KWAIDAN:
Stories and Studies of Strange Things

By Lafcadio Hearn

THE STORY OF MIMI-NASHI-HOICHI

More than seven hundred years ago, at Dan-no-ura, in the Straits of Shimonoseki, was fought the last battle of the long contest between the Heiké, or Taira clan, and the Genji, or Minamoto clan.

There the Heiké perished utterly,

with their women and children, and their infant emperor likewise—now remembered as Antoku Tenno. And that sea and shore have been haunted for seven hundred years...

Elsewhere I told you about the strange crabs found there, called Heiké crabs, which have human faces on their backs, and are said to be the spirits of the Heiké warriors [1]. But there are many strange things to be seen and heard along that coast.

On dark nights thousands of ghostly fires hover about the beach,

or flit above the waves,—pale lights which the fishermen call Oni-bi, or demon-fires; and, whenever the winds are up, a sound of great shouting comes from that sea, like a clamor of battle.