Tengu

Tengu ( ; , , ) are a type of legendary creature found in Shinto belief. They are considered a type of yōkai (supernatural beings) or Shinto kami (gods or spirits). The Tengu were originally thought to take the forms of birds of prey and a monkey deity, and they were traditionally depicted with human, monkey, and avian characteristics. Sarutahiko Ōkami is considered to be the original model of Konoha-Tengu (a supernatural creature with a red face and long nose), which today is widely considered the Tengus defining characteristic in the popular imagination. He is the Shinto monkey deity who is

In Japanese folklore and mythology, is the mythical king and god of the tengu, legendary creatures thought to inhabit the mountains and forests of Japan. Sōjōbō is a specific type of tengu called daitengu and has the appearance of a yamabushi, a Japanese mountain hermit. Daitengu have a primarily human form with some bird-like features such as wings and claws. The other distinctive physical characteristics of Sōjōbō include his long, white hair and unnaturally long nose.

thumb|160px|right|The amanozako as illustrated by Toriyama Sekien.

a Japanese kami believed to be the local avatar (Gongen) of Buddhist bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha. The cult originated in Shugendō practices on Mount Atago in Kyoto

water deity

Matarajin (摩多羅神) or Madarajin (摩怛哩神) is a Buddhist god chiefly venerated in the Tendai school of Japanese Buddhism. While originally regarded as a wrathful deity obstructing rebirth in the pure land, and thus a "god of obstacles", with time he also came to be seen as a protector of adherents of Tendai doctrine, capable of warding off demons, especially tengu, as well as epidemics. He also acquired other roles, including these of a protector of performing arts (for example noh and sarugaku) and of an astral god of destiny. He additionally came to be identified with a large number of other figur