?Gy?ki

also known as: Ushi-oni, Uwajima-no-ushi-oni

The gy?ki of Shikoku seems to share some common origin with the great ushi-oni that lurks in the Sea of Japan. Their names are written with the same characters and are in fact completely interchangeable, and aside from that they share a ferocious nature, a tendency to lurk in deep water, a horned head like a fantastic, demonic ox, and a connection to apparitions of women. But the gy?ki is usually conceived of as having a more wholly bovine shape, and prefers to live in fresh water, especially the deep pools underneath waterfalls. While it loves raw meat and has been known to devour men and livestock, it seems to have a slightly less bloodthirsty nature than its saltwater cousin, and in festivals sometimes even takes on a protective function, said to ferociously drive away more malicious spirits.