Youkai: Difference between revisions

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{{Useful Notes}}
[[File:Yoshitoshi The Heavy Basket.jpg|thumb|300px|"Various Yokai Flying out of Wicker Clothes Hamper" from the "Omoi Tsuzura" (おもゐつづら), Yoshitoshi]]
Youkai are a widely-varied collection of various supernatural creatures that pop up in [[Shinto]] religion. They have a lot in common with [[The Fair Folk]] from Western folklore. Some youkai are good, others are evil, and many are [[Blue and Orange Morality|different]]. Some are mischievous, others avoid humans entirely. Shinto is an animist religion, and youkai are often associated with natural features such as forests and mountains. This word is often translated as "demon" in Western translations, but that does not adequately describe the creatures in question. The closest true Western equivalent is probably that of the ancient Roman [[wikipedia:Genius (mythology)|genii]] or [[Our Spirits Are Different|spirits]].