Japan mythology creatures

Having this idea of dream thief. After severals consultation with Chuan Zui and Kelvin, Zui suggested my character from human into pet. Therefore from this point, I had further research on the character that is suitable for this story and meaningful. 

After gone through severals videos and research article. I finally found this Japanese mythology creature name Baku. Baku is refers to malayan tapir.

Image from : http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Malayan_Tapir.JPG/330px-Malayan_Tapir.JPG

Malayan Tapir or Tapirus Indicus or Tapir is named after a beast from Chinese mythology. However in Japanese folklore, tapir are nightmare eater. In Japanese term, tapir as named "baku" has refers to both the traditional dream-devouring creature and to the zoological tapir. This mythology creatures that has dream-eating abilities and people believe that it is a mascot that they place it in their house to against nightmare.

Image from: http://hyakumonogatari.com/2012/10/20/baku-the-dream-eater/

Image from : http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/d/df/Butch_Cassidy_Drowzee.png/210px-Butch_Cassidy_Drowzee.png

In today, Baku commonly appear in Japanese cartoon, computer games and comic books, such as in Pokemon, Drowzee. Drowzee is able to put people to sleep and sense the person's dreams. Drowzee eats dreams and remembers every dream it has eaten. 

From this article, it noted that the elephant-like Baku 獏 (also written 貘) is an imaginary and composite creature from Chinese mythology thought to prevent or devour nightmares. It has the trunk and tusks of an elephant, the eyes of a rhinoceros, the tail of a cow, and the paws of a tiger.It is the eater of bad dreams, and helps to ensure that one’s first dream (Hatsu Yume 初夢) during the New-Year holiday is favorable and auspicious. Children are encouraged to stay up late and welcome in the New Year. Children are told to place a picture of Baku under their pillows on the evening between Jan 1 and Jan 2. Local custom said if they have a good dream that night, they will be lucky for the whole year and the chances of having a good dream are reportedly enhanced by calling upon Baku. This beliefs has continue in to modern times. 

In the 17th-century Japanese illustrated document Sankai Ibutsu 山海異物 (Mythical Creatures of the Mountains and Seas) said: “In the mountains of the south, there lives a beast. It has an elephant's trunk, the eyes of a rhinoceros, an ox's tail, and a tiger's paws. Its body is yellow and black, and is called the Mò 貘 [in China]. By sleeping on its pelt one can ward off pestilence. A man should make a sketch of the Mò in order to be protected from evil. It eats copper and iron but nothing else.”

References:

Bulbapedia, (n.d.). Drowzee (Pokémon). [image] Available at: http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Drowzee_(Pok%C3%A9mon) [Accessed 21 Jul. 2014].

Davisson, Z. (2012). Baku - The Dream Eater. [online] 百物語怪談会 Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai. Available at: http://hyakumonogatari.com/2012/10/20/baku-the-dream-eater/ [Accessed 21 Jul. 2014].

Davisson, Z. (2012). Baku – The Dream Eater. [image] Available at: http://hyakumonogatari.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/baku_mizuki_shigeru3.png?w=300&h=231 [Accessed 21 Jul. 2014].

Onmarkproductions.com, (n.d.). Baku = Mythological Creature Who Eats Nightmares, Protects Against Evil. [online] Available at: http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/baku.html [Accessed 21 Jul. 2014].

Wikipedia.com, (n.d.). Malayan tapir. [image] Available at: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Malayan_Tapir.JPG/330px-Malayan_Tapir.JPG [Accessed 21 Jul. 2014].