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Tengu

Supernatural
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A mountain and forest spirit from Japanese folklore, often depicted with birdlike features. Tengu may be warriors, tricksters, teachers, or dangerous guardians.

Detailed Definition
Tengu are Japanese supernatural beings associated with remote mountains, cedar forests, martial skill, and spiritual pride. Their birdlike faces, wings, and long noses make them visually striking, while their behavior ranges from hostile mischief to stern instruction. In poetry, tengu can embody the wild intelligence of high places, where human ambition is tested by wind, altitude, and solitude. They are particularly useful in poems about discipline, arrogance, pilgrimage, and encounters with a landscape that refuses to be mastered.
Example
Example in poetry:
A tengu can bring mountain mystery into a poem: “The tengu’s red face flashed between cedar branches, then vanished into snow”; In Japanese tradition, tengu are often linked with mountains, martial skill, and spiritual pride, so they can challenge an arrogant speaker; A poet may describe a tengu teaching a lost traveler that the forest cannot be conquered, only respected; In a satirical poem, a tengu’s long nose can become an image of vanity or inflated authority
Additional Notes
Tengu can complicate mountain poetry through their roles as warriors, tricksters, and spiritual teachers. Their birdlike form may suggest arrogance, discipline, wilderness, or sacred danger.
Other Meanings of “Tengu”
Also Known As
Heavenly Dog Crow Demon
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