Amabie
Amabie (アマビエ) is a legendary Japanese mermaid who comes from the sea and prophesies either an abundant harvest or an epidemic. There are similar mermaids related to her: Amabiko (アマビコ or 天日子)), Amahiko (尼彦 or あま彦 or (天彦), Amahiko-nyudo (尼彦入道), Arie (アリエ), and others.
Legend
Legend says that Amabie appeared in Higo-no-kuni (Kumamoto Prefecture) in Edo era at midday on 3 April 1846. Every day a shining object appeared just beneath the surface of the sea until the Oyakunin (administrator) of the town went to the coast to see for himself, making the Amabie rise from where until then only light had been seen. From her waist down her body was that of a fish but scales covered all her skin, they were not limited by her waist, her lips protruded like a dome-crowned cylinder. Addressing the Oyakunin the Aamabie identified herself as Amabie and told him that she lives in the open sea, then she made a prophecy; "Good harvest will continue for six years, if disease spreads show a picture of me to those that are ill and they will be cured." She immediately went back into the sea after that. The story appeared in the Kawara-ban (a collection of engraved tiles), and her image was shown in it and was known throughout Japan.
Reference books
- 水木しげる 『図説 日本妖怪大全』 講談社、1994年、50頁
- 村上健司 『妖怪事典』 毎日新聞社、2000年、23-24頁
- 湯本豪一 『明治妖怪新聞』柏書房 1999年 196-198頁
- 湯本豪一 『地方発 明治妖怪ニュース』 柏書房 1999年 174-175頁
- 『日本の幻獣-未確認生物出現録- 企画展解説図録』 川崎市民ミュージアム 2004年
