An ink stone which has been used to copy the same manuscript over and over again for many generations begins to take on aspects of the story itself. Suzuri no tamashii can manifest phantom sounds and illusory characters from the story, which arise from the ink and wreak havoc on the writing desk. Suzuri no tamashii echo the brutal slaughter from when the Taira clan was wiped out in the final battle of the Genpei War. When used, they produce sounds like the echo of the sea, the din of battle, and the screams of warriors. The ink inside begins to ripple and billow like the sea’s waves, and tiny boats and soldiers materialize out of the ink.
| Alias Suzuri-no-tamashii (硯の魂) |
| Real Names/Alt Names “Inkstone spirit” |
| Characteristics Yōkai, Enlightenment and Neoclassicism, Japanese |
| Creators/Key Contributors Toriyama Sekien, ○ |
| First Appearance Japanese folklore |
| First Publisher ○ |
| Appearance List Konjaku Hyakki Shūi (今昔百鬼拾遺, “Supplement to The Hundred Demons from the Present and the Past”, c. 1781) Vol. 3 “Rain” |
| Sample Read Konjaku Hyakki Shūi Vol. 3 “Rain” (c. 1781) [Smithsonian] |
| Description An ink stone which has been used to copy the same manuscript over and over again for many generations begins to take on aspects of the story itself. Suzuri no tamashii can manifest phantom sounds and illusory characters from the story, which arise from the ink and wreak havoc on the writing desk. Suzuri no tamashii echo the brutal slaughter from when the Taira clan was wiped out in the final battle of the Genpei War. When used, they produce sounds like the echo of the sea, the din of battle, and the screams of warriors. The ink inside begins to ripple and billow like the sea’s waves, and tiny boats and soldiers materialize out of the ink. |
| Source Suzuri-no-tamashii – Yokai.com |
