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Japanese Tengu
 In the Japanese language Tengu literally translates as "heaven dog."
It is thought that these mythical creatures may have initially received their
name in association with a large meteor which struck China sometime during the
6th century BC. The Chinese attributed this destructive event to creatures
they called Tien Kou or celestial hounds, as the fiery trail the meteor
traced across the sky was said to resemble the tail of a dog. The heaven
dog legend appears to have arrived in Japan along with Buddhism sometime during
the 6th or 7th century AD. Japanese mythology holds that Tengu,
which are more mischievous than evil (and don't really look much like a dog), reside in clans within the country's
mountainous interior. Tengu are said to possess supernatural powers
which they may use to harass and torment any humans who they perceive as vain,
boisterous or who appear to corrupt the Dharma (Buddhist law).
 There are
basically two types of Japanese Tengu: The earlier is the evil,
crow-like Karasu Tengu with it's bird face and man's body. The
Tengu later evolved into the protective Yamabushi Tengu which are
great warriors and are believed to sometimes mentor worthy humans on the arts of
warfare and weapons smithing. Yamabushi Tengu are readily
identified by their extraordinary noses which are associated with their hatred
of arrogance and prejudice. Japanese of high and low station have for
centuries regarded the Tengu with respect and fear. Farmers in
mountain communities did in the past commonly place offerings of rice and sweet bean
paste near their back doors in an effort to appease neighboring Tengu.
And as late as 1860 the feudal Edo government placed signs in a wooded mountain region
requesting resident Tengu to leave for a few days during a planned visit
from the reigning Shogun. The Tengu has long been
an important part of Japanese mythology and, not surprisingly, its image has frequently
appeared in Japanese art and theatre. Tengu masks such as those
used in Noh and Kyogen performances (read below to learn more) are
particularly exceptional as their crimson faces, long noses and piercing gaze
help the actor to create a formidable and unforgettable stage presence.
Tengu masks are very popular with collectors who prize their fiery
countenance and appreciate the long and interesting history of these unique
creatures of mythology who first rode to earth on a fiery meteor so many
centuries ago.
More about Japanese Noh and Kyogen theatre
  Noh
(pronounced "no") theatre is one of the classical Japanese forms of stage
performance. Noh and its more light hearted and humorous sister art
Kyogen are often performed together in traditional theater houses within
large Japanese cities. In the past, formal Noh/Kyogen performances
would last all day with several heavy and serious Noh dramas of different
genres being performed with periodic Kyogen performances between these to
give the audience a break and a chance to laugh. Noh actors are
always male (even the ones dressed as women), and normally share the
stage with an orchestra of traditional Japanese musicians as well as a choir.
The actors
recite
their lines in old Japanese style (most Japanese can't understand them and must
follow the story with a written script) sung with trailing syllables oscillating
with flowing emphasis. Noh and Kyogen actors often wear
masks to help them better express the character they are portraying or to lend
emotional emphasis to key points of their performance. With the exception
of demon masks (which are very expressive) most Noh/Kyogen masks
are neutral in expression, requiring the actor to indicate emotion exclusively
through subtle body movements. The craft of making
Noh and Kyogen masks is an important Japanese art form in itself and many masks
(particularly the dramatic demon and god masks) are collected by Japanese and
foreign enthusiasts of Japanese culture.
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