Tengu is an iconic creature in Japanese culture and religion. These yokai come in various shape and form. Some are daemonic creatures that wreck havoc and destroy villages. Some are powerful guardians of the great mountains and vast forests. The yokai of the day is kotengu a lesser type of tengu . These avian creatures are the ultimate hoarder of forgotten and magical artifacts.
Unlike the other tengu cousins, kotengu resemble more like a large bird than humanoid. They have a beak instead of mouth and nose and crow talons instead of feet. Even though kotengu are wild-like yokai, they are often seen in yamabushi attire. These mountain ascetic hermits, probably, presented the monk clothes to the yokai themselves.
Hoarders of the Forest
Kotengu fly around the forest mountains looking for abandoned shiny objects. These avian yokai are voracious hoarders, always looking for shiny items. They will snatch it from the living or the dead. As such, yokai folklorists believe that they have have large stashes of valuable and forgotten artifacts in their roosts. These covetous kotengu will never trade their loot with anyone.
Nonetheless, there are many stories of smart men who have successfully tricked the kotengu into trading magical artifacts for useless trinkets. Conversely, there are much more accounts of failures. Kotengu‘s punishments include hog-tying the deceiver up the highest tree in the forest. A position where all can hear his scream but none are able to help him. Another known account tells kotengu forcing the cheaters to eat their own excrement until they go insane.
Endangered Species
However, the number of kotengu sightings have decreased dramatically over the decades. Nobody really know why that is so. Some folklorists, speculate that the kotengu migrated deeper into the forests because of global warming. Some believe that the kotengu has been hunted down by the more divine tengu that protects the mountains. Nonetheless, stay safe when travelling in the mountainous forests. Avoid any suspicious avian monks. Unless, of course, you want the artifact that monk is holding on to.
Yokai Details
- name: kotengu (koh-ten-goo)
- kanji: 小天狗 ( こてんぐ )
- meaning: lesser tengu
- abilities:
- flight — use wings to fly in high speed
- keen sense — able to sense valuable objects within range
