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sakurasorceress · 2 years ago

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Spirit Overview: Tengu

The following information is my UPG based on folklore and personal experience.

This is a re-post from an old account. I have made mild edits from the original post.

Biology:

Tengu have masks that appear very similar to those in folklore. The donning of such masks can also trigger things like the growth of talons replacing fingers, skin becoming more rigid, and their speed increasing, though these transformations are optional. To wear their mask is to show formality as well as a protective glamor.

The coloration of the masks varies based on the landscape they’re in. Mountains with red clay earth will have tengu with red masks. Landscapes with richer earth may result in more brown hues. This is mainly due to the fact that local clay are used in creating the masks. Coloration and design are often unique to various clans, not unlike Scottish tartan patterns.

While predominantly found in mountains and forests, tengu can be found in many, often rural, environments, such as fields, plains, and even a Japanese garden.

Outside of their masks, tengu spirits are humanoid, though they usually retain their wings.

“Okay Uzuki, but what about kotengu?”

Kotengu, which are often either young tengu or weaker in strength, retain more avian characteristics, like feathered arms and legs and even beaks. Kotengu can evolve into daitengu as they grow into themselves and gain strength both physically and magically.

Energy:

Tengu, like all yokai, have the same baseline yokai energy. However, as they are avian to some degree, it is lighter in density and airier than pure yokai energy. I would categorize tengu energy to be on the darker end of the spectrum but on the wispier side of density.

Because of their Buddhist connections, many tengu seem to interact well with reiki, which cannot be said about most yokai.

Personality:

Tengu are predominantly a warrior race–though larger clans have a wider diversity of jobs and specializations. As such many are dutiful in their tasks and can be almost martial about how they go about doing things. They are very moral, though not in a human sense. They are protective of their clans and family, a danger to either will result in a swift end for the enemy.

Life Cycle:

Like many humanoid yokai, tengu reproduce sexually. Infants will be mostly humanoid but will begin to grow feathers and even talons as they become toddlers. Up until puberty, many tengu will retain the appearance of kotengu in folklore. During adolescence, many tengu begin military training and learn to harness their powers more firmly. While the lifespan of yokai is hard to pin down, it is not unheard of for an elder tengu to reach several thousand years of age.

Children & Family:

Tengu children are treated with a lot of care. Yokai do not reproduce often, I’ve noticed, though I haven’t fully discerned the reason why quite yet. Regardless, children are viewed as precious and are often cared for by the clan as a whole. Many female tengu will foster each other’s young as well as teach them academics and how to maintain the home.

Tengu culture is somewhat patriarchal, as men are often leaders of clans. But much like in chess, the bride of the clan leader is just as powerful, if not more, than the clan leader himself. Tengu, like humans, range from strict patriarchal structures within their household to egalitarianism based on personal beliefs.

Friendship & Courtship:

Tengu make friends just like humans. And how deep those bonds go are up to the individual. Most friendships are within the clan though, as many tengu clans are isolated. In the case that there is interaction with other clans, they’re often diplomatic in nature.

In the same vein, views on romance and sex are quite varied and highly individualistic. I have noticed that many tengu seem to be generally open to relationships with those on either end of the gender spectrum. Many would consider themselves pan- or bisexual if asked.

While a wedding ceremony is not required, mates often bond for life (or multiple lives), some choose to have one. These ceremonies are similar to traditional Japanese weddings and are often private affairs with immediate family only. Because of their loyalty to their partner(s) it isn’t unusual to see a widower never take on a new spouse. That being said, they choose do choose to find a new partner are rarely shunned. Because of past lives playing a role, while uncommon, polycules are not frowned upon.

Conflict:

Conflict among individuals is generally frowned upon in tengu culture though the occasional family rivalry does pop up now and again. Because tengu live in a martial culture, sparring is a common pastime between friends and rivals alike. However, if a true conflict arises between two individuals, a higher-ranking tengu will often mediate to resolve the issue at hand.

Unless fighting with an enemy, sparring will only leave bruises and slight scratches. Maiming or intent to kill is heavily frowned upon between members of the same clan. To do so, or worse, can result in either exile or death for the perpetrator. Sparring is a means to gain experience, intent to harm will only lead to fewer soldiers able to fight if necessary.

“Okay Uzuki, but what about if I want to meet them? What should I know?”

Offerings:

Like many yokai, you can’t go wrong with a nice green tea or sake. A good general rule of thumb for offerings is to stick with more traditional foods and drink, e.g., sencha, genmaicha, and any sake that’s not flavored or involves fruit (except for maybe umeshu and yuzushu). As tengu typically live away from civilization (but not completely isolated from humans) they prefer to keep with the old ways of life when it comes to offerings. Foods such as rice, meats, fish, and traditional soups like miso soup are also preferred offerings for tengu.

Incenses like sandalwood, myrrh, and frankincense have worked well for me in the past. But food is the most preferred offering.

While some may be open to more modern offerings like pop music, candy, soda, etc. It’s best to assume that they prefer more conservative, traditional foods and other offerings unless told otherwise.

Etiquette:

When it comes to how you should interact with tengu. Generally, stay polite. Yokai don’t do wordplay in the same way as fae. If anything a lack of giving gratitude would be seen as disrespectful. Much like speaking with a superior or elder in Japanese culture, be formal with you introduce yourself. Bowing at 30 degrees or higher (as in bowing down lower and closer to 90 degrees) is probably best when first introducing yourself. Welcome them into your home and offer them your, well, offerings.

Personally, I tell my guests to leave all weaponry at the metaphorical or literal door, but the details of if they are allowed to be armed in your presence are up to you.

Overall, try not to be boisterous and loud and until they decline, continue to give them drink, especially if you have a pot of tea. If I had to attribute tengu to an anime archetype, it would be the traditional matriarch character. The one who is critical of sloppiness and missteps. This doesn’t mean that all tengu are like this, though higher ranking ones tend to be more “uptight” than lower ranked ones.

Bonding Activities:

Should you befriend a tengu or find yourself a companion to one, a good way to bond is through sparring. Learning to fight in the astral is a good skill to have and sparring is practically a love language for tengu.

Alongside martial arts, tengu hold artistic culture to be important as well. Instruments are treasured and beautiful works of poetry and story are highly regarded among the higher-ranked nobility of tengu clans.

Many of the things that tengu excel in, stealth, fighting, strategy, protection magic (both offensive and defensive), and guardianship, to name a few, will be a good determiner of how you can bond with a tengu spirit.

Specific ways of bonding will differ tengu to tengu, so one may be boisterous and enjoy spicy foods, listening to metal core, and watching horror movies while another may be more grounded and prefer listening to the rain, reading historical classic novels, and calligraphy.

All this to say, while the forms of bonding listed above is typically well received, more defined methods of bonding is highly individual.

Warning:

Though tengu are seen as a noble race of yokai, they are still capable of harm if they perceive your actions as disrespectful. Because of this, I highly recommend looking into Japanese etiquette as a whole before approaching one yourself. Along with this, yokai overall are not beginner friendly. Tengu may be some of the “tamer” races, but having prior experience with spirits is important when dealing with yokai, in my opinion.

#spirit work #yokai #tengu #yakou nikki

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