This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Yas~enwiki (talk | contribs) at 04:02, 15 March 2004 (+ja:). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 04:02, 15 March 2004 by Yas~enwiki (talk | contribs) (+ja:)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
A kappa (河童) is a mythical creature, a type of water imp in Japanese mythology. It seems to be an amalgam of a frog and a turtle, having the limbs of the former, and the shell and beak of the latter. On its head is a depression which is filled with water from the body of water it lives in. They can be vicious and enjoy the taste of blood and human flesh. A human may escape them by exploting its one weakness - its viltalilty is drawn from a saucer-like deppresion in its head, which must remain filled with water or else it will drown. If one offers a polite and ceremonious bow, the kappa will be obligated to return it. The water will spill and the kappa will be defeated, forcing it to retreat to its watery home. The Japanese custom of bowing orginated in part as a defense against kappa.
A notable literary appearance is the short story Kappa by Akutagawa Ryunosuke. The kappa was also the inspiration for the creature in the film Ringu. Kappa have been featured in several Final Fantasy games, and were the inspiration for the "Koopas" in Super Mario Bros.