Hannya
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- The moth genus Hannya is now considered a junior synonym of Habrosyne.
Hannya (般若) is a popular Japanese nō theatre mask design, representing a jealous female demon. It possesses two sharp bull-like horns, glaring eyes, and a leering mouth split from ear to ear.
[edit] In popular culture
The character Hannya in the popular manga and anime series Rurouni Kenshin wears and takes his name from this mask.
Yoshimitsu from the Tekken and Soul Calibur games wears a Hannya mask in battle for some of his costumes.
Some people also get tattoos with this style and there are books showing art focused on hannya masks.
They originate from a Japanese story of a beautiful woman, who became so jealous she grew horns.
