Today’s yokai is easily one of the weirdest ones I have ever come across… I can’t help but be reminded of the famous scene in The Godfather, or maybe a seahorse. This is one that has so little backstory to it that you can’t help but let your imagine ramble over where it could have possible come from… | 今日の妖怪は今まで見た中でも特にとても奇妙なものである。この妖怪を見るとゴッドファザーの有名なシーンかタツノオトシゴを思い出します。この妖怪の背景やまつわる伝説は少なく、どこから来たのかも想像を膨らますしかないです．．．。

Sagari

Sagari (さがり)

Sagari, which means “hanging,” is a strange apparition from West Japan and Kyushu, particularly Okayama and Kumamoto. It takes the form of a horse’s head, which drops down from hackberry trees to startle travelers on the road.

It doesn’t sound like much, but if the sight of a dismembered horse’s head dropping down right in front of your face and screaming its unholy cry isn’t enough to freak you out, it has one more trick up its sleeve: those who hear it whinnying and screaming are stricken with a terrible fever.

These yokai are said to come from the spirits of horses which died on the road and were discarded where they fell. Their souls were said to get caught in the trees as they rose from the bodies, and from there they turned into yokai.

Don’t forget, you can get your very own signed fined art print of Sagari from my Etsy store! Visit osarusan.etsy.com to see this and other yokai available for purchase.

Are you interested in yokai? Can’t get enough of strange Japanese culture? Then you should check out my book, The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, on Amazon.com and learn the story behind over one hundred of these bizarre monsters! |

Sagari

Sagari (さがり)

さがりは西日本や九州地方、特に熊本県、岡山県に現れる不思議なお化けで馬の頭が木の枝からぶら下がっているというものである。

聞くだけなら大したことはなさそうだが、切断された馬の首が目の前に現れ叫び声をあげていたならばこれ以上の恐怖はないであろう。さらに不運にもこの鳴き声を聞いたものは熱病に侵されてしまうのだという。

この妖怪は木のそばで死んでしまった馬の魂が木に宿ったものであるといわれ、それが妖怪の姿になり現れたものであるという。

さがりも私のEtsyストアでお求めになれます。特別なサイン入りの“さがり”をハロウィーンの色どりにいかがですか？

他の妖怪にも興味をもっていただけたなら、是非アマゾンから「The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons（百鬼夜行）」をどうぞ！