Mythical beings of ancient Japan, who lived in mountainous solitudes and were famous, according to many fabulous popular stories, for their knowledge in martial arts, which they shared occasionally with humans. Many warriors and Samurai, founders of schools ( Ryu ), particularly saber experts ( Ken-jutsu ), claimed they had been providentially inspired by the wise advice of a Tengu, sometimes in a dream, while they were in a voluntary retreat in the mountains, to pursue feverishly their quest for the "Way" ( DO ) in asceticism (Musha-shugyo). Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune himself, one of Japan’s greatest and most valiant warriors, would have acquired his mastery of the saber that way, allowing him, despite his youth, to defeat Benkei the monk, who tried to block access to the Goto bridge with his Naginata, while he spent his teenage years at the Kuma-dera temple. And was the great Miyamoto Musashi not nicknamed "the little Tengu", he who remained undefeated after more than sixty duels ? And, at the dawn of the 20^th century, Takeda Sokadu, master of Aiki-jutsu, was called the "Tengu from Aizu".

The "divine technique of the Tengu" ( Tengu-geijutsu-ron) was also supposed to explain the fighting skills of the Yamabushi, these fearsome monk-warriors wandering in the mountains, from a monastery to another. It widely inspired too, for its mystery, the dark world of the Ninja, who named Tengu-gui the black mask covering their face to give them a devilish look.

The origin of the Tengu is Chinese. "Ten-Gu" is the Japanese interpretation of the Chinese characters "Tien-Kou" ( = Sky Dog ), and the legend of these supernatural beings went on to Japan in the 6^th and 7^th century. The image of the Tengu evolved as time went by: definitely devilish at the origin, famous for setting forests on fire, kidnapping children, certainly anthropophagi, endlessly tormenting Buddhist monks, the Tengu turned into a being capable of making a difference between Good and Evil. Therefore, during the Japanese Middle Ages, in turn merciless and terrible or filled with kindness, depending on the traveler’s soul who encountered it on a forest path, it meant hell or the last resort for the lost or the reckless who knew his moment of truth had arrived when he suddenly heard mocking fits of laughter above him in the branches. Half-man ( body), half-bird ( head) , Tengu gave rise to many popular representations: the most ancient ones made them look like crows (Karasu Tengu), but the most common ones were those of "little Tengu" (Ko Tengu ) with wings, or the ones of long-nosed Tengu ( Konsha Tengu ). There was in fact a hierarchy that ranked the human-faced Tengu with long nose above those with wings. Masks showing this type of Tengu are often hung in some temples in the mountains of contemporary Japan. The Lord of these mountain spirits was Sojobo, represented with a long nose and long white hair. Its power was symbolized by a fan made of seven feathers.

As opposed to pure spirits ( Obake ), Tengu are always portrayed with feet. A Tengu may assume a human appearance ( child, woman, old man ) to better deceive, or appear also under the disguise of a badger ( Tanuki ) or a fox ( Kitsune ). But its shadow always betrayed its true nature. The Tengu is credited with an unusual sense of humor, and its mischief was only equal to its arrogance. ( "Tengu-ni-naru" is an expression used to ask for someone not to be as arrogant as a Tengu !) A Tengu speaks without moving its lips or its beak. In fact, it uses telepathy to communicate. A Tengu may be defeated by a superior magical power, or by the mental and physical superiority of a man who was brave enough to engage in combat with it. If vanquished, it will then appear as a wounded or dead black bird. A Tengu can also, if he has done many good deeds, be reborn as a human.

Inspirer for many warriors in ancient Japan, for solitary Ronin in search of the ultimate truth, models for Ninja, source of numerous legends and superstitions, Tengu were often taken for the terrible Yamabushi from the mountains, to such an extent that popular imagery showed them in the latter’s clothes, such as these Karasu Tengu wearing the priests skullcap (Tokin). All areas along the Northern Pacific Ocean have similar legends with mythical birds, half-way between Gods and humans: in Siberia, Alaska, and on the North Pacific coast of Canada (e.g. the legend of the Great Crow from the Tlingit and Haïda people).

 Roland Habersetzer, copyright. Excerpt from a book to be published soon