It is said that when someone dies a very violent death, they always come back. Their souls can’t find peace until their death has been avenged or at least some purpose which was unaccomplished has been completed.
But what happens when hundreds of people die in violent deaths, as in the case of battles? What happens then?
Hundreds of soldiers, all killed in violence, all of them taken away from their families, and most of them not even receiving proper funerals…
According to Japanese mythology, when a mass of people dies at once, either in battles or due to starvation, their spirits take the form of a giant skeleton known as the Gashadokuro.
These spirits are restless and looking for revenge. They go after lone travelers who roam empty roads after midnight. Their thirst for vengeance propels them to attack the traveler, and bite off their heads until blood is sprayed everywhere.
The victim is often given no warning as the Gashadokuro can turn invisible and is indestructible. If the traveler pays attention, it can just about hear the rattling of the skeleton’s teeth that makes a “gachi gachi” sound. That is cue for a person to run as fast as he can. But it is usually pointless. Can you really outrun a giant skeleton with a thirst for blood?
It is said that Shinto charms can ward off evil and even the Gashadokuro. But the only way a Gashadokuro is finally defeated is when its thirst for vengeance dries out.
The Gashadokuro is an angry spirit who desires revenge for the dire state in which it passed away. The anger eventually ebbs as it continues to kill and then the giant creature collapses as the bones from which it is made, crumples and turns to dust.
So the next time you’re travelling alone at night, keep your eyes pricked up and your protection charms close to you.
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