Abura-Sumashi



Abura-sumashi ( 油すまし ?, "Oil Presser") is a creature from the folklore of Amakusa in Kumamoto prefecture.

 This spirit, which surprises people on the Kusazumigoe mountain pass, is thought to be the ghost of a human who stole oil.

 In the days before electricity, oil was a very valuable commodity, necessary for lighting and heating a house. As such, the theft of oil, particularly from temples and shrines, could lead to punishment via reincarnation as a yōkai.

