Shiro Ukari – 白うかり – [Yokai]

Description

Shiro Ukari  – 白うかり – “White floater.”

•About this yokai: A white yokai that floats around aimlessly and lost, with a vacant expression on its freckled face as if it just came from somewhere far away or like its spacing out…. Another odd yokai which was named in “Hyakki Yagyou Emaki” in 1832 it was presented without a proper description or context.

There’s a theory that it’s name is a bit of a derogatory/political pun as “Shiro” can mean “naive” or something akin to “country bumpkin” while “Ukrai” can mean floating or something close to “lost” (Basically a diss on farmers & peasants that would travel to the capital and feel overwhelmed and lost… Imagine that feeling you get when you travel downtown and stare overwhelmed at the scenery.)

—although its also been suggested that this yokai might be a type of Tsukimono, which possesses you when travelling and makes you feel homesick. as there wasn’t exactly a word for that feeling back in the day, so the feeling could also have been blamed on this yokai.

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