Who Eats Whom? Flesh-Eating Demons and Political Power Struggles
Who Eats Whom? Flesh-Eating Demons and Political Power Struggles
This chapter examines the meaning of flesh-eating demons in setsuwa tales. It suggests that tales depicting gender-less demons or those incarnated as men both affirm and undermine powerful men and represent struggles for political power. The chapter highlights the importance of the role of oni in setsuwa, and explains that relationships of oni and aristocrats show that the monsters embraced by a society can help illuminate the perceptions, internal struggles, fears, and aspirations of its members.
Keywords: flesh-eating demons, setsuwa, powerful men, political power, oni, aristocrats
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