The Kappa is a mythological monster sometimes compared to the Kraken, said to inhabit ponds and rivers in Japan. This strange creature is said to have the appearance of a humanoid and a reptile and is extremely cunning. Kappas have more than 80 different names, although the most common are kawappa, gawappa, and kawaso.
Considered a type of suijin (water deity) that inhabits freshwater areas in Japan. According to legend, Kappa like to cause mischief and even harm humans. The creature’s mischief can manifest itself in the form of harmless pranks such as making noises similar to flatulence or peeking at a woman’s kimono. However, some of them are more violent and have been known to attempt to drown livestock, kidnap and eat children, and force women.
Although they are generally considered a force to be feared, there are some cases where kappa are considered generous, although this occurs more often when a kappa is indebted to a human being. Some of the most common records of friendly kappa are Japanese legends that attribute knowledge of bone setting and medical balms as taught to humans by friendly kappa.
Origin
Hidden in the waters of Japan is a creature as mysterious as it is terrifying. This strange creature is believed to possess magical powers that can be used for both good and evil. Unfortunately, they prefer to use their gifts to deceive humans or attack them violently. Although many refuse to believe in the existence of such a creature, there are still many sightings today, especially in rural areas of Japan. In fact, locals still hang warning signs near bodies of water believed to be frequented by kappa.
Physical descriptions
Descriptions vary from region to region, but most details are similar. These creatures are said to be the size of a small child (never more than 5 feet tall) and have relatively small frames. In fact, the word “kappa” actually translates to roughly “water child.” Their hands and feet are webbed, and they are said to have an amazing ability to swim.
They have scaly skin, similar to that of a reptile. The color of their skin varies, but it is said to come in shades of yellow, green, and blue. They are said to have a humanoid figure with a turtle shell on their back. In addition, most Kappa have long, unkempt hair that usually forms a bowl cut. They also have a beak for a mouth, although this does not seem to interfere with their ability to speak human languages.
Last but not least, all Kappa have a small bowl-shaped dent on the top of their heads that contains a small pool of water called ‘sara’. This water is, however, the source of the reptile’s magical powers. A Kappa must keep its sara full whenever it ventures onto land or it will lose all its strength and magical powers.
Without this water, it could die. However, it is believed that if you refill the sara on top of the creature’s head, it will be eternally grateful to you and will help you with whatever you need for the rest of your life. There are also reports of a hairy type of Kappa known as hyosube, which are believed to be hungry monsters like ogres.
Personality
These strange creatures are considered malevolent creatures that have a tendency to direct their anger towards humans and livestock. Some are pranksters who like to play offensive jokes that make people uncomfortable, such as making flatulence-like sounds or looking at a woman’s kimono. Other species are more violent and deliberately try to drown livestock and small children, drink the blood of their victims, and sexually assault women.
According to tradition, they are obsessed with an object called shirikodama—a mysterious jewel believed to contain a person’s life force, which is found in the shiri (anus). It is believed that most of their attacks are carried out to obtain the shirikodama. However, they do not always kill with the purpose of touching or obtaining a shirikodama.
Many myths tell of Kappa lurking in bathhouses (which were usually located on the river) and waiting for an opportunity to sexually assault women. It was not uncommon for these women to later give birth to their children. Upon birth, these children were cut into pieces and buried in jars due to their hideous appearance.
However, despite their bad habits, they are obsessed with courtesy and human tradition. This is considered their greatest weakness. Many who speak of an encounter in which they escaped claim that they were able to do so because they made the Kappa spill the water in their sara when they bowed. They are also considered extremely trustworthy and honest. If you refill the water in the reptile’s sara, it will help you with whatever you need or make you a promise for whatever you ask.
As extremely knowledgeable creatures, they are known to speak human languages despite having a beak for a mouth and a great knowledge of medical practices. It is said that the ancient tribes that inhabited Japan were able to learn the art of bone setting and the creation of medical balms from the friendly creature.
Powers
The powers of a Kappa are considered magical and are highly respected by all who believe in the deity. All Kappas are known for their incredible strength and impressive swimming abilities. They are also known for their love of fighting, especially sumo wrestling. It is said that a Kappa’s greatest joy in life is to fight with its victims. However, many are able to escape their invitation to fight by bowing deeply to the Kappa. According to legend, Kappas are obsessed with courtesy and will return the bow, spilling their water in the process.
Kappas are also known for being extremely intelligent. They are credited with bringing many medical practices to the ancient Japanese, including the art of setting bones and the creation of many medicinal balms. It is said that if you befriend a Kappa, it will give you knowledge of many medicinal practices.
How to defeat a Kappa
It is believed that there are several ways to defeat or defend yourself against a Kappa. The most common method was to use their own obsession with courtesy and human tradition against them. It is said that if you encounter a Kappa, you should bow deeply before it. The Kappa will feel obliged to return the bow and will spill the water in its sara in the process, rendering it powerless. Be careful, though—some Kappa have clung to this practice and use a metal plate to protect their sara when they come ashore.
When it comes to Kappa who use a plate to protect their sara, there are other ways to ensure that they do not harm you. It is said that a Kappa’s arms can be easily separated from their bodies. If you can sneak up on a Kappa or are quick enough to grab its arm during combat and rip it off, a Kappa will promise you anything to get it back. Many Japanese legends tell of heroes who outwitted Kappa with this strategy and were able to secure the safety of their entire village in exchange for the returned arm.
Other ways of dealing with Kappa can be found in their love of certain foods, especially cucumbers. Cucumbers are believed to be one of the few things Kappa love more than the internal organs of small children. Many people believed that writing the names and ages of all their family members on slices of cucumber and throwing them into the water before bathing would ensure that no one in their family would come to harm.
There is also a debate about whether eating cucumber would ensure safe passage in water. Those in certain regions believe that this will serve as protection, while others consider it to make a Kappa attack inevitable. There are also several accounts of people who can protect themselves from Kappa by carrying iron, sesame, or ginger on their person.
Related characters
There are several creatures that appear in the lore of other ancient cultures and are believed to be related to Kappa. One of these creatures is the Nix—a shape-shifting man found in Norse mythology. Nix were known as beautiful creatures who had the power to lure women and children to the water’s edge with their sweet melodies. Malicious Nix are known to have drowned their victims, although there were also kind-hearted Nix who did not wish to harm people. In fact, some of these friendly Nix are believed to have married human partners.
There are also accounts of Siyokoy in the Philippines that are very reminiscent of Kappa. Siyokoy are humanoid creatures with green, scaly skin. They are also believed to have webbed hands and feet, similar to a Kappa. They are known to drown humans and eat them. They are commonly accompanied by creatures such as eels, stingrays, and squid.
Explanation of the myth
Many would explain the legend of the Kappa as a simple story to scare children into behaving. One of the most common types of Kappa stories focuses on the creature’s fixation with disobedient children.
It was believed that when disobedient children ventured too close to the water without their parents, the Kappa would pull them into the water and drown them. There are several variations as to what would happen next. Some stories simply say that the Kappa kidnapped the children, while others detail that the Kappa drink the blood of their victims or eat their internal organs.
It is believed that this story of the Kappa helped reduce the number of children who went missing due to drowning or other misfortunes by ensuring that children stayed with their parents and did not put themselves in danger.
Creatures from another world
There are also those who believe that Kappa could be a type of alien creature that somehow found its way to Earth. Many who believe in this argument also believe that other mythological sea creatures inhabit the Earth in unexplored areas of the sea.
Their argument? These strange marine aliens are capable of traveling to and from Earth through portals, which may explain why we have never been able to prove their existence. They claim that these portals come in the form of mysterious whirlpools. It is true that whirlpools and strong water currents are one of the most common descriptions that arise in mythology when talking about the appearance of these strange creatures.
Furthermore, many scholars point out that several ancient cultures speak of sea creatures that are documented as “falling from the sky.” Many of these creatures, gods, and goddesses are said to have immediately submerged themselves in a body of water as soon as they arrived and are also credited with teaching religion, culture, and medicine to humans.
Similarly, the first Kappa are known as friendly helpers who worked to teach humans important medical practices such as bone setting.
Babies with leeches
There are also some who theorize that the stories originated as a way to keep children away from bodies of water to prevent them from seeing “leech babies.” Baby leeches were stillborn or newborn babies who were killed by poor families who could not afford to care for them. These children were thrown into rivers, lakes, and ponds—the same places that they are said to inhabit.
In the ancient world, it was very common to find a leech baby due to the large number of families who simply couldn’t afford to care for them. Whether their story was conceived as a warning of what could happen to disobedient children, or as an explanation for the horrible sight that could have been terrifying to the young people of ancient Japan, many are certain that leech babies are the root of the Kappa legends.
The Japanese giant salamander
Others claim that the Kappa legend is nothing more than a fear of the Japanese giant salamander. These salamanders grow up to 1.5 meters long and have skin tones similar to those of the Kappa. The Japanese giant salamander is also known for grabbing its prey with its strong jaws and pulling them into the water. Coincidentally, Japanese giant salamanders are also known to frequent the same areas as Kappa—rivers, lakes, and ponds.
