During the Heian period (794-1185), the capital of Kyoto was home to foxes, raccoon dogs, and ghosts. Unlike today, when the only light at night was moonlight, the darkness was so deep and thick that it frightened the people of the capital.

Among others, Emperor Konoe feared the coming of darkness at the end of the Heian period.Every night, at the hour of the ox, the Imperial Palace is shrouded in black clouds and eerie cries of hyoo, hyoo are heard.Every time the emperor heard the unidentifiable cry, his whole body would tremble and he would start to swoon.The people of the city called the owner of the voice "Nue" (鵺), which gave them the creeps.

The man who was chosen to exterminate the mythical creature was Minamoto no Yorimasa, a descendant of Minamoto no Yorimitsu, famous for exterminating demons, and a master archer who excelled in military prowess. Yorimasa lurked in the dark of night, waiting until the third hour of the ox, when he heard a strange cry. At the sound of the cry, he shot an arrow into the sky. Then, something fell from the sky with a thud.

As I approached it, I found it to be a bizarre creature. It had the head of a monkey, the body of a raccoon, the limbs of a tiger, and the tail of a kuchinawa (snake). The appearance of the creature astonished all those involved in its extermination. When Yorimasa exterminated the creature, the emperor was immediately cured of his illness.

Dainshinban kamabuchi sokyu bakyu baima hinari soroku kirikyogen yorimasa zunamonogatari" ("The Story of the White White Dragon")
(Reprinted from the National Diet Digital Collections)

There is a place in Kyoto where a mythical creature shot by Minamoto no Yorimasa fell from the sky. Nijo Park, located in Chikara-cho, Kamigyo-ku, north of Nijo Castle, is the site. During the daytime, families and children play in the park, and the atmosphere is not frightening. However, in one corner of the park,Shrine of the mythical mythical creature enshrined in the shrine of the mythical creature who was shot downIt is tucked away to the north of the park. It stands quietly on the north side of the park.

White's thrush (Zoothera dauma)

mythical creature with a monkey's head, tanuki's body, tiger's limbs, and a snake tail

There was also a recreation of the pond where Yorimasa washed the arrowheads soaked in the blood of a mythical creature. The arrowheads used to kill the White White White People are said to be kept at Shinmei Shrine in Shimogyo Ward, Tokyo.

Then,What happened to the exterminated corpse of the chimera?

There are several theories.

In the Noh play, "Nymph," the ghost of a mythical creature appears before a monk and laments that he was swept away into the Yodo River after being forced into the "Utsuho-bune," a ferryboat of the underworld. According to another legend, he was placed in a large bamboo tube and buried in the Kiyomizu-dera temple hill, and his mound was located beside Kiyomizu Sannenzaka. There is also a mound of the mythical creature in Fukakusa, Fushimi Ward. In any case, it seems that the legend of the mythical creature was well known among the people of that time.

By the way, the true identity of the Japanese chimera comes from its cry of "hyoo, hyoo,It must have been a tiger thrush.It is said to be a "lonely" bird. Its cry is like the sound of a flute, more lonely than eerie.

White's thrush (Zoothera dauma)

It is no wonder that the people of the capital at that time would have listened to the voice of a chirpy creature with a chill running down their spine, fueled by their fear of the dark night at the time of the ox-three o'clock in the Heian period, when there were no electric lights and not a sound could be heard.

I also searched the Internet for "鵺" (鵺). I got a hit that its true identity is a red panda. Its face is a monkey, its body is a raccoon, its tail is a snake, and its limbs are tigers. ...... There are many theories as to what the creature looks like, and its tail is said to be that of a fox. It may indeed resemble a red panda!

however,Mysteries are more mysterious when they are buried as mysteries.It is.