A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

KABANDHA - (Hindu) A mischievous, vain celestial being that had gotten the boon of long life from the Creator, Brahma. He was causing trouble for a bunch of sages in the form of a demon, and one of the sages lost patience and cursed Kabandha to stay forever in that ugly demonic form. Kabandha apologized and begged the sage to reconsider, so the sage relented and said that when Prince Rama passed through this forest, killed Kabandha, and burnt his body, Kabandha would resume his original handsome celestial form. Kabandha didn't learn, apparently, and went on to pick a fight with the King of the Gods, Indra, who smashed Kabandha's head straight into his body with a thunderbolt. Since Kabandha was blessed/cursed with long life, he could not die, but now he could not see or eat with his head smashed into his torso. Indra took pity and gave Kabandha a giant eye in his chest and a mouth in his belly, and two enormously long arms to snatch food with. Time passed, and eventually Prince Rama and his brother Lakshmana were traveling through this forest. Kabandha saw them and tried to grab them and eat them. Rama saw that the monster's weak points were his two long arms, so the two princes each cut off an arm. Kabandha realized who the two men were, and begged them to set his body on fire. When they did, Kabandha resumed his divine form, and told Rama to seek out Sugriva, the king of the monkeys, if Rama wanted help locating his kidnapped wife. (You can read all about this in the epic poem The Ramayana.

KALI - (Hindu) One of the more ferocious forms of the goddess Parvati, Kali appeared to fight demons threatening the gods. She has many arms holding weapons, a garland of skulls, a skirt made of severed arms, fangs, and a bloodstained mouth with a lolling tongue. She looks terrifying because she is meant to destroy all the evils that threaten her devotees. She has a long tongue because there was a particular demon whose blood created 10 clones of itself when it touched the ground. So cutting it with a sword didn't really help things. Kali, however, drank his blood as it fell, preventing it from touching the ground, so that the demon could be killed. This myth was the reason that a group of Kali-worshippers - the thugees - would strangle sleeping travellers as an offering to Kali (no bloodshed, you see?) Kali, however, is generally regarded as a benevolent goddess; her devotees call her "Kali-ma," Mother Kali. You only really need to worry about her if you're an evil demon (as opposed to a good demon...there were plenty of those in Hindu mythology).

KAMAKURA GONGOROU - (historical) A legendary Japanese warrior who lived in the 12th century. His real name was Kamakura Kagemasa, but he was nicknamed "Gongorou," and his shrine in Kamakura is called "Gonogorou-san." At age 16, he was in a battle and got shot in the left eye by an arrow. He kept fighting, defeated his enemy, and returned to his camp with the arrow still in his eye. Another warrior tried to pull out the arrow by bracing his foot on Kamakura-san's face and pulling at the arrow, but Kamakura was deeply offended and the other man had to apologize before taking out the arrow in a more respectful way. Somehow Kamakura's eye healed (?!) and since then, the crest of his shrine has been the fletchings of two arrows. Anyways, he was one of those 'perfect samurai', I understand, and his legend has been re-enacted in various plays over the centuries. Archers often practice at his shrines, and the shrine in Kamakura is supposed to help cure eye problems.

KANALOA - (Polynesian) The Hawai'ian god of the ocean and healing, who traveled around Hawai'i with the creator god, Kane, creating springs where they went. Kanaloa was uniquely depicted as having large round eyes.

KANSHOU - (Chinese) A swordsmith that was said to have lived in the 'Shunjuu' Period of Chinese history (approximately 722 - 481 BC). He received imperial orders and worked together with his wife Bakuya to create two famous swords, the 'Kanshou' and the 'Bakuya'.

KASHIMA REIKO - (Japanese) A female ghost without legs who lives in high school bathrooms. She calls out "Where are my legs?" when people enter the bathroom. The correct way to answer her varies from region to region. Ah, these Japanese urban legends...in Persona 2: Batsu, the correct answer is to tell her: Kashima Reiko: KA = Kamen (Mask), SHI = Shinin (dead person), MA=Ma (Demon).

KAU - (Chinese) A Chinese firebird with ten wings and three legs that lives in the sun.

KAWANCHA - (Nepalese) A Nepalese demon. In Hindu mythology, it is a follower of Siva and Kali.

KELAINO - (Greek) The queen of the Harpies, half-bird/half-woman monsters. Her name means "Black Cloud."

KENREN TAISHOU - (Chinese) In "Saiyuki," known as the kappa Sha Gojyo. He had originally lived in heaven, but he broke a crystal cup and was banished to earth. When he successfully helped Sanzou Houshi complete his quest, he was allowed to return to heaven.

KEREPRES - (Spanish) A flying dragon that guards treasure in a cave either on land or underwater. When young, the dragon lives in a spring and drinks the blood of men and livestock. To appease the Kerepres, people offer barley and corn bread to it.

KIMNARA - (Hindu) A god of healing that is a subordinate of the king of the gods, Indra. He is usually depicted as a man with a horse's head, or a full human. In Buddhism he is called Kinnara.

KINICH AHAU - (Mayan) Kinich Ahau was the Sun god. He was the patron god of the city Itzamal. Supposedly, he visited the city Itzamal everyday at noon in the form of a macaw and eat the temple offerings. Kinich Ahau was also known by the name Ah Xoc Kin, who was associated with poetry and music (see also Kinich Kakmo).

KINICH KAKMO - (Mayan) In Mayan mythology, Kinich Kakmo is the sun god and was symbolized by the macaw (see also Kinich Ahau).

KIYOHIME - (Japanese) The daughter of an innkeeper, Kiyohime fell in love with a young monk who was staying at the inn, and they became lovers. When the young monk conveniently remembered his vows and ran off back to his temple, Kiyohime, full of anger and hurt at his betrayal, chased after him. Her boyfriend hid himself inside the temple bell, and Kiyohime, who by this time had been transformed into a snake (or dragon) by the power of her anger, curled around the bell, sending it crashing to the ground and killing the man inside. Ever since then, women have been forbidden to enter the temple grounds. This story is the basis for many Kabuki, Noh, and Odori interpretations, and it is called Kishu Dojoji.

KNOCKER - (English) A type of kobold that is famous in the Cornwall region of England, where it lives in mines and knocks on the stone as miners approach rich veins of ore. Apparently it dislikes the sound of whistling, so miners have to be quiet if they want the kobold to show itself. It is playful but not malicious.

KOBOLD - (German) The spirit of a miner's child that still haunts mines. It changes silver into the metal cobalt, which is probably the source of the word. It is supposed to help miners get home, and is overall a good spirit, but it is also capable of burning down houses in revenge.

KOKKURI-SAN - (Japanese) A spirit that answers questions when you contact it in a fortune-telling game very like Ouija. You contact Kokkuri-san using a piece of paper with letters and numbers drawn on it, and use a coin as the marker. If you try to cheat, Kokkuri-san will possess you.

KOMMANDANT - (original) A commander of German soldiers of the Last Battalion.

KRAKEN - (Norse) A giant sea monster with long tentacles, very much like a giant squid. Norse sailors would often mistake it for an island until their ship was seized and crushed by the "island." Tennyson wrote a rather evocative poem about the Kraken...

KUCHISAKE ONNA (SLIT-MOUTH WOMAN) - (Japanese) Another charming Japanese urban legend from the 1970's. This particular one involves the ghost of a warrior's concubine. She was extremely beautiful and vain, and her jealous husband thought (probably correctly) that she was cheating on him. Finally he took his sword and slit her mouth open from ear to ear, asking her if people will still think she's so pretty now. So now her ghost wanders the streets with a long veil or scarf covering the lower half of her face. When children or college students meet her at dusk or at night, she'll coyly ask "Watashi kirei?" (Am I beautiful?) Then she rips aside her scarf, exposing her hideous mutilated mouth (or slit throat). When her victim runs, she chases them, still asking if she's beautiful. Usually she's carrying a scythe or some other bladed weapon, so running is a good idea if you meet her. Supposedly she's looking for someone who will say she's still pretty, and then she can rest in peace.

KUDAN - (Japanese) A supernatural creature depicted as a cow or a man with the head of a cow. It comes into being before an accident happens and predicts the upcoming calamity, but it dies immediately after making its prophecy.

KURODA JUNNOSUKE - (original) A ninja master who served the samurai Suou Tatsunoshin in the days of Kiyotada Sumaru. After his master's death, he changed his name to "Master Fuyou" (Master Lotus) and founded a school of martial arts. His spirit still hovers near the mummified remains of Suou-sama.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z