KKS Halloween (Folklore):The Okiku Doll
Alright, butts be damned, we’re going to look into the Okiku doll tonight. First off, dolls from previous generations, regardless of national origin, always seem to have a sinister aura about them. Dolls used to be made to resemble humans as closely as possible, which has the inherent sinister connotation of somebody’s soul being trapped in one. Of course dolls like these continue to be made but they’ve become more of a collector’s item rather than a child’s plaything. So, we’ve established that dolls can be pretty creepy, but THIS doll decided scaring people was a game and decided to take it to the next level.
Okiku isn’t actually the name of the doll in question. In 1918, a boy decided to buy a souvenir for his younger sister, named Okiku, while in Sapparo. Okiku loved her doll and played with it daily. Too bad she died a year later from a cold. Since the doll was the last remnant of their Okiku, the family decided to place in it a shrine and dedicated it to the little girl. It was a somber occasion and a terrible end to something that barely began but Kami-sama thought that wasn’t enough for these poor folks and the doll’s hair started to GROW.
It was believed that the young girl’s spirit was trapped in the doll because what other explanation could be provided for such a phenomenon. Mind you this was a nearly 100 years ago and currently the explanation is that a child’s hair was used for the doll. Well the doll moved to the Mannenji Temple in 1938 and has been there ever since.
For more info about the Okiku Doll check out the original post on Pink Tentacle.
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