Fairy Tale Spotlight: The Kappa

Ever wonder where our famous swamp monster legends come from? The answer lies in a Japanese legend called a kappa. I have always been a fan of kappas since I was very young, and my book illustrator Coy Fields II also has a fondness for them. Now don't get me wrong. In this blog, you will see that the kappa is not really a friendly creature. But the fascination is still there, and despite all the terrible things surrounding it, humor can still be found.

A kappa a fairy creature with an ugly scaly body. He lives in rivers and has webbed feet which help him swim in them. The kappa also possesses a beak and a shell. But where all these features may be very interesting to you, it is the top of his head which you will find the most surprising. Here you will find a plate or bowl which is filled with water from the river. This area must always remain wet or else the kappa will die.

The bowl on his head allows the kappa to leave the river and walk about. When I first heard about this, I was thinking about how nervous I would be if I had to balance water within a recess in my head as I walked. Apparently the kappa is just good at it and is not worried about it at all. At least he has confidence in himself.

The kappa has a favorite food! It is well documented that kappas adore cucumbers even to a fault. The very sight of them fills them with a yearning that almost rids them of their senses. They also have dislikes too. Anything with iron in it is a no. They also dislike sesame and ginger.

Kappas act very much like spoiled children; however, they are not children at all. They are fully grown creatures with all the faculties of an adult. But even as adults they are extremely selfish and prone to impulsive actions based on envy, hate, and boredom. This is where we go into the dark side of the kappa.

These creatures are known for committing infractions against humans that range from simple mischievousness to the outright horrible. On a good day, a kappa might walk about and peak under the kimonos of women. Yes, they are insatiable perverts, and they have no interest in other kappas. They like human women. They have also been known to rape women as they swam in their river. The women would very often become pregnant from this. The offspring would be incredibly hideous and often buried as a result.

Kappas also enjoy drowning people and animals. This is actually a result of the aforementioned boredom. Drowning people is simply something it did to amuse itself. He did so by wrestling them until they were forced underwater. Many drownings in Japan have been attributed to the kappa.

This fairy creature is also known for eating humans. He drinks their blood and eats their liver. This action is actually an attempt to gain himself power rather than for the love of the taste of human flesh, He would still much prefer a cucumber, believe me.

So after hearing all this, how does one thwart a kappa? Well this part of the story is actually where the fondness comes from. They have particular personality quirks that can be exploited. Despite all the horrible nasty things the kappa is known to do to his victims, he is still somehow obsessed with being polite. I am sure he even asks for a pardon while he attempts to drown or rape you. But this quirk is also used against him.

Sometimes a kappa will leave the river to steal an animal from a stable or find a woman to rape. If the woman noticed the kappa, she will politely bow before him. The kappa suddenly has an impulse to bow back. See where this is going yet? I'll give you a hint: head bowl! That's right, the bowl of river water on his head has now spilled right out. But he's fine! Don't worry! As long as he continues to bow, he will remain alive. The second he stands up, he's a gonner. This puts the kappa in a very embarrassing position.

It is not at all common for the humans to force him to stand and thus cause his murder. Instead, the potential victim will often assist the silly looking bowing kappa back to his river where she will refill his head bowl. The kappa will then pledge himself to her as her slave for eternity. I know that latter part sounds great, but I don't recommend taking life debts from fairies of any type. Just wanted to get that on the record.

Did you know that the kappa's arms are detachable? It's true! They're barely hanging on there! Humans will sometimes sneak up on kappas and yank one or both of their arms off. This will really upset the kappa to the point of crying. He will beg them to give his arms back. The human will ask for a favor or information in exchange for the arms back. This always struck me as very cruel to the fairy. I am sure it will also evoke a hatred from him towards the one who did it. For this reason, I do not recommend that it be done.

Kappas are not always trying to rape or kill people. Sometimes they just want things. They go around trying to make deals with people. What do they want? Sacrifice? Human souls? No, just cucumbers. A kappa may show up and promise to give them something they want in exchange for a cucumber. You got to imagine that the cucumber farmers probably never had a kappa attack in all of their lives. Those were obviously the best friends of the fairies. Behold the only vegetable that can turn this evil little fairy into a love-stricken mush! He'd marry a cucumber if he could, but he would end up eating it before the wedding day.

Before I wrap up this spotlight, I do want to comment on how Japan actually managed to make a killer, rapist, blood-sucking river monster... cute. I'm serious! How?! Only Japan! There really is a boyish adorable aspect to the kappas. Nevertheless, I would not go anywhere near them or their river. They are not good. All amusing qualities aside, the kappa is a dangerous demon. Avoid him at all cost!

Thank you for reading my blog! If you enjoyed it, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. ♥Cucumbers!♥