The month of October has finally approached Karakura! I’m sure most of ya’ll are familiar with the spooky claims that go around during this time. Some say spirits are more active during this time, and some don’t believe in this thing. Another thing that has kept people wondering is the folklore in Karakura. Nobody really knows much about it. Luckily for me, I had a great opportunity to speak with a priest at the Shinsei Seinaru Shrine Monastery about the folklore in October. I hope you’ll find this quite interesting as I did.
[!] A transcript from a recording was shown below [!]
Sho Hirobayashi: “Its difficult to summarize it all, but there are essentially two things happening as October: 1) one spirit, named Hwan, has been preying for humans in the forest to his agenda as a revenge message to the kami, and 2) it appears as though large group of spirits have taken the form of… Serial killers from movies for whatever reason and are also attacking people in the forest with weapons. Generally, other spirits show themselves in the chaos but these are the only two… Thematic instances of dangerous spirits in October.”
Oda: “Could you explain more of the spirit named Hwan? Such as where did they come from? What did the kami do to Hwan to want revenge? What’s Hwan’s story?”
Sho: “There are two sides to the coin that are the Jaibatsume twins. Mi-Cha and Hwan. The ting to know about spirits who were once-living is that not everybody becomes a spirit when they die. It isn’t from a raw chance, either. To become a spirit after death, you needs two things: an imbalanced soul and insane determination. What makes the twins two sides of the same coin is that Mi-Cha’s soul was imbalanced towards the good; she is very, very kind and was determined enough to help others avoid yomi, the place of the dead. Hwan, however, was the mischievous twin, and when both he and his sister died, he spat in the face of the kami and denied their welcoming to death. The kami cursed Hwan, he and his sister became a spirit, and Hwan’s motivations worsened over an incredible amount of time. His revenge on the kami is to take what was taken from him at a young age: life. I will not go into the full details of their story, such as the curse Hwan was given, what his plans are, and what life they lived prior to death since it is not my story to tell. That much I can say, though.”
Oda: “I completely understand. I didn’t know there had to be two things to be done to become a spirit. Now then moving on to the other spirits… that appear to form in Serial Killers. Do you have an idea why they are appearing in these forms? What kind of serial killers are they appearing as?”
Sho: “As of right now, the shrine does not know why they take the appearance of serial killers. Most spirits actually aren’t from dead beings, but instead, they are created by a kami or born to other spirits, though not through pregnancy. I don’t know where they came from, so unless people who look like serial killers from movies all died and became spirits, they were more likely created or born that way. So far, I recently ran into four: Jeff the Killer, Sadara, Jason, and Freddy Krueger. These are the only ones I’ve seen or gotten reports of, but it wouldn’t surprise me to hear more of them. Another thing to consider is some spirits are shapeshifters, so they could also do this for the effect of Halloween and are just violent spirits looking to scare people.”
Oda: “I noticed the bandage on your right shoulder. I’m assuming one of the spirits you ran into caused this. If you’re comfortable with it could you explain what happened during that time? If you’re not comfortable with it, what would you suggest to the public about these spirits wanting to cause trouble?”
Sho: “This came from a fight with a spirit that looked like Jeff the Killer. I stabbed them through the face from beneath their jaw. The fight ended with them disappearing for a moment while people forced me away from the fight due to the cut on my shoulder, against my will. First off, the shrine sells omamoris and blessed lanterns that dissuade spirits from attacking you; however, stronger spirits ignore them and even weaker spirits won’t completely leave you alone, but will just try to avoid the omamoris and blessed lanterns to get to you. Second if a priest, like me, is dealing with a spirit, do not interrupt the way I was dragged away mid-fight with Jeff the Killer. The spirit was severely wounded, and I only had one cut. By making me leave for an injury that I didn’t even need stitches, others eventually got stabbed by Jeff while I was away and only more will suffer in my absence. And third, our recommendation to citizens is to run to the shrine if you encounter a spirit we have not personally cleared as friendly spirit. No harmful spirits can enter the shrine, plus you can contact the shrine staff to deal with them. Feel free to have my number as an emergency contact: (030)-389-0406.”
Oda: “I knew the Shrine staff are usually known for providing the history of Karakura, but I didn’t know they also helped fight off spirits. I’m sure the public is grateful for the shrine staff risking their lives to fight off the spirits. As you all have much more knowledge than the public does. Thank you for those recommendations and I hope the public will listen to them, not only just for the month of October but all the time. Is there any other information you’d like to provide us today?”
Sho: “Yes, not all shrine staff assist with spirits the way I do It is not part of the job description, so do not put pressure on too many of us if some don’t fight. BUT, also, do not seek out spirits, since we will not prioritize protection if citizens ignore our warnings anyway. And don’t use ouija boards, but if you do, always remember to say “goodbye” to the spirit when you’re done, and do NOT break the board. That’s all..!”
Oda: “Such great information was provided! Thank you for taking the time today to share your knowledge with the public.”
Even though it was a handful of information, it was quite interesting to learn more about some of the folklore in Karakura. Not only did I learn about this but also advice and suggestions when it comes to the spirits in the forest. I do hope that this information caught your interest as well along with the advice.
This is Oda Watanabe with Karakura News.
Have a topic or a report you’d like to give us? You can contact us using the hotline at (020) 980-4487. Visit our Onrain @KANews!
This is Oda Watanabe with Karakura News.
Have a topic or a report you’d like to give us? You can contact us using the hotline at (020) 980-4487. Visit our Onrain @KANews!
