Inugami or “Dog God” is a Japanese urban legend about a very powerful curse that is created when a dog transforms into an evil spirit. It is a spiritual possession by the spirit of a dog, widely known in western Japan.
1 Origins
The phenomenon of Inugami spiritual possession was a kojutsu (a ritual feared for employing the spirits of certain animals) that was already banned in the Heian period and was believed to have spread to the entire population. It was known to involve cutting off the head of a starving dog and burying the dog at a crossroads to inflame its resentment when people passed over its head so that its spirit would become a curse that could be used.
Another method involved burying the dog alive, leaving only its head sticking out or tying the dog to a support post, placing some food in front of the dog, cutting the dog’s neck just as it is about to starve to death so that its head flies toward and bites the food, burning the dog to mere bones, placing the remains in a container, and deifying it. By doing so, it would spiritually possess that person forever, guaranteeing their wishes.
Another method was to make several dogs fight each other, give the surviving dog some fish, cut off that dog’s head, and eat the remaining fish. In Yamaga, Hayami District, Oita Prefecture, there were actual cases where a miko cut off the heads of a dog in this way, dried the worms that gathered on the heads, and sold them calling them Inugami, and there were also people who showed gratitude for them and bought them.
However, in descriptions of the appearance of an Inugami, it is said that they have a large colored spot about the size of a mouse, and they have split tips on their tails, their eyes cannot be seen, and they move in a single file one after another. Therefore, they seem to resemble kuda-gitsune or osaki more than dogs, so it does not seem that they were simply following the legends of kodō curses (such as the “dog curse”).
In fact, it would seem more as if the main focus of these descriptions were imitations of the belief in fox spirits. They also resemble house mice in appearance, and their mouths are said to tear vertically with a pointed end. In Ōita Prefecture, they are said to resemble a shrew called dsinezumi, and in Toyooka City, Hayami District, Oita, they are said to be a weasel with black and white spots.
On the island of Aishima in Yamaguchi Prefecture mentioned above, they are called “Inugami nezumi” (Inugami mice), and like the long-nosed house mouse, they are said to form groups of 75 mice in a single house. On Iyayama Mountain in Miyoshi District, Tokushima Prefecture, the Inugami type is called “suikazura,” and they are said to be slightly larger than mice and warm themselves by the fire.
In a book titled “Chiriyahokori” by Kokugaku Oka Kumaomi, it is stated that they have a body length of 1 shaku and 1 sun and resemble bats. Also, in Asai Ryōi’s Otogi Bōko, the Inugami of Tosa Province was said to have a physical appearance similar in length to a grain of rice and a body colored with patches of black and white, among other colors.
There are several theories about how the Inugami came into being, including the story that the body of the nut killed by Minamoto no Yorimasa was divided into four parts and scattered and flew to different lands to become Inugami, as well as the tale that it was born from Kōbō-Daishi’s painting of a dog made to protect wild boars. There is also a legend that when Gennō Shinshō attempted to calm the curse of a sessho-seki by splitting the stone, the fragments that flew to the province of Kōzuke (now Gunma Prefecture) became osaki, and the fragments that flew to Shikoku became Inugami.
2. Having Inugami
It is explained that Inugami occur in the chests of storage rooms (tansu), under floors, and in water jars in families that have Inugami. Like other types of spirit possession, Inugami are more easily attached to people who are extremely unstable in their emotions.
Those possessed by them (those with an Inugami attached to them) are said to feel pain in their chest, complain of pain in their arms and feet, sway suddenly without warning, and bark like a dog. They would enter and invade the human body through the ears, and those possessed by them are said to develop a personality filled with jealousy.
In Tokushima Prefecture, it is said that those possessed by an Inugami would become voracious eaters and have teeth marks on their bodies when they die. It was not limited to humans; Inugami also possessed cows and horses and even inorganic materials, and when they possessed a saw, it would become useless.
There is a belief that the bloodlines of families who are easily possessed by an Inugami, as well as the bloodlines of the Inugami themselves, come from regional tales told by the bloodlines of sorcerers, yamabushi, priests, and fuko who participate in kodoku. In many cases, it shows how those nomadic peoples who participate in folk sorcery will gain trust and respect and at the same time be treated with discrimination.
This is because the Inugami follows people to their descendants, and it was normal for everyday villagers to consider it taboo to marry into an Inugami bloodline, and even associating with them was usually viewed with apprehension. In various parts of Shikoku, there is a custom during marriage of checking bloodlines for Inugami, and there were quite a few cases where this led to problems related to “assimilation issues.”
In the legends of Komatsu, Shuso district, Ehime prefecture, there were as many Inugami as there were people in families that had Inugami, and the number of Inugami increased every time the family grew. It is said that these Inugami would pick up signals and understand what the family was thinking, and the Inugami would immediately possess them when the family wanted something. However, it is said that sometimes they did not behave obediently and bit the family members who had Inugami to death.
It was believed that families with Inugami, or the dog curse, prospered and became wealthy. At the same time, there were also cases where they were not treated as fox spirits that brought fortune to families by being deified, but rather were detested as cursed gods.
3. In popular culture
In popular culture, the personification of this curse called Inugami has captivated many creators of anime, video games, and movies, bringing this urban legend of Japan to life. Here are some current appearances of the Inugami:
- In Season 5, episode 17 of Grimm, entitled “Inugami,” the lives of two teenagers are threatened by a ghost dog named Wesen, the Inugami, who feels he did not receive enough punishment for the accidental death of his friend.
- In Yo-kai Watch, the Inugami is a Yokai (ghost) of a gray and silver fox that is a Kyubi and is called Frostail in the English dubbing.
- In the manga Inuyasha, the title character is a hanyou (half-yokai) born into an Inugami family.
- The Megami Tensei series includes Inugami as a demon recruited from the early game. Appearing for the first time in Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, the Inugami specializes in fire-based abilities, ailments, and support.
- In Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, an evil Inugami also appears under the leadership of the raccoon dog yokai, Inugamigyobu Tamazuki.
- In Gin Tama, episode 45, Sadaharu drank some strawberry milk and turned into an Inugami.
- In Gugure! Kokkuri-san, Episode 2, an Inugami appears and begins to chase the main character, Kohina.
- In Engagement with the Unidentified, Kobeni Yonomori’s boyfriend, her sister-in-law, and her mother-in-law are all Inugami.
- In Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi, the character Ranmaru is an Inugami.
4. Characteristics
Inugami usually display a mark or scar where their head and body were separated when they were created. Their eyes burn with the flames of vengeance. Their fur is sometimes marked with strange signs, usually made with blood during the ritual that took their lives and turned them into what they are.
Inugami usually appear as “glowing” white dogs, flying with a pair of large wings. They may display white or gold markings on their fur from the ritual that gave them a second life.
5. Personality
The Inugami are a breed created and maintained entirely for human use. And like more natural hunting dog breeds created for violent purposes, the Inugami can be a dangerous investment for their owner, pursuing and terrorizing the humans they were meant to protect. They are motivated by a need for vengeance, hatred, and hunger, and are very dangerous because of it.
On the other hand,Inugami are quite gentle and benevolent. They will seek out humans in danger and help them in any way they can, even sacrificing themselves to help them, especially children.
6. Creation myths of the Inugami
Inugami are said to be masters of black magic. One of the methods for creating an Inugami, it is said, is to tie up a starving dog and place a plate of food just out of its reach. When its desire is thus focused, its head must be cut off and consecrated, transferring its voracious needs to the spirit world and creating a terrible weapon for the dog’s former master.
It is difficult to get rid of an Inugami that goes wrong or gets out of its master’s control. Those who try to abandon it on isolated islands still find themselves carrying the creature’s curse. Only a powerful sorcerer or witch doctor can quell the Inugami’s bloodlust and cure the unfortunate passersby sickened by the ghost dog’s possession.
Families that keep Inugami in their homes are called Inugami-mochi (meaning “Those who have a god dog as a pet”). It is a tradition within these households that family members always marry members of other Inugami-mochi families only.
The Inugami, on the other hand, are dogs that have been so loyal and outstanding in their lives that if their masters bury them in a shrine with the appropriate blessing, they will be reborn with wings so that they can help and protect humans forever.
7. Warnings
WARNING: Do not attempt to perform this ritual. It is extremely evil and involves terrible cruelty to animals. Harming an animal is illegal, not to mention morally wrong, and anyone who hurts an animal should be reported to the police.
Inugami is a very old Japanese curse. No one knows when it originated, but by the Heian period in Japan (794 AD – 1185 AD) it was already banned. They say that there are still certain areas in Japan where this ritual is practiced today.
8. The ritual to create an Inugami:
- A live dog is buried in the ground up to its neck.
- Raw meat is placed in front of the dog, just out of its reach. The dog can see the food but cannot eat it.
- The dog starves to death over several days.
- Once the dog’s distress and rage have reached a fever pitch, its head is cut off with a Japanese sword.
- The dog’s head flies off and clings to the food with its teeth.
- The dog’s head is buried at a crossroads where many people will walk over it. This serves to increase and intensify the dog’s resentment.
- The dog’s head is then dug up and burned in an oven until all that remains is the skull. The skull is placed in a bowl and worshipped as a god.
The rage induced by the dog’s hunger will turn into a powerful curse. The person who created the Inugami will be possessed and fulfill its wishes. However, Inugami could also turn around and bite them to death. Someone who is killed by an Inugami will have bite marks all over their corpse.
Inugami can possess people who are emotionally unstable. If someone is possessed by an Inugami, they will begin to act strangely. They will experience pain in their chest, hands, and feet, their shoulders will shake suddenly, and they may even begin to bark like a dog.
People who created an Inugami would keep it safe by hiding it in their home, in a warehouse, under the bed, in a dresser, or in a jar. There are also two other slight variations that can be used to create an Inugami. In one, instead of burying the dog in the ground, it is chained to a stick and food is placed out of its reach.
In the other, two starving dogs are forced to fight to the death for a plate of fish. After one dog kills the other, you give the fish to the winner. While it eats, you cut off its head with a sword and then eat the remaining fish in front of it.
Once you create an Inugami, you cannot get rid of it. The Inugami must remain in the family and be passed down through the bloodline. Families that owned an Inugami were called Inugami-mochi.
