Glossary

Hi everyone, I've decided to include a little glossary since this novel uses a lot of Japanese folklore most might not be familiar with. I will update the glossary as I publish chapters, so you can always come back and look for terms that are unfamiliar. I'll also include sources if you would like to learn a little more about the folklore used in the novel.

Onmyōji
An onmyōji (陰陽師) is a master of the ancient Japanese mystical art of Onmyōdō, which is based on Chinese yin-yang principles and the five elements. These figures were historical court officials who practiced divination and magic, and are known in modern times through folklore and pop culture as sorcerers or spiritual mediums.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onmy%C5%8Dji

Makai
"Makai" (魔界) literally translates to "demon world" or "demon realm".

Onikirimaru
A demon slaying sword from Japanese folklore.
Source: https://japanesesword.net/blogs/news/the-onikirimaru-katana-exploring-the-mythical-demon-slayer-sword?srsltid=AfmBOoo3pGJDzaFCwv84ViydwtL9YSPsen5hZwqnpyhU_VJgMHT2AEIb

Kitsune
Kitsune are extremely intelligent and powerful shape-shifters. They frequently harass humans by transforming into giants or other fearsome monsters. Sometimes they do this just for pranks, and sometimes for more nefarious purposes. They are skilled enough to even transform into exact likenesses of individual people, often appearing in the guise of beautiful human women in order to trick young men. On more than one occasion, this has resulted in a marriage with an unwitting human. Some kitsune even spend most of their lives in human form, adopting human names and customs, taking human jobs, and even raising families. When startled, or drunk, or careless, a patch of their magical disguise can fail—the kitsune’s true nature may be revealed by a tail, a swatch of fur, fangs, or some other vulpine feature. Souce: https://yokai.com/kitsune/?srsltid=AfmBOoqCmSufviKbvsMuSXOVhigZSKOzRk6USBZfCz_jrp3U64PSbzEx

Ho-ō
The Ho-ō (鳳凰) is the Japanese mythical phoenix, a creature of peace and prosperity. It symbolizes rebirth, immortality, and virtue, and is said to appear only during a time of peace or when a virtuous ruler is in power. Source: https://yokai.com/houou/?srsltid=AfmBOorFtJXHSw6I0SzVIIqrhUG9MTkq9OwCVkrgQ4Hrm3rQ-g1AA5_S

A traditional Japanese jacket worn over a kimono. Resembling a shortened kimono with no overlapping front panels.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haori

Jorōgumo
A spider Yokai that transforms into a beautiful woman luring men to feed on them.
Source: https://yokai.com/jorougumo/?srsltid=AfmBOopFblKj2-s533L869A6NnDEBONaflpOmbJi6t89TlNw01M4h-OE

Yuki onna prey on travelers lost in the heavy snowstorms that blanket the Japanese Alps in winter. They have an otherworldly beauty, with long black hair and dark, piercing eyes. Their skin is ageless and as white as snow, but their bodies are as cold as ice. A mere touch is enough to give a human a deep, unshakable chill. They feed on life force, sucking it from human’s mouths with an icy breath that freezes their victims solid.
Source: https://yokai.com/yukionna/?srsltid=AfmBOorLA6lGiGjzmh5NOEVvf8zp6JMU3xHFjaMxVGyK35-Qrt6jIPSp

Tanuki
Tanuki possesses powerful magical abilities. They are similar to kitsune in their superb ability to change shape. Tanuki have a jovial nature, and delight in playing tricks on humans.
Source: https://yokai.com/tanuki/?srsltid=AfmBOor0Si580wi5BWpUM-tAn6a5pZPtfrlvr9qvqvJLbzm5GsbWOP1d

Bakeneko
Bakeneko possess great shape-shifting abilities and disguise themselves as smaller cats or humans—sometimes even taking the shape of their own masters. Many learn to speak human languages. While in disguise, they are known to dress up as humans with towels wrapped around their heads. In this form bakeneko dance around merrily.
Source: https://yokai.com/bakeneko/?srsltid=AfmBOopfs1RJLvDgUvyXxDuMiqjG8SDpIPkUyBg-e1516X751Y4OFYYo

Kasha
Kasha, being bake-neko, often live among humans, disguised as ordinary house cats or strays. However, they reveal their true forms during funeral services, when they leap down from rooftops to snatch corpses out of their coffins. Kasha are occasionally employed as messengers or servants of hell, in which case they are tasked with collecting the corpses of wicked humans spiriting them off to hell for punishment. Other times, they steal corpses for their own uses — either to animate as puppets or to eat.
Source: https://yokai.com/kasha/?srsltid=AfmBOorh7jo5W0aUoveLWyKIlFzVCDLWMB_aoIUeri5SrCixE_grBc6X

Shikigami
Shikigami are conjured beings, made alive through a complex ceremony. Their power is connected to the spiritual force of their master, where if the invoker is well introduced and has much experience, their shiki can possess animals and even people and manipulate them, but if the invoker is careless, their shikigami may get out of control in time, gaining its own will and consciousness and can even raid its own master and kill them in revenge.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shikigami

Oni
An oni () (/ˈoʊniː/ OH-nee) is a kind of yōkai, demon, orc, ogre, or troll in Japanese folklore. They are believed to live in caves or deep in the mountains or in hell. Oni are known for their superhuman strength and have been associated with powers like thunder and lightning, along with their evil nature manifesting in their propensity for murder and cannibalism. They are typically portrayed as hulking figures with one or more horns growing out of their heads, massive teeth, and occasionally a third eye in the center of the forehead.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oni

Credit
Cover art: Google gemini: https://gemini.google.com/app