Yurei Onryo
Bestiary Book: Yurei Onryō
While all Japanese ghosts are called Yūrei, within that category there are several specific types of phantoms, classified mainly by the manner they died or their reason for returning to Earth:
Onryō, in the Japanese traditional views and works, means “vengeful spirit”, sometimes it can be “wrathful spirit.” The spirit is believed able to cause harm in the living world, injuring or killing. Some have caused natural disasters. They act to redress transgressions suffered, while they lived.
Though the beginning of Onryō spirit is clouded, they can be traced back to the 8th century. People started to believe the dead could interact with the living. The first Onryō cult arose around Prince Nagaya who died in 729. However, the first recorded possession by the Onryō spirit was found in the chronicle Shoku Nihongi circa 797. It tells the “Fujiwara Hirotsugu” spirit afflicted Genbo until he succumbed. Hirotsugu perished during an attempted insurrection, which was called the “Fujiwara no Hirotsugu Rebellion”. Fujiwara had failed to remove Genbō, which made his soul vengeful.
Traditionally in Japan, these spirits are capable of causing natural disasters, besides hounding the object of their ire. Some of these calamities are earthquakes, fires, storms, drought, famine, and pestilence. One Onryō, Prince Sawara, was angered with his brother the Emperor, so brought down catastrophes upon the land. Emperor Kanmu had falsely accused Sawara of a plot to dethrone the ruler. Fearing the wrath of his brother, the Emperor relocated the capital to Nagaoka-kyo and then to Kyoto, according to scholars. The attempt was partly successful, but he still feared repercussions for his actions. Through Buddhist rites, he bestowed the Prince posthumous title of Emperor. Restoration of rank was a way to appease Onryō spirits. Not all the spirits relied on physical injury or disasters, some were known to psychological torment.
The Onryō is a staple of the J-Horror genre, most notable being Ring and Ju-On.
Dead by Daylight released the Shattered Bloodline chapter DLC, and with it came Rin Yamaoka, The Spirit, who is an Onryō. She had been murdered by her father.
The appearance of the spirits today is influenced by Japanese theatre. With the popularity of Kabuki during the Edo period, a specific costume was developed for the destructive spirits.
Kabuki developed a system of visual shorthand, so the audience could know the nature of the character.
Their costume consisted of three main elements:
· White burial kimono
· Wild, unkempt long black hair
· Face make-up consisted of white foundation coupled with face paintings of blue shadows “indigo fringe”.
In the Story “Shootist” by Dickson Lee Turpin, Cassidy’s wife Caroline is such a creature. Based on the Yurei Onryō, I went with the psychological torment. She creates the fake town, so she can lure in Parson’s Raiders. Murdered by the marauders, her spirit grew wrathful in death. This illusory township is successful in lowering the guard of the murderous men. Caroline’s ruse is nearly shattered when her husband Cassidy recognizes her. Veiling her appearance, she was able to fool him. The Onryō worked with the Shootist, Divine Light’s emissary, to entrap Parson’s Raiders.
Of course, Yurei is a large umbrella, and I encourage you to explore the lore yourself.