Thefuraribi (ふらり火) is a fireyōkai that appears in Japanese classical yōkai pictures such as in theGazu Hyakki Yagyō bySekien Toriyama, theHyakkai Zukan by Sawaki Suushi, and theBakemonozukushi by an unknown author.[1]
In theHyakkai Zukan andBakemonozukushi among others, they are depicted asbirds with adog-like face and enveloped in fire. The one in theGazu Hyakki Yagyō is also a bird enveloped in fire, but the face on this one is reminiscent ofGaruda of Hindu mythology.[1]
Due to the lack of explanatory text, it is unclear what kind of yōkai all of these were depicting, but there is the theory that they are the incarnations of fire that are the result of the deceased who were not given a memorial and thus wandered the present world as spirits and over time changed in appearance into what is depicted.[2]
Similar to thefuraribi, at Isobezutsumi, the river basin of theJinzū River in the town of Isobe,Toyama,Toyama Prefecture, there is the legend of the "buraribi" that appeared at the beginning of theMeiji era.[1]
It was in the era ofTenshō.Sassa Narimasa, lord of theToyama Castle, had a mistress named Sayuri. Sayuri was very beautiful and received much affection from Narimasa, resulting in distant relations between her and theokujochū (ladies in waiting) of the castle. One time, some of theokujochū falsely spoke of how Sayuri was committing adultery with a man other than Narimasa. Narimasa took this seriously, and killed Sayuri as a result of tremendous love-hate, hung her from a tree in Isobezutsumi, and sliced her into pieces. Sayuri's entire family was also executed for this. The innocent family of 18 who were about to be killed gave Narimasa a curse as they died.
It is said that after that, every night on this land there would appear atmospheric ghost lights that were called "buraribi" or "sayuribi", and if one calls out to this fire saying "Sayuri, Sayuri", a woman's severed head with disheveled hair would appear with a bitter expression.[3] The fact that the Sassashi family lost toToyotomi Hideyoshi in battle is also told to be the deed of Sayuri's vengeful spirit.[4]