Japanese mythology has a fascinating collection of spirits, monsters, and mythical creatures, each with its own unique lore and significance. However, among these creatures, none is as strange and mysterious as the Bakekujira, or “ghost whale,” a haunting figure that roams the oceans dealing out death and diseases.
This isn’t just a tale to keep sailors on edge; the legend of the Bakekujira still stirs fear today. Curious about what lurks in the depths of this eerie story? Let’s unravel the mysteries of the Bakekujira.
What is the BakeKujira
According to Japanese mythology, the Bakekujira is a reanimated ghostly whale that swims around fishing villages to take revenge for its death. The creature approaches fishing villages, spreading death, diseases and badluck in its wake.
This mythical creature is the Japanese version of Moby dick. When it approaches, it is often accompanied by several strange birds and fishes. Anyone who sets eyes on this creature is believed to be cursed with bad luck for the rest of his life.
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What does the BakeKujira Look like?
According to the scant Japanese records and eyewitness accounts, the Bakekujira looks exactly like a deep-sea whale without any flesh. Recent records describe the creature as a Whale skeleton that glows in the dark.
What does the Bakekujira do?
It is believed that the Bakekujira only appears to take vengeance on villages or people that hunt and consume whales. When it appears, it brings a curse along with it known as “The curse of the Whale”. This curse leads to the spread of deadly diseases, bad luck, and unexplained fires.
The BakeKujira’s ability to spread fire is similar to that of two other yokai in Japanese mythology: the Bakaneko and the Nekomata. These two yokai are also vengeful spirits that come back to torment people who treated them poorly. However, unlike these two creatures, the Bakekujira can not shapeshift.
As expected from a ghostly skeleton, the Bakekujira can not be killed, according to one story, a fisherman who saw the BakeKujira during one of his fishing trips and thought it to be a whale. He only discovered the true identity of the creature after he attacked it with his harpoon, which simply passed through the creature’s body.
The BakeKujira can also control strange and unknown fish and water birds. These creatures swim around the skeleton and fly above it as it appears.
Stories involving the BakeKujira.
While the BakeKujira might sound like something born purely out of imagination, people have actually reported seeing the mythical creature.
So, is the BakeKujira real? We’ll leave you to decide that for yourself.
According to one story, during a cold, foggy night, local fishermen living off the coast of the Shimane Peninsula saw what they thought was a whale trapped in the shallow water. Excited, they alerted other villagers to the opportunity and jumped on their boats to kill the creature.
However, as they approached the animal, they heard weird noises and saw a lot of strange fish in the water. Also, despite their numerous attacks, the creature did not seem bothered. After taking a closer look, they realized the truth of the creature.
They rushed back to the village in fear, but it was too late. A few days later, the village was plagued with a deadly disease.
Possible Explanation for the Bakekujira Myth
Japan has more than 10,000 islands, so it is unsurprising that many people who lived in the region were subsistence fishermen who depended on the water for survival.
However, because of the limited engineering knowledge in ancient Japan, it was impossible to fully take advantage of the water. No boats were strong enough to venture deep into the ocean and return safely, so fishermen were restricted to the shores, which was not very profitable.
For the several poor fishing villages that must have existed in the region, the appearance of a whale close to the shore was unbelievable luck. It provided a lot of food, money, and prosperity.
However, such good fortune also brought an unseen danger with it. The massive waste produced during the processing of the animal exposed the areas to diseases that would have hit the community weeks after the event.
Since they could not associate these two events, the superstitious people who experienced them might have formulated the myth of the BakeKujira to explain the disease.
It is also possible that the myth of the BakeKujira was inspired by a dead whale carcass seen floating along the shore. The “Strange fishes and birds” associated with the creature might be scavenging animals feeding on the carcass. When this carcass decomposed, it probably infected the water and caused people to get sick.
Other Goshtly Sea Creatures in Mythology
Umibōzu – Vengeful Japanese Monks
The Umibōzu is another mysterious sea spirit from Japanese Folklore. This creature is a giant shadowy figure with a bald head resembling a monk. According to Japanese Folklore, the Umibzu emerges from seemingly calm water to hunt sailors and fishermen. They capsize boats and drag victims underwater.
Like the Bakekujira, these yokai are believed to be the vengeful spirits of Buddhist priests cast into the sea by villagers.
2. Akhlut -Shapeshifting Killer Whale from Inuit Mythology
In Inuit mythology, the Akhlut is a formidable and dangerous creature that is part wolf and part orca (killer whale). This shapeshifter is known to transition between land and sea. On land, it appears as a wolf; when it is in the sea, it appears as a killer whale.
The Akhlut is a carnivorous creature that hunts both humans and animals. It is said to lurk near coastal areas, waiting to attack those who wander too close to the shore.
3. Te Wheke -Gaint Octopus from Māori Mythology
The Te Wheke is a monstrous octopus in the mythology of the Maori people of New Zealand. It is believed to be the guidan of the Whekenui Bay.
One of the most well-known stories involving Te Wheke is the legend of the hero Kupe, who pursued and battled the creature across the ocean. Te Wheke is believed to have immense strength, capable of sinking canoes and dragging people to their doom with its long, tentacled limbs.
4. Caoineag – Banshee from Scottish Folklore
The Caoineag is a water spirit or fairy-like creature that wails to warn of death or disaster. This mythical creature is associated with rivers and lakes, and like the BakeKujira, the morning sound of the Caoineag is a sign of impending doom.
Though not a sea monster, the Caoineag shares with the Bakekujira its ghostly, otherworldly nature and its association with tragic omens. Both creatures also appear as harbingers of doom, tied to water and the supernatural.