Difference between revisions 11978962 and 16173816 on enwiki

A '''Han'yō''' ([[Japanese language|Japanese]]: 半妖) in [[Japan]]ese folklore is the product of a union between a [[yokai|yōkai]] and a [[human]]. Examples of han'yō are the characters [[InuYasha (character)|InuYasha]], Jinenji, and [[Naraku]], both from the [[anime]] and [[manga]] series ''[[InuYasha]]'', and [[Sha Gojyo (Saiyuki)|Sha Gojyo]], the red-haired, red-eyed playboy from ''[[Saiyuki]]''. In folklore, han'yō are often seen as useless monsters. They are ostracized by humans and yōkai alike, because they are proof of a relationship between a human and yōkai that both groups see as improper.

There are, however, exceptions.  Human descendants of a liaison between a [[kitsune]] and a human male are sometimes portrayed as heroic figures.  [[Abe no Seimei]], a famous ''[[onmyoji|onmyōji]]'' of the [[Heian Period]], is one such figure said to be descended from a kitsune.  Even these han'yō, though, remain separated from human society in one sense — they possess unusual traits and superhuman powers as a legacy of their bloodlines, and this often makes ordinary humans uneasy.

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[[Category:Japanese folklore]]

[[ru:Ханио]]