Hannya Shorts
Description: Anger, Jealousy, Resentment: A Hannya tattoo indicates that the wearer is unforgiving. Hannya originate from the Sanskrit term for wisdom—specifically Prajñāpāramitā, the highest form of Buddhist wisdom which leads to enlightenment. The juxtaposition of the highest form of wisdom and creatures who represent direct opposition to that wisdom comes from the use of the hannya mask in noh. In the play Aoi no Ue, a shugenja (an ascetic mystic) exorcises the spirit of the hannya Lady Rokujō from Lady Aoi. As it is driven away, the evil spirit cries out, “Oh, how horrible! The voice of wisdom is like a demon!” Since then, demon masks and wisdom have been associated with each other.
Description: As the legend goes, hannya appeared thanks to a talented Japanese monk who created masks for ritual dances. It depicts the face of a demon with horns and sharp teeth that perfectly match the smile distorted in impotent malice. If you look at the mask from a certain angle, it seems as if the demon is crying hysterically. Hannya represents a woman (being not too feminine in appearance) who is jealous and angry. On the stage of traditional Japanese theater, this mask usually hides female characters who are obsessed with jealousy and turn into real monsters because of it. Samurai often used the hanja (symbol of the fallen angel) as an amulet, guaranteeing protection from the enemy. The oldest surviving mask is more than 450 years old.
Description: The name hannya (般若) is a Sino-Japanese word for prajna or wisdom. One tradition states that this name was given to this mask because it was the name of an artist monk Hannya-bō (般若坊) who is said to have perfected its creation. Another explanation is that Perfection of Wisdom sutras and their variations were considered to be particularly effective against female demons. An alternate explanation is that the artist would need a great deal of wisdom in order to create this mask
