Armor Against Evil: Hannya, Oni & Tengu Masks
Perhaps one of the most iconic images associated with Japanese art are devilish looking masks most notably of the Hannya, Oni and Tengu. These masks are often depictions of Japanese mythological demons and continue to be used in Japanese art, pop culture and even by many tattoo artists because of their distinctly fearsome and yet appealing features. The samurai of Feudal Japan had armored masks known as Men-yoroi that were often crafted to depict the vicious facial features of these entities in order to strike fear into their enemies on the battlefield.
It is because of these demonic like features, many associate these masks with the evil entities they represent and are sometimes viewed as evil objects in themselves. Alternative and even positive roles for these masks however have developed in the modern era as their crafting has since moved away from being used to strike fear into enemies on the battlefield and instead are believed to strike fear into evil to ward it off. Let us explore the rich history of the Hannya, Oni and Tengu to better understand what these masks depict and how these masks became popularized outside of warfare.
Hannya in Japanese mythology are often associated with scorned and vengeful women who has taken the form of a demon. The word Hannya is thought to be derived from the Sino-Japanese word for wisdom and is speculated to be called that due to it takes a great deal of wisdom to create a complex Hannya mask. Another theory is that it is derived from the artist monk Hannya-bo, who it is believed perfected making Hannya masks. One yet further theory is that Hannya, Oni, Tengu and the like have wisdom and dark secrets to give that must be learned with caution. This we will explore in more detail later on.
Quite terrifying in nature, Hannya are often depicted with horns, disheveled hair and a large grin with sharp teeth to convey their wrathful nature. Masks and art depicting Hannya however, despite their initial aggressive appearance, are actually quite intricate in their design and are created in order to depict a wide range of human emotions at once. As such, Hannya masks are often designed that when looked upon straight ahead the full wrathful features depict an angry and scornful demon, however when tilted downward, appears to be a woman crying and full of sorrow. This duality demonstrates how one's own torment and despair can lead to anger that consumes and transforms you into a wrathful entity.
Looked at in this light, we can see that Hannya masks in themselves are not wholly evil as that they can serve as a warning of allowing our emotions to go unchecked that we may be consumed by them. It is thus where the word “wisdom” for Hannya begins to make sense as through understanding one's own emotionally turmoil can we gain a better understanding of ourselves. In Buddhism, this could be equated to finding a path to Enlightenment to break the cycle of reincarnation known as Samsara, a key ideological belief that is intertwined in Japanese culture that we will see more of with our discussion on Oni.
Oni in Japanese mythology are demons, often depicted as hulking ogres with horns, demonic faces who wield giant clubs. Similar in appearance to the Hannya, the two are often confused and sometimes used interchangeably, however are generally considered to be predominately male, which is counter to the female Hannya. The etymology for the word Oni has various interpretations, with some associating it with the Japanese word on which means “to hide” as these figures often hide in the shadows or within alternate realms of existence. The term has also been known to represent the spirit of those who have passed on into the afterlife. These entities are often associated with the Japanese supernatural realm and have been depicted in various forms with various purposes with the most powerful Oni believed to be among the Buddhist Wrathful Deities as those who punish evil doers in the afterlife.
This is further effaced by the Buddhist conception of King Yama, often depicted as an Oni. King Yama (popularized in the animated television series Dragon Ball Z) is the magistrate of the Buddhist underworld known as Naraka and is believed to preside over cycle of rebirth and reincarnation (Samsara). King Yama is therefore not an evil figure and is instead represented as a fearsome executor of justice. Here we again see how these Hannya and Oni entities, while vicious in appearance, can represent more positive figures behind the mask so to speak.