| Kappa | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Naming | |||
| Others | Dangame ("soft-shelled turtle"), Enkō ("monkey"), Gatarō, Gawappa, Kawappa, Kawako, Kawaso ("otter") Kawatarō (川太郎 , "river-boy") Kawatora (川虎 , river-tiger) Komahiki (駒引 , "horse-puller"), Mizuchi, Sui-tengu, Suiko; China: Shui Gui (水鬼, "water ghost") dozens of other region-specific names | ||
| Original | 河童 | ||
| Romanization | Kappa | ||
| Morphology | |||
| Body type | Humanoid | ||
| Average height | 100-150 cm (3-5 ft) | ||
| Average weight | 30-45 kg (65-100 lbs) | ||
| Intelligence | |||
| Sentience | Sentient | ||
| Sapience | Sapient | ||
| Aggressivity | Medium | ||
| Ecology | |||
| Place of origin | Japan | ||
| Habitat | Rivers, lakes, swamps, wetlands, coastal regions | ||
| Diet | Cucumbers, Human innards (specifically the shirikodama) | ||
| Locomotion | On Land: Bipedal or quadrupedal movement In Water: Swimming via webbed phalanges | ||
| Subspecies | Hyōsube | ||
| Related species | Kelpie, Shui Gui, Siyokoy, Vodnik, Vodyanoy | ||
| Status | Data Deficient | ||
| Behind the Scenes | |||
| Universe | Real | ||
Kappa are a species of turtle-like Yōkai originating from Japanese folklore. Long feared as the scourge of Japanese waterways, they are most easily differentiated from other creatures by a depression in their skull called the "dish" that they must retain water in to maintain their supernatural strength.
In real life, they are used as a bogeyman among Japanese parents to scare their children away from dangerous waters where they may come to harm in other ways. Along with the Oni and Tengu, the Kappa are among the best known of all Yōkai.
They are closely related to the Hyōsube, sometimes referred to as the "Hairy Kappa".
Etymology[]
The name kappa is a combination of the words kawa (river) and wappa, a variant form of 童 warawa (also warabe) "child". The kappa are also known regionally by at least eighty other names.
Biology[]
Kappa are a race of green- or yellow-blue-skinned, beaked, turtle-like reptilian humanoids that can have either scaly or frog-like, removable skin. This skin, referred to as amagawa, is waterproof but must be shed after the Kappa leaves its watery refuge in order for it to sleep even though this leaves them temporarily defenseless; a skinless Kappa cannot enter the water without regrowing a new layer in the morning. They have sharp claws and their beaks can be shaped in numerous ways dependent upon the subspecies. Because of their permeable skin they are at risk of dehydration and by extent desiccation, but are especially cautious to care for their "dish". This dish must always have water in it though this is more of an issue when they leave the confines of their home. Should this water spill or dry out by any means, the Kappa will lose its powers and could very well die as well.
The creatures produce a particularly pungent odor similar to rotting compost or fish that can be used to identify them as a method of tracking.
Some accounts attribute a strange trait to the organisms: They can possess a unique skeletal structure where their arms are connected to each other rather than to the rest of the skeleton, allowing them to slide one one side of the other as necessary, passing through the shell undaunted.
Behavior[]
While usually not particularly aggressive, especially in modern times, they can be downright vicious when angered. When challenging another, they prefer to do so through the use of sumo wrestling matches; however they are not beyond the use of insidious means and are known to drown the unwary and even force themselves onto Human females.
Although they naturally inhabit rivers, lakes, swamps, wetlands, and coastal regions, they are not adverse to overtaking man-made water-based structures for shelter, such as cisterns or garden ponds. During the winter months, the homes of Kappas freeze over and because of this, they can be found in more mountainous regions.
Kappa are obsessed with politeness despite their sometimes insidious nature. Interestingly, should one ever be threatened by a Kappa on land, simply bowing deeply to it will cause it to bow deeply in return, spilling the water in its "dish". This causes it to become paralyzed, unable to leave the bowing position until the "dish" is refilled with water from its home. Filling the "dish" for the Kappa yourself will indenture it to you for eternity.
Kappa have an extreme aversion to deer antlers, ginger, iron, monkeys, and sesame.
Diet[]
Kappa are omnivorous creatures but have a great affinity for cucumbers as well as eggplant, fermented soybeans, kabocha, and soba noodles. Kappa also predate upon Humans, using either a slippery hand or an elongated beak to burrow into and extract a human's organs through their rectum. Interestingly, they are only interested in consuming the shirikodama, a mysterious organ found within the Human's colon.
Gallery[]
.png "Kappa (Harry Potter).png (1.4 MB)")
Notes[]
- A former tourist site in Tokyo, Japan known as the Kappabashi (Kappa Bridge) was said to have a deep history with the Kappa. Though it has since been torn down and a Buddhist temple called Sogenji has arisen in its place, the name persists with the place's nickname, Kappa-dera (Kappa Temple).
- The popular kappamaki (cucumber roll) sushi dish gets its name from this creature.