Description from original post (created 2012-02-20 09:40):
Info about this myth below
Kappa (河童?, "river-child"), alternatively called KawatarÅ (å· å¤ªé ?, "river-boy") or Kawako (å· å ?, "river-child"), are legendary creatures, a type of water sprite found in Japanese folklore.[1][2] In ShintÅ they are considered to be one of many suijin.[3] A hair-covered variation of a Kappa is called a HyÅ sube (ã ²ã ã ã ã ¹?).[4]
Kappa are similar to Finnish Näkki, Scandinavian/Germanic Näck/Neck, Slavian VodnÃk and Scottish Kelpie in that all have been used to scare children of dangers lurking in waters.
It has been suggested that the kappa legends are based on the Japanese giant salamander or "hanzaki", an aggressive salamander which grabs its prey with its powerful jaws[5].
Kappas are typically depicted as roughly humanoid in form, and about the size of a child. Their scaly, reptilian skin ranges in color from green to yellow or blue.[6][7][8] Kappas supposedly inhabit the ponds and rivers of Japan and have various features to aid them in this environment, such as webbed hands and feet.[9] They are sometimes said to smell like fish, and they can certainly swim like them. The expression kappa-no-kawa-nagare ("a kappa drowning in a river") conveys the idea that even experts make mistakes.[10] Their most notable feature is an indentation on the top of their head that holds water; this is regarded as the source of their power. This cavity must be full whenever a kappa is away from the water; if it spills, the kappa will be unable to move.[6][7] Although they are reported to inhabit all of Japan, they are often said to be particular to Saga Prefecture.[11]