Parenting ghost - Kosodate Yuurei

Japanese: 子育て幽霊 - こそだてゆうれい

This is a folktale about a pregnant woman who dies and is buried, gives birth in the tomb, then becomes a ghost and comes to buy candy in order to raise the child. There are also cases where she comes to buy dumplings, mochi, sweets, sugar, and milk powder. It is said that the child born in the tomb grows up healthy and becomes a monk. The monk's name is said to be Tsugen, Nyogen, Baikaku, Zuhaku Shonin, or Masatatsu. Since it is often limited to actual temples and specific people, it is often performed as a legend. It is said that this folktale is based on the custom of burying pregnant women in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions and parts of the Tohoku region.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

妊婦が死んで埋葬された後，墓中で出産し，その子どもを育てるために幽霊になって飴屋に買物に来ると語られる昔話。だんご，餅，菓子，砂糖，乳の粉を買いに来たという例もある。発見された墓中誕生の子どもは，無事に成育して僧侶になったという。その僧の名は，通幻，如幻，梅隠，頭白（ずはく）上人，正達などと伝えられる。しばしば実際の寺院と特定の人物に限って述べられるので，伝説として行われる場合が多い。この昔話は，中国･四国地方ならびに東北地方の一部で，妊婦埋葬の習俗にもとづくと説かれる。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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