The Cursed Mask of Shuten Doji - Japanese Oni Demon Pendant

Oni (demons in the West) are very common characters in early Japanese Shinto mythology. A type of yokai (or spirits) oni are wild and crazed beings with immense strength and clubs made of iron. Shuten Doji is among the most ferocious of demons, said to have been an orphan so evil that when he put a demon mask on to scare citizens, it fused to his face. Oni are also seen in Buddhist Mythology as the guardian beings sent to protect the Buddhist Great Lord Enma, the Buddhist leader of Hell itself. However in Shinto belief, oni are even fiercer. For in this belief, Oni are people so wicked and cruel, that before death has a chance to come for them, they are reborn as demons. In scripture and myth, Oni are always evil beings. In Japanese they come from "隠" which has a reading of "on". This character means "hidden, concealed" as demons prefer to remain hidden until it is time to strike. We can use this mindset in our own lives. Don't brag and show your hand right away, wait until it's too la