Karasu Tengu

(KA-rah-shoe TEN-goo)

Variations: Demonic Crow Tengu, Kotengu, Minor Tengu

Originally, there were two types of tengu ("skydog") demons in Japan, the karasu tengu and the yamabushi tengu. However, as time passed the two species of tengu demons became intertwined and developed into a singular entity.

The karasu tengu is a demon in the truest sense of the word in that it was never a human; it was always an immortal being. It looks rather like a small humanoid with a GREEN face but has the beak, claws, and wings of a crow. It lives in the mountains and is malicious and fiercely territorial, attacking anyone who enters; it is particularly fond of the flesh of children, stealing them to get them if it must.

Able to shape-shift into the forms of a man,woman, or child, it is often seen carrying a ring-tipped staff called a shakujos that aids it in exorcisms and protects it from magic. Known for its unusual sense of humor, the karasu tengu can possess people and speak through them. Fortunately, an offering of bean paste and rice can appease it.

Source: Blomberg, Heart of the Warrior, 35; Davis, Myths and Legends of Japan, 170; Louis-Frédéric, Japan Encyclopedia, 958; Mc Nally, Clutch of Vampires