Here’s my next installment for what I’m calling the my “Creature Codex” (until a better name reveals itself to me). Here is the link to where it all got started”The secrets of the nightmare woman Jororgumo”
Today’s beastie?
Baku
Other Names: “Dream Eater”
Country of Origin: China (Although the Japanese tales are was lead me to this post)
Description:
Baku are classic chimera; the body of a bear, the nose of an elephant, the feet of a tiger, the tail of an ox, and the eyes of a rhinoceros. One legend says that when the gods were finished creating the animals, they took all of the odds and ends lying around and put them together to make the baku. [hyakumonogatari.com]
The Folklore:
The Baku is considered both a deity and a monster, depending on who you speak to.
If you wake up from having a nightmare you can call on the Baku to come and consume your bad dreams so they won’t bother you any more.
Buuuut…..
It will eat any dream, so if your nightmare isn’t strong enough it might just consume all of your
dreams and ambitions and leave you a lifeless shell.
If you’re a daring sort, you can call to the Baku to protect you from bad dreams before you go to sleep, which is why (even to this day) you will see Baku talisman on the bedside tables of Japanese children.
In Real Life
Descriptions of the Baku sound oddly similar to the real-life creature Tapir. legends of the Baku go too far back for us to figure out which came first, the Baku or the Tapir.
I’m collecting as many monsters and information about monsters as I can so if you’d like to join my Creatures and Cryptids Pinterest board, just let me know and I’ll add you. I think it would be away more fun to have other people on it with me.
Follow Jeanette’s board Creatures and Cryptids on Pinterest.//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js
Sources:
hyakumonogatari.com, mythicalcreatureslist.com, ancient-origins.net, yokai.com, listverse.com, wikipedia.org
Horror Made 