Rokurokubi
Sign in to savethumb|Rokurokubi from the Hokusai Manga by [[Katsushika Hokusai]] thumb|Nukekubi, from Bakemono no e scroll, [[Brigham Young University.]] Rokurokubi (ろくろ首, 轆轤首) is a type of Japanese yōkai (apparition). They look almost completely like humans with some differences. There is a type whose neck stretches and another whose head detaches and flies around freely (nukekubi). The Rokurokubi appear in classical kaidan (spirit tales) and in yōkai works.
~14 min read
Encyclopedic overview
10 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Head flight
- Neck extension
- Oral tradition
- Magic shows
- Similar tales from other nations
- In popular culture
- See also
- Notes
- References
thumb|Rokurokubi from the Hokusai Manga by [[Katsushika Hokusai]] thumb|Nukekubi, from Bakemono no e scroll, [[Brigham Young University.]] Rokurokubi (ろくろ首, 轆轤首) is a type of Japanese yōkai (apparition). They look almost completely like humans with some differences. There is a type whose neck stretches and another whose head detaches and flies around freely (nukekubi). The Rokurokubi appear in classical kaidan (spirit tales) and in yōkai works.
== Etymology == The word rokurokubi may have derived from the word rokuro which refers to a potter's wheel, a water well's pulley (since it elongates) or an umbrella handle (which also elongates).
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Rokurokubi” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.