshima gun. In the Yuubin Houchi Shinbun June 10th , there was an article about Amahiko as well. There were three common characteristics, that is the first, the appearance from the sea, the second, the prediction of the good harvest and the plague, and the third, obviation of disaster by showing of picture, and the third, the standing with the legs of more than three, it is thought they were some kind. On the other hand, in Tokyo Nichi-nichi shinbun 8 August, the article which appeared Amahiko no Mikoto (天日子尊, the holly Amahiko?) in the rice paddy Yuzawa machi Niigata prefecture And in Amakusa the lore existed that Yamawarawa (山童, the mountain child?) appeared in the forest of mountains. The last two were not appeared in the sea but the appearance of them were common.
Tags: ningyo amabie mermaid cryptid sirenomelia sirenia cecaelia rusalka fairies little mermaid merman mermiad sightings mermaid myths