Hannya – 般若 －はんにゃ
In Japanese folklore the female demon (oni) Hannya figures prominently. Often depicted in traditional Noh and Bunraku plays using a wooden mask of a fierce and grimacing horned demon, this malicious entity may be Japan’s most well-known demon. You may even recognize this mask as being the symbol of darkest moral depravity in Onibaba. An ancient legend recalls how the female Hannya persecuted all […]