Talk:Inugami (Wesen)/@comment-98.177.165.136-20160908075650

Inugami are a sort of familiar spirit within Japanese mythology. They are created in a barbaric ritual where the master must bury a dog up to its neck for seven days, with food and water in sight but unreachable. Then, when the dog is on the verge of death from starvation, the master saws off its head, buries it under an intersection then retrieves its, or mummifies it, all done to increase the dog's hatred and therefore its power (crossroads were liminal areas and thus considered unlucky). In either case, the head is venerated in a shrine to serve as a shell for the spirit, which becomes a familiar or shikigami. but since there is an immense amount of grudge attached, the master must exercise caution in deploying it, as well as make sure that it is well-fed. Otherwise, they could kill the master or simply fly around looking for food. They were used to gather wealth for the master, but more often were dispatched against enemies for revenge. Inugami usually manifest as small-rodent like creatures that can hide in their masters' robes, or as a dog-headed human in the robes of an imperial courtier or shinto priest. The Grimm version of this creature partly turns the legend on its head, seeing how it beheads its victims without being beheaded itself. However, it is still a creature of immense grudge who seeks revenge on a master's behalf.