Nue
Nue · Chimera — Legendary Japanese Monster
The Nue (鵺) is one of the most mysterious composite yokai in Japanese legend, with the face of a monkey, body of a tanuki (raccoon dog), legs of a tiger, and tail of a snake. The name comes from the cry of Japan's native 'nue' bird (虎鶫, scaly thrush) — its sad and bizarre call is said to herald disaster. The most famous tale is the late 12th-century Heian-era event when it appeared every night with black clouds at the imperial palace, disturbing the emperor's sleep and making him ill, recorded in detail in the Heike Monogatari (Tale of the Heike). The hero who slew it was Minamoto no Yorimasa, the greatest archer of the Heian era, whose feat of shooting down the Nue with an arrow became one of the decisive scenes in Japanese warrior heroic narrative. The Nue's corpse was placed on a log boat and set adrift on the river — wherever it landed, villages were said to be devastated.
Origin
The first records of the Nue appear in Heian period (794–1185) Japanese literature. Most famously, the 'Tale of the Heike' recounts the Nue as a monster haunting the imperial palace, eventually slain by a skilled archer.
Features
- Face of a monkey
- Body of a raccoon dog
- Legs of a tiger
- Tail of a snake
Usage
The Nue is depicted as a harbinger of calamity in folklore and myths, often serving as the source of mysterious illnesses or disasters. It appears mainly in oral traditions and storytelling as a symbol of bad luck.
