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Hyakume
Hyakume
Background: The name of Hyakume translated to “hundred eyes” in English. In the name Hyakume 百目, 百, which is hyaku, means hundred; 目, read as "may", means eyes. However, in this situation where hyaku is used, it stands for many instead of hundred, because it is a figurative approach of saying there are too many eyes and we lost of counts. The name itself reflect the yokai’s outlook. As the it suggests, hyakume have many eyes that cover its whole body. It is usually witnessed in abandoned homes, temples, caves, or shady areas. It doesn’t come out under daylight since it is very bright for its eyes Imitating as hyakume seems, it is the guardian of human at night time. When it sees someone walking by, one of its eyes will fly to the person and watch out for any criminal activity. They are not violent creatures that willingly to attack people.
The figure on the left is Mizuki Shigeru's first portrait of Hyakume, before it appears in the manga of GeGeGe no Kitaro.
The possible meanings behind Hyakume
The possible meanings behind Hyakume
Why would people create such a figure? A yokai with many eyes? Different from many yokai that live in towns’ area, Hyakume don’t scare or hurt innocent people. The reason for its existence is a myth, how did it form? However, if you exam the Japanese culture, there’s a saying of Gods, or Kami 神, are always watching what people do. Whether good or bad. In Professor Foster’s talk, he specifically talked about how there are signs of eyes watching people. The signs remind the citizens in Japan of how their actions will eventually be seen, and that’s probably why the figure of Hyakume was created by people. [1]
Hyakume often appears in children's books as a warning. The children were told the story of how Hyakume can see their actions, which is a way to tell them don't have any evil thoughts. Why aren't the Kami being responsible for punishing the villains and bringing justice upon the planet? In the Japanese supernatural world, there are many beings. There are not only few gods that rule the place, instead, everyone is responsible, even the yokai are a part of it. How can yokai and human live together in peace is a theme in almost every are work of are people see. And it is a belief of how people are always being watched by someone.
Pop Culture Adaptations
Pop Culture Adaptations
Over time, the origin of the yokai became unclear, but there are many modern modifications to it. From how hyakume looks, to what supernatural power it possesses. There are many versions of modifications that are worthy to talk about.
http://lineup.toei-anim.co.jp/ja/tv/kitaro_3rd/episode/65/
· The first anime modification is Hyakume in three episodes of the animate (or the manga) GeGeGe no Kitaro. As many fans would know, it’s a story of how the protagonist fight evil yokai using his special powers. In the 1987 version of the anime, although Hyakume appeared as the villain in an episode, it’s main purpose was to use prisoners’ spirits to create a clone of itself. It appears to have stronger powers than the original yokai prototype: to be able to take large amount of air into its body and release at once to make itself fly; to be able to emit poisonous gas from its mouth; to be able to control its eyes to attack its opponents. Most importantly, the story implied that Hyakume has the power to see through other’s disguise. The anime didn’t tell how did Hyakume do that, but it has set a foundation for more transformation in the future.
http://es.inuxbokuss.wikia.com/wiki/Zange_Natsume
· The most resent anime that includes Hyakume is Inu x Boku SS. The character Hyakume is weak in physical power but has the power to see through time and space. The physical features were humanized; thus audiences can’t see many eyes as they would find on the original yokai. The overall character of Hyakume remains unchanged, that he watches people near him. Moreover, in this anime, the friendliness characteristic of Hyakume is exaggerated that he would help people who are in need. Although the thought of him being able to see through anything, including people’s mind is a bit frightening, Hyakume is portrayed as a good and helpful yokai. The character make sense since the original yokai is in fact helping human instead of scaring or killing them.
https://matome.naver.jp/odai/2143928393327905901
This picture in from Fujiko Fujio's 藤子 不二雄 work of Kaibutsu-Kun. In this manga, Hyakume is the main character's biggest helper as the main character encountered many supernatural phenomenons. Fujiko Fujio is also the creator of Doraemon, the relationship between Nobi Nobita and Doraemon is very similar with the characters in Kaibutsu-kun. It is said to be the most perfect relationship between human and other creatures in Fujiko's vision.
This version of Hyakume came from a Japanese horror TV show Yokai Ganma. Although written the same as 百目, the characters are read as Ganma. In this movie, Ganma is portrayed as a man-eating monster. It can change its size as how it needs. It is a terrifying movie which the blood thirsty monster kills many human as it gains power.
Like many other horrors shows, Ganma was defeated by the main characters in the end. Although it has the name of 百目, the monster in the TV show doesn’t have the power the yokai said to be possessed. And the only resemblance the audiences can make in through the look of the yokai itself.
https://moon.ap.teacup.com/syunjun/614.html
Related/Similar Yokai
Related/Similar Yokai
Dodomeki
Dodomeki
A female with many eyes grew on her body, usually appears in cities, towns, especially in markets. In Japanese, Dodomeki is written as 百百目鬼. Similar as Hyakume 百目, it accurately portrayed the outlook of Dodomeki, who has many eyes. The origin of Dodomeki was a young girl who stole from merchants, then found out many tiny bird eyes started to grow out of her arm. The girl wasn’t poor, but rather came from a wealthy family. However, she found the stealing experience to be fun and exciting. After she found out many eyes were growing on her arm, she still couldn’t hold her wish to steal from others. But every time she stole something, another eye would grow on her body. Eventually she turned herself into a monster that covered with eyes.
Mokumokuren
Mokumokuren
One of the famous tsukumogami 付喪神 , usually appear on the sliding door in traditional Japanese style houses. When the sliding doors aren’t kept well, and there are holes on the doors, eyes will start to pop up one by one. Those eyes are called Mokumokuren. Although they are harmless, the sight could be quite frightening. To be watched by many eyes like that can trigger extreme fear.
There are also some stories saying that Mokumokuren don’t only appear on doors, but also on other things like trees. And is people see many eyes on a tree that is also a form of Mokumokuren. The stories gave a new theory for the research of the formation of Mokumokuren. Which is it might be a king of plant that grows on wooden structures, that includes trees and doors.
The three yokai display a similar trait, having many eyes. However, their reason of existence is different. For Hyakume, it is for watching others. It comes out at night to protect the citizens. For Mokumokuren and dodomeki, it is more likely to be a punishment. A punishment for not keeping one’s house well, or a punishment for something one didBoth Mokumokuren and dodomeki appeared in Toriyama Sekien’s 鳥山石谚 The Illustrated Demon Horde’s Past and Present 今昔画図続百鬼, their figures were said to be created by Toriyama Sekien himself in the 1700s during the Edo era. The story in Toriyama Sekien’s book was from different literature, folklore, or other artworks. There are a lot of theories of where the original story of Dodomeki and Mokumokuren came from. And many theories were developed from ancient Chinese text to western mythological creature. Compared to them, Hyakume’s figure was created much later by author Mizuki Shigeru 水木しげる in the 1960s. [2]
Today, the difference between these three yokai are becoming smaller and smaller due to the pop culture adaptations. When Hyakume become a young man and Mokumokuren is humanized, they are less different from each other. And they are sometime mistaken as the same yokai. [3]
[1] Foster, Michael Pandemonium and Parade: Japanese Monsters and the Culture of Yokai. University of California Press, 2009
[2] Foster, Michael Dylan. Morphologies of mystery: Yôkai and discourses of the supernatural in Japan, 1666–1999. Stanford University, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2003.
[3] Stymeist, David H. “Myth and the Monster Cinema.” Anthropologica, vol. 51, no. 2, 2009, pp. 395–406. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/25605494.
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