00:09In the dark murky waters of Japan, lurks a mysterious and frightening creature, that
00:16is said to wield terrifying magical powers, which it uses for mostly evil.
00:21Reptilian and vampire-like, this strange creature is intelligent, and even more mischievous.
00:27A creature, when berserk, drowns livestock, kidnaps and eat children, and harasses women.
00:35This creature, is called the Kappa.
00:41In Japanese mythology, and folklore, the Kappa, is a water deity, which inhabits the freshwater
00:48areas of Japan.
00:50A lecherous creature, that is credited with having taught humans, the art of bone setting,
00:56and the creation of medical salves.
00:59The Kappa, has the appearance, of both a humanoid, and reptile.
01:05In legend and art, they are depicted as being the size of a child, about 5 feet tall, and
01:12green in color.
01:13They slightly resemble monkeys, but with fish scales, or tortoise shells, instead of skin.
01:20They posses a beak, in place of a mouth.
01:24However, this doesn't interfere with their abilities, to speak human languages.
01:30Kappas are called different names.
01:32The most common being, Kauwapa, and Kauwiso.
01:37Perhaps, the most notable feature of the Kappa, is the small ball-like indentation, on top of
01:43their heads, that holds a small pool of water, called Sera.
01:48This water, is thought, to be the source of the Kappa's magical powers.
01:53A Kappa, must keep their Sera full, whenever they venture onto land, else they lose all
02:00their strength, and magical powers.
02:03If the Sera is also spilled, they lose their powers.
02:08Without this Sera water, a Kappa could possibly die.
02:12Legends say, that if you encounter a Kappa on land, and refill a Sera, on top of its head,
02:19it will be eternally grateful, and will withhold it mischievous, or malevolent nature from you.
02:26In addition, it will help you with whatever you require, for the rest of your lifetime.
02:32The Kappa, is fond of causing mischief, and sometimes harm to humans.
02:38In their benign state, Kappas are pranksters, that like to make offensive jokes, that put
02:44people in discomfort, like making sounds similar to flatulence, or looking up a woman's kimono.
02:50In their malevolent state, they tend to direct their anger, towards humans, and livestock,
02:57and purposefully try to drown them, kill, and drink the blood of victims, and sexually assault
03:03women.
03:04According to legend, the Kappa is obsessed, with an object called, Shiri Kodama, a mysterious
03:11jewel, thought to contain a person's life force, that is located in the Shiri, the Japanese
03:17word for anus.
03:19It is thought, that the majority of attacks, by the Kappa, are made to obtain the Shiri Kodama.
03:25But the Kappa does not always kill, in order to obtain a Shiri Kodama.
03:32Many tales tell, that the Kappa sometimes lurks in toilets, which were usually situated over
03:38the river, waiting for an opportunity, to steal the Shiri Kodama, or sexually assault women.
03:45Some of the myths went on to say, that these assaulted women, would later give birth to Kappa
03:50children.
03:50However, upon birth, these Kappa children were cut into pieces, and buried in jars, because
03:57of their hideous appearance.
04:00The Kappa, is also known to posses incredible strength, and amazing swimming capabilities.
04:07They are known for their love of fighting, especially sumo wrestling.
04:11It is said, that a Kappa's greatest joy in life, is to engage in combat, with its victims.
04:19Now, despite their evil ways, Kappa are obsessed with human tradition.
04:24This is considered to be its biggest weakness.
04:28Those who tell of an encounter, with the Kappa, claimed that they were able to escape, because
04:34they used the Kappa's own obsession, with human tradition, against it.
04:38They said, that if you encounter a Kappa, you should bow deeply, to it.
04:44The Kappa, will feel obligated to return the bow, thus, spilling the water in its Sarah in
04:51the process, thereby rendering it powerless.
04:55Unfortunately, some Kappa caught on to this practice, and then used a metal plate, to protect
05:01their Sarah, when they came ashore.
05:04Now, how do you defeat these smarter Kappas?
05:09When it comes to Kappas, who protect their Sarah with a plate, there are other ways, although
05:15risky, to ensure that they do not harm you.
05:19It is said, that a Kappa's arms can be easily detached from their bodies.
05:24If you can sneak up on a Kappa, or are fast enough to grab their arm, during combat, and
05:30pull it off, a Kappa will promise you anything, in order to have it returned.
05:36But as mentioned before, this is a risky feat.
05:39Other ways of dealing with Kappa, can be found in their love, of certain foods, especially
05:46cucumbers.
05:47Cucumbers may be one of the few things, the Kappa loves more, than the internal organs of
05:53young children.
05:54And so, many people believed, that writing the names and ages, of everyone in their family,
06:00usually, on pieces of sliced cucumber, and throwing them into the water, before bathing,
06:06would ensure that no one in their family, would be harmed.
06:10The last method used to ward off the Kappa, was by carrying iron, sesame, or ginger, whenever
06:17one is crossing Kappa infested places.
06:20Though a lot of people, refuse to believe in the existence of the Kappa, there are accounts,
06:26that still claim of many sightings today, especially in the countryside of Japan.
06:32Locals still hang warning signs, close to bodies of water, thought to be frequented by the Kappa.
06:40Japanese natives, used the legend of the Kappa to scare disobedient children, into behaving.
06:46It was thought that when disobedient children, ventured too close to the water without their
06:52parents, the Kappa would pull them into the water, and drown them.
06:56In conclusion, not all Kappas were evil.
07:00There were a rare few, who were good.
07:03The early Kappas were known as friendly helpers, who worked to teach humans, important medical
07:09practices, such as bone setting.
07:15The early Kappa, is a very good fit.
07:17The early Kappa, is a fairly good path.
07:17It is, it's a very good attitude...
07:19The during Kappa has an opportunity to teach humans, I think they all represent it.
07:25the other's service, they'll be voir against them all the people, and not only do not understand
Comments