#bake-kujira

[otherworldmythology]

Bake-kujira - 化鯨

A yokai from western Japan, described as a skeletal white whale. In one legend from Shimane Peninsula the fishermen spotted the unusual creature which swam up to them, accompanied by unusual birds and fish, before all of them retreated back out to sea, leaving the fishermen to tell the tale of the ghost whale. Some modern retellings of the myth attribute disaster and doom as following the spirit around and that it needs to be appeased, either as retribution for whaling practices or simply a spirit of disease.

Pantheon: Shinto

Domain or Function: Spirit of a dead whale, represents death and is an omen of impending doom.

Alternate Names: Hone Kujira/Bone Whale (骨鯨)

Character Traits: Said to bring disaster with it.

Visual Traits: A skeletal whale devoid of all flesh, followed by 'strange' birds and fish.

Symbolism: Birds, fish, whale skeletons.

Sources: 1 2

[2voodoo4u2b]

[hearmeoutworthypoll]

The bake-kujira (ghost whale skeleton from Japanese folklore).

Reminder, the premise is “would a normie think it’s weird to find them attractive?” (Would they have to “hear me out?”) NOT “smash-or-pass”

Is Bake-Kujira a “hear me out” or reasonably hot?

HearMeOut: describe it again but slower

Hot: magical, effervescent, big

Voting ended onDec 19, 2025

[arabiidkryptid]

MerMay Day 5: Bake-Kujira

[charamath]

I may have been unknowingly signed up for a 12 hour long ghost hunting ‘adventure’ in a decommissioned Navy ship tonight...  

Bake-Kujira better show up or I’m going to take a nap.

Sketch is col-erase pencil on yupo paper by yours truely

[draconli]

Mythical Armory Day 26: Mace + Bake-kujira

Day late, since I was at LBX! So it will be a double-feature!

[momoruuus-portfolio]

Creature Development

Need to continue doing more of these, but a friend and I decided we'd try out putting our own spins on mythical creatures-- inspired by Dungeon Meshi of course :) Top: Bake-Kujira Bottom: Dryad

[pulpfricktionsart]

Mythic World [Pages 34-35]: Bake-Kujira

Started: April 13, 2023

Finished: April 17, 2023

This book in particular is all about Kerby's interpretations of mythical creatures from cultures/countries all around the world. He dedicated a few pages in the back to give explanations for each picture.

I'll be transcribing them in my posts about Mythic World, since I'm also fascinated by mythology and want to share the knowledge.

"In Japanese mythology, bake-kujira are the skeletal spirits of slaughtered whales. Said to reside in the Sea of Japan, they bring powerful curses to the coastal fishing villages they visit, spreading famine, plague, and fire. In many stories, the bake-kujira are hunted by fishermen. However, the fishermen's nets are no match for the whales' ghostly bodies. Instead, they pass mysteriously through them, and even harpoons are deflected without causing any harm. The waters around them swarm with strange fish, and the sky fills with mysterious birds. The terrified fishermen soon return home."

I was actually pretty satisfied with how I outlined the whale's remaining skin; I wanted to give it a bloated-yet-wrinkled looking texture inspired by how decay typically works underwater. Plus, the deep blue color ended up making the red stains on the bones look really vibrant (in my opinion, at least). It took a lot out of the pencils I used, but it was worth it.