In my travels. I’ve come across some mysterious creatures that people have not heard of or encountered before. These obscure creatures are usually of local lore and, unexpectedly, not known beyond its regional borders. The reclusive yokai that I am going to share though, is mention by the illustrious Toriyama Sekien (鳥山 石燕) and yet there are very little literature about it. Today’s obscure yokai is the Waira.
It is depicted as a cow-like creature that creeps around the forest floor, using its single-clawed limbs. An old man claims that to have encountered the hideous Waira when he was much younger. The yokai was feasting on some forest moles by a hidden pond. He describes it as mossy green with lumpy warts.
There are chroniclers of ancient tales that documented the male waira is mottled earthly brown while the female gender is dark red in colour. These records of sexual dimorphism in waira cannot be verified because, as we know, in nature, the male gender usually has a flashier plumage and/or hue.
Earthly Protectors
Some stories suggest that waira are virtue guardians of the mountain temples. They crawl on their bellies keeping an eye out for the wicked hearted. Their thick sharpened claws ready to slice the vile and maintain the purity of the temple grounds.
Truth be told, none of the accounts above, and its origins, can be verified. The only thing we can be certain is that Toriyama Sekien has included the waira in his Gazu Hyakki Yagyō which means that it exists. Any legends or stories related to the waira is now as obscure as the yokai itself.
Yokai Details
- name: waira (wah-ee-rah)
- kanji: わいら
- meaning: deformation of the word meaning fear
- abilities:
- fear projection — cause fear and/or terror on an individual
