Legendology

In this manga, there is alot of mythology that gets brought up. Though so far, there hasn't been too much, let me explain the little that has come up...

Densetsu 1 (Kappa to Kitsune?)
1)Kappa: In Asianic mythology, a kappa appears to be a mix between a turtle and man. Though there are many legends including kappas (even the ever famous Saiyuki legend), as well as many about how they came into being, they are commonly thought to be the reborn souls of children abandoned on the river. Their history and existence actually is usually said to come from the mutated children of the days of old who were abadoned alongside rivers. Kappas are often thought to be michievous, though they are also known as protectors to their rivers and those who pass by. They are not devilish, but they are very child-like in their pranks and antics. A common trait of a kappa, besides the turtle shell on its back and its very small, amphibian-like body, is a ring of either or gold around its head (sometimes called a hair, sometimes a halo...many different names) almost in an upside-down crown-like fashion. The top of their head is bare.

2)Kitsune:Another animal quite popular in Asianic mythology. A kitsune is also the Japanese word for a fox, but in this case, it is said to posess magical powers. The kinds of powers that are usually attributed to this mystical beast are illusion magics, soul possession (of dead bodies), and fire. Often times, kitsunes take on more human-like forms than other of the beasts of mythology. They are also often depitcted with their ears and tails showing. There is said to be a couple of ways to lure a kitsune out of its disguise. Some say that if you are able to trap the beast in fire, it will retake its usual form to escape, as the fire can only hurt its illusions. For others, it is said that when a kitsune posesses a dead body, that the only way to destroy it is to find the kitsune's soul. Usually, it's thought to be off to the left-side of the body. Even a simple sword strike will do if you strike it right. Kitsunes, just like kappa, are known for their trickster personalities. In mythology, they often play tricks with human minds, using fear to terriorize their victims, often becomming more horrid and cruel than just playing games.

3)Song Lyrics: This part of this chapter is a combination of both legend and my own imagination. Sometimes, it is said that the user of certain instruments can play what they really feel and bare their souls, without realizing it. Others say their music can predict the future. My version is a bit of a combination of the two. At the beginning, when Suisen is singing, the words he sings are what he hears from the sounds of the flute the traveler is playing. It is partially fortelling, but at the same time, it also shows the true nature of the traveler. This wasn't explained fully yet, but I would just like to point it out before I go into more detail on it later on.

4)Byakko: In this particular story, Byakko is going to be a type of legendary creatures, but usually, it is one of the Chinese Gods. Byakko is known as the Chinese god of the west (and often times given the element of wind) and is attributed to being a white tiger. When you hear it used in this story, Byakko will represent white tiger anthros, as Kappa represents its category.