Shuten-dōji, the Demon of Mount Ōe
On a mountain north of Kyoto lived the king of the oni, a giant who loved sake and stole away the city's young women, until six warriors came to his feast.
What was reported
Shuten-dōji, whose name means something like 'the drunken boy', was the most fearsome oni, or demon, of Japanese legend. He lived in a fortress on Mount Ōe with a band of demons, raiding the capital, Kyoto, and carrying off young women.
The emperor sent the warrior Minamoto no Raikō and his companions. Disguised as wandering mountain monks, they were invited into the oni's palace and offered him sake that had been blessed so it would weaken him. When the demon fell asleep, they defeated him and freed his captives.
Explanations offered
The tale is one of Japan's most famous, told in picture scrolls, Noh plays and woodblock prints. Some historians think the 'demons' may have been bandits, outsiders or people living beyond the capital's control. Ōe today has a museum of oni and statues of Shuten-dōji.
- When
- Told since the 1300s
- Where
- Mount Ōe, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
- Witnesses
- Japanese legend
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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