#kutabe

[weepingwidar]

Sandra Yagi (Japanese-American, 1955) - Hakutaku (or Kutabe) (2023)

[katsranchmod]

Day one of my September art challenge is done, and here’s what I got! Some info below the cut, and feel free to ask me how they behave in the world of Esshia.

First is the Bai Ze, based on the Chinese creature of the same name, also called a Kutabe. It is described and depicted as a bovine or monstrous feline creature with multiple eyes, ranging anywhere from 1 to 9, with the larger numbers adding some of the eyes to it’s flanks, as well as many horns that are also on it’s sides. It is ALSO described as having the face of a man, and it’s theorized that this creature is what Absol, my favorite pokemon of all time, is based on.

So I decided to combine feline and bovine traits, admittedly resulting in something resembling how I would normally draw a chimera or manticore (both are coming later, fyi). I leaned heavily into the absol connection for my color choices, with the face being a tanned, fleshy color to call back to the human resemblance, even though I went more feline in structure.

Second is the Gyuuki, also known as an Ushi Oni, based on the similarly-named Japanese youkai, often described as either a massive spider or crab with the head of a monstrous ox, and there are many different depictions of it in media, most of them being the ox-headed spider, but one particular appearance depicting it as a monstous ox with octopus tentacles for tails.

I went the ox-crab route, with the ox part having shaggy, dark green fur with a yellowish tint to it to give it a somewhat sickening vibe and make it look like it could be a pile of grass if it curled up to sleep.

Finally is the Stolas, based on the Great Demon Prince from the Ars Goetia. Stolas is described to appear as either a raven or a crowned owl with long legs, and is said to teach astronomy while also being knowledgeable about herbs, poisonous plants, and precious stones. There is also a character based on him in the series Helluva Boss, which is probably where most folks will recognize the name from.

For my depiction, I decided to borrow the name for a species, having dark blue/violet plumage and 6 amber horns arranged to resemble a crown, but they can be found with horns made of different gems instead of fossilized tree sap that looks like gems.

[chriswelleran]

Doesn't appear in the vn but here is a sketch of Bai Ze, the figure which described the group of creatures to the king which would be collected in the Bai Ze Tu. I guess as an aside (Pertaining to Tales of the Akashic) after part 2 you have had at least an introduction to all the characters and the 'magic book' they are borrowing power from. Jason is aided by Camazotz, a figure who is written about in the Popul Vuh, the Popul Vuh is a book of Mayan mythology and not a grimoire or collection of monsters like the source of inspiration for some of the other characters but I digress. Isabel has the Necronomicon, not a mythological reference but a reference to Lovecraft's weird tales, acting as kind of a representative for the pulp story (likewise pulp antecedents) which are a main inspiration for muh writing. Xiao has the Bai Ze Tu, and the antagonist summons demons from the Dictionnaire Infernal. Also Simon is a necromancer.

[pandainthecar]

なんぞコレ

疫病退散、そら逃げる

20210919

[sengsongwit]

Kutabe : the creature ate our bad dreams and evil experiences, and for this reason, people, wishing it to eat up all the ills which we are likely to suffer, used to hang its picture on the entrance gate or inside the house

[kaohukaohu]

XDDDDD

[pokemoncatsanddogs-blog]

I love this fluffy bastard.

Absol is most likely based on the Bai Ze of Chinese mythology, also known as the kutabe or hakutaku. It is generally described as a white beast that can take the form of a large mountainous lion, distinguished by having one or two horns on its head. They also are said to sometimes have an extra eye on their head or back. This "eye" could also be the middle symbol that appears on Absol's forehead. Absol's head is modeled after a Taijitu ("yin-yang").