Page:Insect Literature by Lafcadio Hearn.djvu/228

Rh XII.—Shōjō-tombo. A bright-red dragon-fly is so named, simply because of its tint.—In the zoological mythology of China and Japan, the Shōjō figures as a being less than human, but more than animal,—in appearance resembling a stout boy with long crimson hair. Prom this crimson hair it was alleged that a wonderful red dye could be extracted. The Shōjō was supposed to be very fond of sake; and in Japanese art the creature is commonly represented as dancing about a sake-vessel.

XIII.—Haguro-tombo, "Black-winged Dragon-fly."

XIV.—Oni-yamma, "Demon Dragon-fly." This is the largest of all the Japanese dragon-flies. It is rather unpleasantly colored; the body being black, with bright yellow bands and stripes.

XV.—Ki-yamma, "Goblin-Dragon-fly." Also called Ki-Emma,—"Emma," or "Yemma" being the name of the King of Death and Judge of Souls.

XVI.—Shōryō-tombo, "The Dragon-fly of the Ancestral Spirits." This appellation, as well as another of kindred meaning,—"Shōrai-tombo, or "Dragon-fly of the Dead,"—would appear, so far as 1 could learn, to be given to many kinds of dragon-fly. 註