1.
evil spirit, vengeful ghost, supernatural being
A malevolent spirit or supernatural entity believed to possess or afflict people, causing illness or misfortune. A concept rooted in classical Japanese literature and folklore.
物の怪に取り憑かれる。
To be possessed by an evil spirit.
昔の人は病気を物の怪のせいだと考えた。
People in the past attributed illness to evil spirits.
この森には物の怪が棲んでいるという言い伝えがある。
There is a legend that supernatural beings dwell in this forest.
WRITING:
Written as 物の怪. The 怪 means "strange/mysterious thing."
CULTURAL CONTEXT:
A key concept in classical Japanese literature, especially in 源氏物語 (The Tale of Genji), where 物の怪 possesses and torments characters. In the Heian period, illness and psychological distress were often attributed to 物の怪.
MODERN USAGE:
Widely known today through Studio Ghibli's film 「もののけ姫」 (Princess Mononoke, 1997). In modern usage, the word evokes an atmospheric, folkloric sense of the supernatural.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 物の怪に取り憑かれる (to be possessed by an evil spirit)
- 物の怪の仕業 (the doing of an evil spirit)