Women of Legend
Hannya
Illustration and story
by Moses Ojo This illustration is about a heroic man who goes about stealing from the rich and giving to the poor and needy, who are oppressed by the rich.
He hides his identity behind a mask. He is also a good family man. Moses Ojo is a young Nigerian art enthusiast who uses his mind as a vista for making captivating arts. His brushes and watercolors speak reality through his arts and crafts to his viewers.
Instagram: mosesoj779205 Twitter: mosesoj11119645 Facebook: Moses Ojo |
Hannya
by Linda Gould |
Hannya holds a special place in my female heart.
It is a mask as depicted in Moses Ojo’s illustration above. At once fearful and sad. It represents rage, misery, sorrow, and pain… Of a woman. Yet, the word hannya means wisdom… Not a woman’s. The mask is named after a man. A male monk who carved the first mask of a woman driven so mad with pain, rage and misery, she transformed into a demon! How wise was the monk who could make such a mask! |
Linda Gould is the Managing Editor of White Enso and an on again, off again writer. Her work has appeared in magazines, newspapers and online. She is the host of Japanese Ghost Stories on FaceBook and the author of The Diamond Tree, a dual-language book in English and Japanese.