Kwaidan

Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things features several Japanese ghost stories and a brief non-fiction study on insects. Most of these stories were translated from old Japanese texts. The author also states that one of the stories – Yuki-onna – was told to him by a farmer in Musashi Province, and his was apparently the first record of it. Riki-Baka is based on a personal experience of the author.Table of Contetns:The Story of Mimi-nashiHōichiOshidoriThe Story of O-TeiUbazakuraDiplomacyOf a Mirror and a BellJikininkiMujinaRokurokubiA Dead SecretYuki-OnnaThe Story of AoyagiJiu-Roku-ZakuraThe Dream of AkinosukeRiki-BakaHi-MawariHōraiIn the last half of the book, Hearn lists collected Chinese/Japanese superstitions and his own personal thoughts on various members of the insect world.Butterflies: Personification of the human soul.Mosquitoes: Karmic reincarnation of jealous or greedy people in the form of Jiki-ketsu-gaki or "blood-drinking pretas".Ants: Mankind's superior in terms of chastity, ethics, social structure, longevity and evolution.