Image of Buruburu

Buruburu

Buruburu are sometimes referred to as the spirit of cowardice. They follow people and cause them to shudder in fear. Buruburu are born when humans perform acts of cowardice, such as running away from battle. They possess people by clinging to their shirt collars and touching the backs of their necks. This causes their hair to stand on end and sends shivers down their bodies. The words buruburu and zo are Japanese onomatopoeia for the sound of shivering and the chill of fear. This spirit’s name comes from the sound of the shivers that it causes to run down people’s spines.
Alias Buruburu (震々)
Real Names/Alt Names Alt: Zozogami
Characteristics Yōkai, Enlightenment and Neoclassicism, Japanese
Creators/Key Contributors Toriyama Sekien, ○
First Appearance Japanese folklore
First Publisher
Appearance List Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki (今昔画図続百鬼, “The Illustrated One Hundred Demons from the Present and the Past”, 1779) Vol. 3
Sample Read Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki Vol. 3 “Dawn” (1779) [Smithsonian]
Description Buruburu are sometimes referred to as the spirit of cowardice. They follow people and cause them to shudder in fear. Buruburu are born when humans perform acts of cowardice, such as running away from battle. They possess people by clinging to their shirt collars and touching the backs of their necks. This causes their hair to stand on end and sends shivers down their bodies. The words buruburu and zo are Japanese onomatopoeia for the sound of shivering and the chill of fear. This spirit’s name comes from the sound of the shivers that it causes to run down people’s spines.
Source Buruburu – Yokai.com
Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki Vol. 3 'Dawn' (1779) | Toriyama Sekien
Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki Vol. 3 ‘Dawn’ (1779) | Toriyama Sekien