Big Book of Mythology (Yokai Edition)

Kappa

Translation: River Child

Other names: Kawatarō, Komahiki, Kawako

Type: Unknown

Preference: Found everywhere in Japan

Habitat: Rivers, lakes, ponds, waterways, cisterns, wells

Diet: Omnivorous; prefers cucumbers and human entrails

Danger zone: Yellow (Hostile)

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About Kappa:
A Kappa is a type of water imp that is said to be human-like in form and have the same height as a child. There have been many depictions of the kappa's appearance, ranging from monkey-like to having a beak and turtle-like shell! However, most generally depict the kappa as having a reptilian appearance.

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Appearance:
They are typically depicted as green, human-like beings with webbed hands and feet and a turtle-like carapace on their backs. A depression on its head, called its "dish" (sara), retains water, and if this is damaged or its liquid is lost (either through spilling or drying up), the kappa is severely weakened.

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Behavior/Interaction:
Kappa are usually seen as mischievous troublemakers or trickster figures. Their actions range from the comparatively minor, such as looking up women's kimonos, to the outright malevolent, such as drowning people and animals, kidnapping children, raping women and at times eating human flesh. Though sometimes menacing, it may also behave amicably towards humans.

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Abilities:
• Limb reattachment: A Kappa's weakness is its arms, which can be detached and reattached

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Target(s):
Anyone, but mostly women and children

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Escape plan:
It was believed that there were a few means of escape if one was confronted with a kappa. Kappa are obsessed with politeness, so if a person makes a deep bow, it will return the gesture. This results in the kappa spilling the water held in the "dish" (sara) on its head, rendering it unable to leave the bowing position until the plate is refilled with water from the river in which it lives. If a person refills it, the kappa will serve that person for all eternity. A similar weakness of the kappa involves its arms, which can easily be pulled from its body. If an arm is detached, the kappa will perform favors or share knowledge in exchange for its return.

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Origin story:
There are many who would explain the legend of the Kappa as a simple story for children to scare them into behaving. One of the most common types of Kappa stories are focused on the creature's fixation on disobedient children. It was thought that when disobedient children ventured too close to the water without their parents, the Kappa would pull them into the water and drown them. There are several variations as to what would happen next. Some stories simply state that the Kappa kidnapped the children, while others detailed that the Kappa would drink the blood of their victims or eat their internal organs. It is thought that this tale of the Kappa helped to reduce the number of children who were lost to drownings or other misfortunes by ensuring that the children stayed with their parents and didn't wander off into danger.

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NOPE Rating:
3/5