| Nue | |
|---|---|
 ' | |
| Information | |
| Alternate Names/Spellings | 鵺 |
| Origins | |
| Alignment | |
| Element | |
| Species | |
| Appearance | |
Origin
The Nue is a creature with origins in Japanese mythology, legend and folklore.
Appearance
Appearing in the Heike Monogatari, it has the face of a monkey, the legs of a tiger , the body of a Japanese Raccoon Dog and the front half of a snake for a tail. According to which writing it is, sometimes nothing is stated about its torso, or is sometimes depicted to have the torso of a tiger. Also, there are documents such as the Genpei Jōsuiki that state that it has the back of a tiger, the legs of a tanuki, and the tail of a fox, and furthermore the head of a cat, and the torso of a chicken. Due to its appearance, it is sometimes referred to as a Japanese chimera.
Concerning how it appears when it is depicted visually, there is also the thought that it is a combination of the animals in the Sexagenary cycle, with a northeast Tiger, a southeast Snake, a southwest Monkey, and a northwest Qian (dog and wild boar).
