Inspiration - Ao Andon
Some time ago I got really interested in Japanese culture and mythology. I decided that I want to make a costume inspired by a demon so I went through my “Japanese Bestiary” just looking at the pictures when ao andon caught my eye. I decided that it was a great character to draw inspiration from and that’s how my obsession with it started (I like to conduct research so this post will be pretty detailed)
Ao andon is a Japanese yokai (supernatural entity possessing spiritual abilities) demon. It first appeared in Toriyama Sekien’s "Konjaku Hyakki Shūi" (今昔百鬼拾遺) in 1781. Its name directly translates as “blue lantern” because of the lighting that was used when telling spooky stories. Ao andon is supposed to emerge after a hundred ghost stories were told by a group of people. Here are some elements connected with this demon.
Appearence
Ao Andon is said to be a female spirit with long black hair, blue skin, two twin horns, blackened teeth and sharp claws, dressed in a blue or white kimono. She was emanating an eerie blue light similarly to the andon itself. The primary source of her appearance is an illustration by Toriyama Sekien, which you can see below contrasted with a modern illustration.
Andon Lantern
It’s a traditional lighting equipment of Japan and consists of a paper stretched over a wooden, metal or bamboo frame. It’s an enclosed version of a Todai lamp made to protect the flame from the wind. Inside oil burned in a stone, metal or ceramic holder with a cotton or pith wick. Commonly rapeseed or sardine oil were used, however a more expensive alternative were candles. Andons were usually open on top and bottom and had one side that could be lifted for access.
Their popularity peaked in the Edo period (1603–1867) as a form of indoor lighting. Many were a vertical box with a stand for the light inside, some also had a drawer on the bottom to help with refilling. There was a handle on top allowing it to be handheld or hung on a wall. Many types of andon were used for example Enshū andon - tubular in shape with an opening on the side, Ariake andon - used as a bedside lamp, kakeandons - often hung in front of shops and bore the name of it’s merchant.
The connection to the yokai is particularly relevant because in the Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai (100 Ghost Stories) game, blue paper was placed over andon lanterns in order to create a mysterious atmosphere suited for telling ghost stories.
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Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai - One Hundred Ghost Stories
https://hyakumonogatari.com
Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai which directly translates as “one hundred stories” was a parlor game popular in the Edo period in Japan, initially among the aristocratic class later also townspeople and working class. It was played in summer after nightfall because of the belief that shivers caused by fear have a cooling effect.
In the simple version participants sat in a circle with a hundred lit candles around them. As the game entered the realm of the townsfolk, candles were replaced by andon lamps bound in blue paper made to set a mysterious mood. People then took turns telling spooky stories about the supernatural and after every story one light was snuffed out making the room darker. It was rumored that after the 100th story a spirit, later named ao andon appears. There are different versions as to what the demon actually did, some say she slaughtered or ate all of the participants and others that she would just feed of their fear. Nevertheless, it was a common practice to leave the game unfinished, with the 100th lamp remaining lit to prevent any spirits from appearing. On a practical note, partakers often would simply run out of stories which gave birth to kaidan, tales obtained from villagers who claimed to encounter demons or other creatures.
Japanese horror often mentions “one hundred” as a symbolic belief that a simple act of telling the final story can conjure something supernatural. Speak of the devil and the devil appears, however until Toriyama Seiken wrote about the ao andon in his Konjaku Hyakki Shu, there was no consensus on what appeared. He is the creator behind the ghostly woman materializing from the shadows or staring back from a mirror.
As time passed many different variations of the game were created. For example instead of andons oil lamps or specially prepared ones with a hundred wicks were used. It also became considered a ritual method of summoning spirits where the lantern was in a different room and a person had to walk there, cut off one wick and look into a mirror.
“On a dark night, a lantern is covered in blue paper, and into its oil 100 wicks are dipped and lit; when each is removed for every story told, the room will grow darker, casting the room in an eerie blue glow, and something incredible will happen.”
Summary
Ao andon is a spirit initially created by Toriyama Sekien as an embodiment of human fear of the supernatural. It was said to appear after a 100th lamp was snuffed out in the 100 ghost stories game. The lamps and blue paper in which they were bound gave the yokai her name, ao - blue, andon - lantern. She appears as a female with blue skin, two horns and long black hair. In a variation of the game one can see her staring back from a mirror. Overall, ao andon is a classic representation of Japanese horror, where simply the act of finishing the game is what summons the spirit.