Etymology and Legends of Sukuna
AKA: why is all the mythos on sukuna so goddamn hard to find honestly sukuna f*ck you-
Etymology and Kanji Meaning
両面宿儺 | Ryōmen Sukuna (means “two-faced spirit” according to the JJK wiki). If you stick it in an online translator, though, it gives you “two-sided inn” so- I have no idea.
両面 | Ryōmen: Two-faced; general meaning is “two-sided” (the individual kanji literally mean “both” and “surface”/“side.”)
宿儺 | Sukuna: Specter/spirit, according to the JKK wiki. However, this is likely a non-typical usage; online translators say that it means inn/lodging/hotel. It is from tale of Sukuna from the Nihon Shoki.
宿: The typical meaning of this kanji is inn, lodging, or hotel
儺: According to kanji dictionaries, this kanji means “(ceremony of) driving out evil spirits” or “exorcism”
Sukuna in Folklore and Legends
disclaimer that i’ve been able to fact-check very little of this because there isn’t much on him in english. (Or google-translatable stuff in japanese, so far as i can find.) (i hate translating stuff so it’s not like i was trying too hard for that – i’m doing this for fun anyway.)
The name “Sukuna” comes from the Nihon Shoki (also called the Nihongi). It is only a short paragraph that mentions him. It refers to him only as “Sukuna,” not as “Ryōmen Sukuna.” i haven’t yet figured out when “Ryōmen” became part of his name. My guess is that it is simply a way of describing and differentiating him, because i think there are other people named Sukuna in the Nihongi. (Ryōmen means two-faced, and he’s described as having two faces, so it’s literally just describing him.)
Obviously, the original passage from the Nihongi is written in Japanese, and Sukuna’s description varies slightly from translation to translation. However, almost all versions that i’ve read say basically the following: in the 65th year (of Emperor Nintoku’s rule, I think), in Hida, there was a man named Sukuna with one torso, two faces, two sets of legs and two sets of arms, who carried two swords and a bow and arrow, killed a lot of people, and was killed by this dude named Take-furu-kuma. Here’s an English version of the passage:
“65th year. In the province of Hida there was a man called Sukuna, who was so formed that on one trunk he had two faces. The faces were turned away from each other. The crowns met, and there was no nape of the neck. Each had hands and feet. There were knees, but no popliteal spaces or heels. He was strong and nimble. He carried swords on his right and on his left side, and used bow and arrow with all four hands at once. On this account he was disobedient to the Imperial command, and took a pleasure in plundering the people. Hereupon the Emperor sent Naniha-neko Take-furu-kuma, ancestor of the Omi of Wani, who put him to death.”
– Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697, Volume 11 “Nintoku”
However, Ryōmen Sukuna isn’t actually considered villainous in Hida (modern-day Gifu prefecture). According to an article by the Japanese Wiki Corpus, “While ‘Nihonshoki’ described Ryomen-sukuna as a villain and an enemy of the emperor, people in Hida and Mino Provinces treated Ryomen-sukuna as a hero and benefactor and worshipped him.” The article also says that, according to folklore, Sukuna was the founding patron of Senko-Ji and Zenkyu-ji temples, introduced Buddhism to Hida Province, and is worshipped in many other old temples in Hida and Mino Provinces (modern-day Gifu prefecture) Also, Kuraiyama Mountain is worshipped as a shintaizan – a sacred dwelling of a deity/deities – but the actual deity of the mountain is unknown and one theory suggests that Ryōmen Sukuna is its hidden deity.
While I’m relatively certain that the fact that Ryōmen Sukuna is more of a benefactor than a villain in Hida’s culture, I haven’t been able to find sources that confirm any of the other statements (though a handful confirm the founding Senko-ji Temple.) Here’s some other snippets I found. (Note: The “Chronicles of Japan” is just the English name of the Nihongi.)
“Senkoji is an ancient temple founded approximately 1,600 years ago by Ryomen Sukuna of Hida Province.”
– “Senkoji Temple,” Go Central Japan
“The Sukuna was a two-faced demon who, according to the ‘Chronicles of Japan’ (compiled in 720), ruled the Hida region with an iron fist until it was conquered by Emperor Nintoku (313-399). Hida folklore, however, claims that he defeated an evil dragon and is an incarnation of Kannon with the power to grant salvation.”
– “Seeing the wood for Enku’s Buddhas” by Rhiannon Paget, the Japan Times.
“According to the Chronicles of Japan (720), Ryomen Sukuna, the head of a powerful regional clan, was against amalgamating with the Imperial Court. He was subsequently struck down by Takefurukuma and his army. Although the Chronicles of Japan describes him as a double-headed demon, he is worshipped as a hero in his homeland. Ryomen Sukuna, was not only a ruler but also a priest and a leader of agriculture, hence the many shines and temples, such as Senko Temple in Nyukawa Village, dedicated to him, and an elongated creamy-flavored pumpkin carrying his name.”
– “Ryomen Sukuna Revolt of 377 AD” Hida Digital Archives
“Seated Ryomen Sukuna is a symbol of a faith specific to the Hida region. Ryomen Sukuna is a two-headed, four-armed monster in Hida that appears in Nihonshoki (Chronicles of Japan). It apparently refers to an ancient ruling family in Hida that didn’t submit to the Yamato dynasty.‘Even though Sukuna is seen as an emery* of the dynasty, I feel he used his god-like power to act as the region’s guardian,’ Iura said. ‘I don’t know whether the halo [carved on Enku’s Sukuna] represents blazing fire or swirling light, but I’m drawn to its unutterable strength…’”
– “Enku: Carving Statues to Heal People’s Minds” The Daily Yomiuri
Also, one Reddit user wrote the following about a video game that also used Ryōmen Sukuna (see the top reply on this thread for the original post):
“According to some (Hida province) local legends, Ryomen Sukuna was the ruler of the region before the Yamato imperial house invaded(when it was under Ainu people control edit: it was under Emishi control actually), supposedly he was a just and compassionate lord, he resisted the invasion of the Yamato led by Take Furukuma and fell in battle while protecting his land. It’s thought that the imperial side of the story was fabricated to justify their conquest, this made it seem like they were the ‘good guys’ saving the poor remote villagers.Now imagine if the game lore included that, and then comes the fictional part, Ryomen Sukuna was full of resentment after he was desecrated by the Yamato and came back as a demon carrying the visage they described to take revenge on them, alas he lose himself and became a mindless amalgamation of wrath.”
“Came back as a demon” and “became a mindless amalgamation of wrath” – admittedly I know nothing about this game but that does sound kinda familiar, no? Like, idk, maybe a jujutsu sorcerer becoming a curse? (Though I doubt Sukuna was ever, like, decent good human. I think he was always just an asshole.) Anyway, just a thought.
okay, that’s it for today, folks! i spent three hours on this shit i am REGRET goodbye
yeah, i’m aware i might have a slight obsession with obscure legends. whoops. mistakes were made.
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