Onryō

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In Japanese traditional beliefs and literature, onryō (怨霊, lit. 'vengeful spirit', sometimes rendered "wrathful spirits", "hatred spirits", "resentful spirits", "ruthless spirits", "envious spirits", "dark spirits", "fallen spirits", or "downcast spirits") are a type of ghost (yūrei) believed to be capable of causing harm in the world of the living, injuring or killing enemies, or even causing natural disasters to exact vengeance to "redress" the wrongs they received while alive, then taking their spirits from their dying bodies. Onryō are often depicted as wronged women, who are traumatized, envious, disappointed, bitter, or just infuriated by what happened during life and exact revenge in death. These kinds of ghosts appear extremely vengeful, cruel, deranged, egotistical, bloodthirsty, and heartless. Emperor Sutoku, Taira no Masakado, and Sugawara no Michizane are called the Three Great Onryō of Japan (日本三大怨霊, Nihon Sandai Onryō) because they are considered to be the most powerful and...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞), Public domain