Kappa have a dish on their heads; if the water in it spills, they lose their strength

Japan has rivers, and where there are rivers, there are kappa. They're about the size of a child, with green skin, a turtle shell on their backs, bird-like beaks, webbed hands and feet, and most importantly, a concave dish on top of their heads that holds water.

According to legend, they live in rivers and ponds, like to drag passing cattle and horses into the water, will also pull children under, and love to wrestle people, possessing astonishing strength. But they have one trait: they're exceptionally polite. If you meet a kappa and bow to it, it will politely bow back; as soon as it lowers its head, the water on its head spills, and it immediately loses its strength.

They also love eating cucumbers, which is why Japan has "kappa maki," cucumber sushi; parents in the summer will write their children's names on cucumbers and throw them into the river, begging the kappa not to take that child. In some places, kappa are also very skilled at setting bones, and legend says they taught humans this craft.

Some Japanese temples are said to house "kappa hands," though most researchers say they're actually monkey or otter parts.

In folklore, the kappa is also a warning: the waterside is dangerous, and children shouldn't go there. Every summer, children have accidents in rivers all over the place, so elders tell stories about kappa, making them especially scary.

Many elementary schools by the water still erect kappa signs by the river to this day, reading: Caution, do not approach. A green child, watching the river water, guarding the bank for the adults.

#Folklore #网络转载 #日本民俗