Kanazuchibo 金槌坊 and Okka おっか - [Yokai | Tsukumogami]

Kanazuchibo (JP: 金槌坊) & Okka (JP: おっか)

• About these Yokai: These two just never seem to get along... "Kanazuchibo" the cowardly mallet wielding ant? Bird? and "Okka" the red... thing. They’re both from hyakki yagyo Emaki.  [Nobody seems to know for sure exactly what they're supposed to represent and how they appear seems to change frequently between illustrations we can theorize but thats about it!]

• Kanazuchibo appears solo holding a mallet above his head likes he’s anticipating a hit, but he’s rarely ever shown striking.. so its said he could be a spirit of hesitation or cowardice!

• Okka is simply 'baby talk' for Obake! - my Japanese friends frequently refer to him as simply the "red guy." - however, there’s no explanation included with the earliest picture scrolls so it’s hard to say for sure…

One popular theory is that they might be Tsukumogami of some kind as they're depicted along side the others in early hyakki yagyo emaki demon parade picture scrolls - But over time, They've been drawn frequently by many, many different ancient artists so it’s often theorized that they could in fact simply be an early example of an art meme. - [My yokai friend, @Hyousen actually made a bestiary & a timeline chart for the different kinds of Okka specifically, useful if you want to see a bunch of variants from history.]

Most historians say they just looked pleasing & funny to draw together, as such, they where something of a 'tom and jerry' of old, they are some of the oldest yokai both dating back as early as the 16th century Japan!

Sticker Art by @Samkalensky (yo thats me!) - Part of my Night parade of 100 Demons - Yokai & Japanese folklore sticker collection, weather-resistant 4" Glossy stickers- (comes with one of each.) - Check my shop & follow @samkalensky for many more!