The akuma (悪魔) is a malevolent fire spirit in
Japanese folklore. It is also described as a category of undefined beings who brought afflictions on humans.
Alternative names for the ''akuma'' is ''ma'' (ま). It is often translated to
devil in English, or
demon
A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...
(see ''
oni''). ''Akuma'' is the name assigned to
Satan
Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...
in
Japanese Christianity
Christianity in Japan is among the nation's minority religions in terms of individuals who state an explicit affiliation or faith. Between less than 1 percent and 1.5% of the population claims Christian belief or affiliation. Although formally b ...
, and the
Mara
Mara or MARA may refer to:
Animals
* Mara (mammal), a species of the cavy family
*Mara the Lioness, in the movie ''Born Free''
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Mara (''Doctor Who''), an evil being in two ''Doctor Who'' serials
*Mara, ...
in Japanese
Buddhism.
Mythology
Akuma first appeared in Buddhist texts although it became more popular during the
Heian period from 794 to 1186 AD. Later, mainstream usage associated the name with the Christian Satan. It is said that, due to the lack of monotheism, there was no opponent of God so akuma became the equivalent of Satan.
An ''akuma'' is typically depicted as an entity with a fiery head and eyes, and carrying a sword. The ''akuma'' is typically said to be able to fly, and to be a harbinger of ominous and terrible fortune and can bring misfortune to those who happen to see it.
Traditionally, the Japanese describe mental illness as a direct result of the presence of evil spirits, particularly by akuma.
In popular culture
* Akuma is featured in the Japanese novels such as
Kazai Zenzo's ''Akuma'' (1912);
Akutagawa Ryunosuke Akutagawa (written: 芥川) is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Ryūnosuke Akutagawa (1892–1927), Japanese poet and writer
* Yasushi Akutagawa (1925–1989), Japanese composer and conductor, son of Akutagawa Ryunosuk ...
's ''The Devil's Tobacco'' (1916); and,
Tamura Taijiro
was a Japanese novelist. He was born in Yokkaichi, Mie, and was educated at Waseda University in Tokyo where he studied literature. His most famous work is ''Gate of Flesh'', which has been adapted into a movie four times and most recently in 2008 ...
's ''The Demon of the Flesh'' (1946).
*The Japanese translation of
Diana Wynne Jones' ''
Howl's Moving Castle'' was translated into Japanese in 1997 as ''Mahotsukai Hauru to hi no akuma'' (''The wizard Howl and the fire demon'').
*In the fighting game series ''
Street Fighter'',
Akuma is the American name of a character named Gouki.
* In the television series ''
Miraculous
A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by physical laws, natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the ...
'', an akuma is a small creature resembling a black butterfly with translucent purple highlights that can grant superpowers to any civilian through negative emotions. No matter their initial intentions, the one granted these powers inevitably goes on a destructive rampage in pursuing whoever caused that emotion turning them into supervillains, Scarlet Akumas are crimson with bright red edges and white markings, and Megakuma looks the same as a regular Akuma but slightly bigger and it’s powerful enough to breaking through and destroy the magical charms created by
Ladybug, which are used to prevent reakumatizing to anyone who were victims.
* In the manga ''
D.Gray-man
''D.Gray-man'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Katsura Hoshino. Set in an alternate 19th century, it tells the story of a young Allen Walker, who joins an organization of exorcists named the Black Order. They use an an ...
'' Akuma are machines created from the souls of deceased humans and are contained within the body of someone who grieves for them.
* ''
Karateka'' based from Atari/Nintendo family system video game, the final boss is called Warlord Akuma who kidnapped Mariko.
* In the
Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, the character
Sephiroth displays many of the same traits and is known as the Akuma of Wutai, which is often translated as 'Devil', 'Demon', or 'Nightmare' in the English versions.
* In the animated series
The Hollow, Akuma is the name of the leader of a group of demon monks.
References
Unexplained mysteries.com accessed 6 July 2016
{{Japanese folklore long
Buddhist folklore
Japanese folklore
Japanese mythology
Japanese culture
Buddhist literature