Enma

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (September 2007)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Azuchi-Momoyama period wallscroll depicting Enma

Enma (閻魔, Enma^?) is the Japanese name for Yama, the ruler of the underworld in Buddhist mythology. He is often referred to as "Great King Enma" (閻魔大王, Enma-daiō^?). In both ancient and modern times, Enma is portrayed as a large man with a scowling red face, bulging eyes and a long beard. He wears traditional robes and a crown on his head that usually bears the kanji 王, which stands for "king."

Saimyō-ji is a temple with a statue depicting Enma with a laughing face.

[edit] Enma in the Japanese language

"Enma face" (閻魔顔, Enma-gao^?) is an idiom used to describe someone with a fearsome face.
"If you lie, Lord Enma will pull out your tongue" (嘘をつくと閻魔さまに舌を抜かれる^?) is a superstition often told to scare children into telling the truth.
"When borrowing, the face of a jizō; when repaying, the face of Enma" (借りる時の地蔵顔、返す時の閻魔顔^?) is a proverb used to describe the the sudden change in attitude one can display depending on whether they are taking or giving.

[edit] Enma in popular culture

In the anime and manga Dragon Ball, Enma-daiō or King Yamma (the name used in the English dub of Dragon Ball Z), is a red oni in the Other World. He is portrayed as a harried bureaucrat with a short temper, attended to by an army of office-worker oni. Though the ruler of the afterlife, he is surpassed in power by both the four Kaiō and the one remaining Kaiōshin (higher gods in whose hands rest the stewardship of the entire universe).
In an episode of the anime Spooky Kitaro 4, Neko together with Kitaro, Oyaji and Ittan Momen went to the Underworld to ask the favor of King Enma and make him lengthen the life of a mother that is suffering from a heart disease. Enma revealed that he can't do something about it and the only person who can help them is the person who wishes her to bring back to life, which is her daughter.
Enma is the king of the monkeys summoned by the Third Hokage in the anime and manga Naruto, though written with the kanji for monkey demon (猿魔).
Enma is a spirit seen in Avatar: The Last Airbender as an unhelpful resident of the Spirit World.
Enma is a minor character in the anime and manga YuYu Hakusho, a pen-pushing ruler of the spirit world and a shadowy figure known for his temper. He is also the father of Koenma (literally, "Child-Enma"), who often runs the underworld in his father's stead. In the English anime he is referred to as "King Yama".
In Yami no Matsuei, the shinigamis work in Enma-Daioh.