Teke Teke

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This article is about Japanese urban legend. For the 2009 film, see Teketeke (film).
An artist's depiction of Teke Teke

Teke Teke (テケテケ;てけ てけ),[1] also spelled Teke-Teke,[2] Teketeke,[3] or Teke teke,[1] is a Japanese urban legend about the ghost of a schoolgirl who is said to have fallen onto a railway line, where her body was cut in half by a train. She is an onryō, or a vengeful spirit, who lurks in urban areas and around train stations at night. Since she no longer has a lower body, she travels on either her hands or elbows, dragging her upper torso and making a scratching or "teke teke"-like sound. If she encounters an individual, she will chase them and slice them in half at the torso, killing them in such a way that mimics her own disfigurement.[4]

Overview[]

Common elements of the legend include that Teke Teke is the vengeful ghost or spirit (also known as an onryō) of a young woman or schoolgirl who fell on a railway line, which resulted in her being sliced in half by a train. Missing her lower extremities, she is said to walk on her hands or her elbows, making a scratching or "teke teke"-like sound as she moves. If an individual encounters Teke Teke at night, she will chase them and cut their body in half (often with a scythe), mimicking her own death and disfigurement.

One version of the story concerns a young woman known as Kashima Reiko, who is said to have died when her legs were severed from her body by a train after she fell on the tracks.[5][6] According to some sources[which?], the "Kashima Reiko" story predates that of Teke Teke.[7] The legless spirit of Kashima Reiko is said to haunt bathroom stalls, asking occupants if they know where her legs are.[5] If a questioned individual replies with an answer that Kashima does not find acceptable, she will rip or cut their legs off.[8] Individuals may survive the encounter by replying that her legs are on the Meishin Expressway,[8][9] or by responding with the phrase "kamen shinin ma", or "mask death demon" (which may be the phonetic root of Kashima's name).[8][10] The legend of Kashima Reiko has been described as a "bathroom-centric variation" of Teke Teke, and some versions of the legend state that, when an individual learns of Kashima's story, she will appear to them within one month.[8]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Meyer, Matthew (31 October 2015). "Teke teke". Yokai.com. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  2. ^ "Teke-Teke - Japanese Urban Legends". ScaryForKids.com. 24 November 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  3. ^ Murguía 2016, p. 317.
  4. ^ de Vos 2012, p. 170.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Meza-Martinez, Cecily; Demby, Gene (31 October 2014). "The Creepiest Ghost And Monster Stories From Around The World". NPR. National Public Radio, Inc. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  6. ^ Fierro, Romina. "Teke Teke: el fantasma japonés que aterra a quienes caminan por las estaciones de tren" [Teke Teke: the Japanese ghost that terrifies those who walk through train stations]. Vix.com. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  7. ^ "Japanese Urban Legends: Kashima-san | Kowabana". 30 June 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Grundhauser, Eric (2 October 2017). "Get to Know Your Japanese Bathroom Ghosts". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  9. ^ Bricken, Rob (19 July 2016). "14 Terrifying Japanese Monsters, Myths And Spirits". Kotaku. G/O Media. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  10. ^ Bathroom Readers' Institute 2017, p. 390.

Further reading[]

  • Bathroom Readers' Institute (2017). Uncle John's OLD FAITHFUL 30th Anniversary Bathroom Reader (Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Annual). Portable Press. ISBN 978-1684120864.
  • de Vos, Gail (2012). What Happens Next? Contemporary Urban Legends and Popular Culture. Libraries Unlimited. ISBN 978-1598846331.
  • Murguía, Salvador Jimenez (2016). The Encyclopedia of Japanese Horror Films (National Cinemas). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN 978-1442261662.
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