Wani

nature_spirit water Japanese single tradition · 2

Wani is a crocodilian water monster in Japanese folklore.

↻ synthesized from 2 sources

When

First attested
700 CE
Attested period
700 – 712
Historical notes
Documented in the Kojiki.

Relationships

enemy of
Ōnamuji, hare

Expand to full subgraph →

Sources

Source passages

“Wani (Japanese) – Crocodilian water monster”

#5462 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001

“the hare explains that it came from the island of Oki across the sea and tricked a number of wani (和邇, the term may mean either 'shark' or 'crocodile') into forming a bridge for it to cross. But before the hare had completely gotten ashore to safety, it gloated about having tricked them; in retaliation, the last wani in line then grabbed it and tore off its fur.”

#39295 · extracted by google/gemini-2.0-flash-001