Call
It a Devil Cake
Mochi
(muchi) is rice cake, served to young and old during the New Year.
An
uni or, oni roughly translated, would mean, devil.
On
the 8th day of December (Chinese calendar) unimuchi is
served in Okinawan homes.
It
is believed, that this date precedes the coldest day of the year.
Cakes,
wrapped in gettoo leaves, are opened and families ask the spirits for
protection.
Consuming
the unimuchi is believed to ward off bad health and bring good luck.
If
you don't care for gruesome stories, there's no need, to read any
further.
The
Demon Lived in a Cave
High
on cliffs, overlooking the ocean, the monster stayed concealed during
daylight hours.
In
his youth, he was a perfectly normal child and, cared for his younger
sister.
The
parents, had moved on to the world of the spirits, at an early age.
A
hard working teen, he earned what he could, while sister, kept a
garden and cooked.
Survival
was the name of the game and, he did well, as the man of the house.
Reaching
Manhood He Changed Drastically
The
lad, sprouted small horns on his head and, developed a hairy body.
He
became violent and mean, as if he were a madman.
The
villagers, ganged up and, ran him out of town so, he headed for the
hills.
Not
long afterwards, bad things began to happen, in the once peaceful
hamlet.
It
began slowly. Overnight, a small animal (chicken, cat, piglet) would
disappear.
Little
things like this happen, naturally, sometimes so, no one panicked.
As
the months went by bigger things, fell victim, to the darkness.
When
livestock, such as cattle, hogs, horses and goats, were taken in the
night, people noticed.
Eventually,
humans were being dragged away. It was the demon.
Sketch by Atsushi Maezato
Something
Had to be Done
Little
sister suspected, the culprit might have been her big brother, turned
ogre.
As
a family member, she felt responsible, for the villager's grief.
Knowing
the approximate location of the monster's dwelling, she devised a
plan.
Her
Nini (big brother) used to love the rice cakes, she prepared for him.
She
fixed up a basket, loaded with steamed rice cakes, wrapped in gettoo
leaves.
Inside
the rice cakes, nicely concealed, were shards of broken roof tiles.
She
hiked up the hill and, placed the basket of food on a rock, near the
cliff edge.
Sweating
from her journey, she approached the cave, thinking it might cool
her.
As
she approached the entrance, it turned her stomach.
The
cave was dark, reeking of rotting flesh and death.
She
called out “Nini, are you here?”
The
demon appeared. He growled and grabbed his sister, to take into the
cavern.
“Tell
me why, you came here and, it better be for a good reason or, I'll
eat you, too.”
She
told him about the rice cakes, sitting on the rock, outside. “Over
there.”
Sketch by Atsushi Maezato
She
led the way, to the spot where the basket had been stashed and
watched him eat.
He
began devouring them whole, not paying attention, to what he was
eating.
Soon,
he began bleeding from the mouth, screaming in pain.
When
he was writhing in pain and faced towards the sea, she shoved him off
the cliff.
The
devil, was gone forever and, ice cold wind blew in the girl's face.
By
the Lunar calendar, it was the eighth day of December.
The
tradition, of eating unimochi, continues in Okinawa, today.
Try
some, without the tiles.
References:
Okinawan
Folk Stories ISBN978-4-99009-0
Adapted
from: Onimochi P. 189
