Take the 2-minute tour ×

I would like to know what the meaning of the word mononoke is? Of course it's the name of the princess in Miyazaki's wonderful film Mononoke-hime, but what is the deeper and acctual meaning of the word itself and what does it mean to the ordinary japanese? What is the polarity?

In japanese I think it's either 物の怪 or もののけ. I obviously don't read japanese so I have no idea.

I have read the Wikipedia material concerning the word, but that left me unsatisfied.

All answers are greatly appreciated!


share|improve this question
What do you mean by "what is the polarity"? –  snailboat Nov 24 '13 at 10:31
Maybe OP meant to ask about positive/negative connotations? –  Flaw Nov 24 '13 at 12:51
@snailboat: Yes, polarity as in positive/negative connotation. –  komakino Dec 2 '13 at 9:34

1 Answer 1

from here: http://hyakumonogatari.com/2013/11/15/whats-the-difference-between-yurei-and-yokai/

[the Chinese loan-word] Yokai described an unseen world of mysterious, supernatural phenomena. The term represented something invisible, without form or identity; a mysterious energy that pervaded the deep forests, oceans, and mountains.


Japanese mythical creatures doesn't really fit the same categories as ones in Western mythology, so the appropriate English translation would vary from case to case. But monster, spirit or spectre would all be possibilities.

As to the modern meaning of the word; just going from what I've read in manga it's a much more uncommonly used term than oni, bakemono, youkai or a dozen different words for monsters of various stripes. As such, I would have expect that it has retained more of its original meaning than the newer terms, but you'd need a native speaker - and probably a folklore buff at that - to really answer your question.

share|improve this answer
Thanks! It's more information than I had, and the connection to Yokai was very interesting. I will keep this open for now though, in hopes that a japanese folklore buff comes with an answer ;) –  komakino Dec 2 '13 at 9:36
Fits with the meaning of 物の怪, the essential "strangeness" of things. Cf. 'eldritch' –  Trevor Alexander Jan 3 at 19:27

Your Answer


