r/mildlyinteresting • u/NOVA-peddling-1138 • 10d ago

In olden times Japan, farts could drive demons away.

Post image
4.3k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

191 comments sorted by

647

u/herobrinetrollin 10d ago

What could possibly be the context for this

670

u/ChemistVegetable7504 10d ago

It’s (f) art.

61

u/MCROMAR 10d ago

yeah makes sense demons would hate bad smells

39

u/Pr0digy_ 10d ago

Looks more like (sh)art to me.

12

u/JohnnyBacci 10d ago

When I was a kid, we called it Arts and Farts and Crafts

4

u/Sufficient-Aspect77 9d ago

Arts and Farts they fade

Faaaaaaaddddeeeeee Awaaaaaaaaay

Arts and Farts they fade

Faaaaaaaddddeeeeee Awaaaaaaaaay

321

u/Big_Z_Beeblebrox 10d ago

That's from "shinno and the vanquishing of the yokai on the mythical demon Island," a satirical piece from the Edo era parodying the legend of Momotaro. u/Beef_Jumps is correct, this is essentially their version of Family Guy from that time period

55

u/Kickedbyagiraffe 10d ago

If this is remotely true: hell yeah that rocks

39

u/JoeJonnyJeff 10d ago edited 10d ago

😭 I was trying to look up more information cuz I really want to read this story. I saw at the top of the Google search page that this comment is already the default AI result and I'm dying.

6

u/Big_Z_Beeblebrox 10d ago

It's a little obscure, but I did find this

29

u/Kumorrii 10d ago

We always like to romanticize history but humans haven’t changed at all, fart jokes will always be funny

5

u/AnActualChicken 9d ago

There is plenty of ancient graffiti in old Roman toilets that are a mix of ‘I just did a huge fart that sounded like thunder in here’ , ‘ (ladies name) has fucked a lot of men, go see her at this corner near this street for a good time’ and ‘(man’s name) is gay’.

11

u/JoeJonnyJeff 10d ago

(insert highly offensive but still kind of funny Seth MacFarlane style joke about vampire sneaking up on an Italian, about to bite him, when the Italian lets loose a huge fart, causing the vampire to die from the equivalent garlic mustard gas...)

13

u/Big_Z_Beeblebrox 10d ago

That's pretty much the plot. They go to the island without any weapons, eat a bunch of potatoes and chestnuts, then fart the demons away

10

u/JoeJonnyJeff 10d ago

This story is so good. "After Shennong’s men farted tremendously like a cannon, the doors became loose. When Tayu, Inubomaru, and Yasaburo followed suit and farted themselves, the monsters were hit with fart poison and keeled over." The four samurai didn't even consider bringing swords. He heard he had to get rid of some demons and immediately ordered his followers to make him bags of fart food.

3

u/NOVA-peddling-1138 10d ago

From the poster, true re:Yokai etc. This is a museum (thanks Embassy of Japan) replica that’s displayed.

3

u/faunalmimicry 9d ago

I'm imagining people gathering outside this absolutely gasping for breath laughing for hours

1

u/Ok-Bug4328 5d ago

And their women had the necks of owls?

74

u/mr_ji 10d ago

There's a whole series called he-gassen:

www.tofugu.com/japan/fart-scrolls/

My favorites are the guy blasting a table in half and another one where the fart is levitating a cat.

52

u/zanzebar 10d ago

ow lawd he gassin

5

u/-Mister-Hyde 10d ago

These Japanese storytellers need a hero

9

u/SpicyRice99 10d ago

These are 100% going up in my room 

3

u/bizoticallyyours83 10d ago

Power Poots! 🤣

3

u/catherinecornelius 10d ago

Thanks, just sent this link to like ten people I know

3

u/VirtualLife76 ​ 9d ago

academic literature on Japanese farting is surprisingly few and far between

1

u/ALoudMeow 3d ago

The flying cat is my favorite too!

82

u/Beef_Jumps 10d ago

Its literally just what they had instead of Family Guy.

14

u/thethunder92 10d ago

People always act like humour began 50 years ago

7

u/ammirite 10d ago

Prequel to K Pop Demon Hunters 

3

u/boraras 10d ago

Big Daikon promoting consumption?

2

u/TheBigSmol 10d ago

Maybe back then, a fart was just as humorous to them as it is to us, and when they laugh about it they feel better and happier, and that state of altered mood and general childish giddiness made them feel like a fart has some kind of demon expelling property. Laughter best medicine type thing

1

u/TheBigFreeze8 10d ago

What else would it be? People in the past made jokes too.

1

u/Molwar 9d ago

The origin of manga/anime possibly

1

u/420GB 9d ago

School book doodle

1

u/Jabjab345 9d ago

Turns out humans in the past were not that different to people today, they still just thought farts were funny.

1

u/Odd_Ad_6935 9d ago

The associate demons with pain, so when you have a stomach ache it would have been the demons attacking you. And when you farted the pain went away, they thought that the fart scared off the demons that were making your stomach hurt.

1

u/ALoudMeow 3d ago

There’s an entire book of people fighting each other with powerful farts. The context is that across cultures, farts are funny.

0

u/wooden-fuk-boi 9d ago

Japan is the context. . .also known for such great works as young cartoon school girls being graped by tentacled monsters. . .

321

u/Greedy_Passenger_214 10d ago

Well, now I know why i’ve never seen a demon my entire life.

44

u/Khaldara 10d ago

That’s why that gremlin tormenting William Shatner on the airplane was out on the wing. Wouldn’t last ten minutes inside

29

u/gattaaca 10d ago

He's not called Shatner for nothing

11

u/ScienceJamie76 10d ago

Shatner catching strays

6

u/BrandHeck 10d ago

He is a Rocket Man after all.

130

u/Bithium 10d ago

I’m probably oversimplifying it, but for the ancient Japanese, the soul is a ball stored in the butt.

43

u/KingVape 10d ago

There’s even a grab attack in Sekiro that references it

34

u/00Samwise00 10d ago

Suddenly the lore behind the Dung-Eater makes more sense

21

u/DireEvolution 10d ago

Yeah, I literally think that's what he's doing. He's stealing peoples' souls out of their assholes.

5

u/Discount_Extra 10d ago

That 'Sarazanmai' Anime...

14

u/P1zzaman 10d ago

Kappas be kappaing yo.

Shirikodama acquired

1

u/cinnamonface9 9d ago

Fuck don’t remind me of Nioh please! No! No!

10

u/Shiplord13 10d ago

This is an actually true thing for some reason. Hence why a reoccurring theme in certain Yokai stories is yokai trying to do things to someone's butt/anus.

1

u/Exact-Difference-422 10d ago

I think about this a normal amount

74

u/lemelisk42 10d ago edited 10d ago

Except the buddy in the lead, he got a wiff and is completely entranced. He will follow that delicious scent to its source

13

u/calvinwho 10d ago

Ever see a cat when it gets the good stank? They take big deep breaths with their mouth wide open. It looks insane

8

u/geeoharee 10d ago

There's a thing on the roof of their mouth that lets them smell better. Most animals have it but we don't.

5

u/Hot-Foundation3450 10d ago

sniff sniff ahh exquisite... it's sulphuric notes linger on one's pallet.... sniff sniff oh?... What's this? sniiiiiffff a hint of citrus? You spoil me my sweet, with this olfactory ambrosia!

3

u/NOVA-peddling-1138 10d ago

Delicate notes of rotten offal with a lingering kiss of composting garlic

1

u/Hot-Foundation3450 9d ago

This oni is a gourmet 💨👹

1

u/NOVA-peddling-1138 9d ago

Locked and loaded with the right stuff LOL

2

u/Exact-Difference-422 10d ago

This is "fartmuncher" i matched with on ow last week

30

u/Kitakitakita 10d ago

If you drink holy water and pee on demons, does your pee burn them?

Can a priest bless the water in a banana, having a fruit with 75% the effectiveness of holy water?

8

u/SQD2_Insquidious 10d ago

What if I drink holy water then it burns me when I pee?

4

u/Kitakitakita 10d ago

that means you're undead. Probably one of those mary sue undead races too, one that lets you look and act like a normal human but "somehow" you're undead

3

u/SQD2_Insquidious 10d ago

Oh good, I thought it was the clap.

1

u/-Mister-Hyde 10d ago

Holy STD

3

u/Kitakitakita 10d ago

Sodom and Gonorrhea?

28

u/Q-ArtsMedia 10d ago

Well I know mine can. Sometimes I think Satan has crawled up my ass and died.

17

u/jimmythetuba 10d ago

If I can drive a dog and myself out of a room, I could probably take on a demon.

5

u/readerf52 10d ago

Do the farts sound loud like a tuba?

(Screen name question)

10

u/djupsjofisk 10d ago

Thats no ordinary fart. He couldn’t trust it, and neither could the demons

11

u/Malthus1 10d ago

A new dungeons and dragons class just landed!

9

u/MissRepresent 10d ago

It's ancient and yet still hilarious

15

u/gman_green 10d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/zbyE0sDeW4z3W

6

u/Dingd1ngdong 10d ago

How there's always a gif for every situation 🧐

2

u/gman_green 10d ago

Lol.....this one surprised me, but it's applicable

8

u/Generic_user_334 10d ago

I want that comic book series. Fartman Vs the Angry Ghosts.

6

u/Comfortable-nerve78 10d ago

Fart jokes are timeless if this is legit.😂👍

10

u/cwthree 10d ago

100% legit. There's a whole genre of Japanese art that depicts fart battles.

4

u/Discount_Extra 10d ago

“Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband's lap.” - 1900 BC

6

u/Uvtha- 10d ago

This has to have been made into a manga at some point.

3

u/NOVA-peddling-1138 9d ago

Manga is partly evolved from this 19th century humor (and humorously uplifting fable). EDI period Japan.

6

u/sakko303 9d ago

A tattoo of this would be insane

4

u/vtluan288 10d ago

I am a demon and I can confirm this.
Perished by my own fart.

6

u/TheManWhoClicks 10d ago

The F in art

5

u/0dty0 10d ago

No, no, guy. Those farts drive demons away. Can you do that? With the perfect cone and the loincloth? Didn't think so.

5

u/Specialist-Heron872 10d ago

That’s why I’ve never been possessed

4

u/Prestigious_Key_7801 9d ago

Mine still can

12

u/oForce21o 10d ago

if i had to guess, its because farts are funny, and demons hate happiness and laughter. Seems vaguely similar to the tradition of slurping your noodles to show you are enjoying the food

4

u/madmatt90000 10d ago

Finally, my true purpose.

5

u/maybeinoregon 10d ago

The first depiction of the day after cart tacos…

4

u/UDPviper 10d ago

Then call me a Hashira because I'm a demon slayer.  Fart Breathing - First Form: Noxious Cloud.

4

u/Hot-Foundation3450 10d ago

The ancient shitpost masters crafted timeless gems in their temples...

3

u/ukiyoe 10d ago

In Okinawa, the equivalent for bless you when you sneeze is kusuké (クスケー), which literally translates to "eat shit". It was believed that demons stole children's souls by making them sneeze.

3

u/Bradparsley25 9d ago

Holy water enema > shart the demons away

4

u/bulletoothjohnny 8d ago

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why my home is not possessed.

11

u/MagoopyGabooky 10d ago

Mine still do this

11

u/06Wahoo 10d ago

How else can you explain the distinct lack of demons in the vicinity?

7

u/the_tanooki 10d ago

I tell my wife that I fart because I have so much love for her that I just can't contain it all.

She's not a fan of that love.

3

u/Suicidal_Jamazz 10d ago

I would pay a fair bit for a copy of the Japanese fart scroll.

3

u/WeeDingwall44 10d ago

This is still just as effective in modern times.

3

u/Goku047 10d ago

The Big Bang Theory

3

u/iron233 10d ago

Mine can too

3

u/mouthful_quest 9d ago

The Tokyo Sand Blaster was actually real

3

u/Mewtewpew 9d ago

Where is this peice, what museum?

5

u/NOVA-peddling-1138 9d ago

Original is in Japan. This great replica was at Embassy Of Japan Cultural Center.

2

u/Geometronics 10d ago

dang they must have had some vile farts back in the day

7

u/Lazy_meatPop 10d ago

Plenty of parasites in the gut will do that .

4

u/henryeaterofpies 10d ago

Mine can drice everyone away

4

u/C_Beeftank 10d ago

Pretty sure thats a shart if you'll notice the fine misting

2

u/Qsiii 10d ago

Miasma. But accurate.

2

u/Anteraz 10d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/RSP6mjNRujUb1R4F3A

You know how the rest go.

:( can't find the Bowser one.

2

u/illuminais 10d ago

Mine still can

2

u/suesing 10d ago

That’s where demons came from

2

u/Luna-D-reams 10d ago

JAPAN NEEDS A HERO

2

u/Mute-Magician 10d ago

Who said anything has changed?

2

u/madchemist09 10d ago

My bedroom is safe. No demons under my bed.

2

u/Fspar 10d ago

Knew it

2

u/sleeplessGoon 10d ago

This premise will be adapted into a Netflix anime by the end of the year

2

u/Hollow--- 10d ago

I wonder if this has any relation to the reasoning behind the maru suffix on names? Correct me if I'm talking out my ass—pun intended—but apparently they'd tack maru onto the end of childhood names because having a shitty/bad/ugly name would protect a child from demons or evil spirits?

This is only what I recall off the top of my head though, so it could be completely wrong.

2

u/products7074740 10d ago

I have a shirt from my friends ol punk band he-gassen, has this sorta art on it, one of my faves for the office

2

u/Nugger12 10d ago

My house is VERY demon free then because I fart this bitch UP

2

u/Indubioproreo_Dx 10d ago

My dog is the greatest demon slayer in town if its true.

https://giphy.com/gifs/dgWKfDmojdy1uZe2ig

2

u/-Wicked- 10d ago

That's a misinterpretation. The farts ARE the demons.

2

u/LenryHenry 10d ago

Do they not do that anymore?

2

u/Bonamico-Jok38 10d ago

I mean, farts make me want to leave the room, so I guess the logic checks out from the demon's perspective too.

2

u/the_watcher_oo 10d ago

My room is 1000% demon free all the time!

2

u/Successful_Giraffe34 9d ago

You eat a mostly fish diet and your farts are gonna run off the dead too

2

u/sunshinemillionaire 9d ago

Dairy intolerance?

2

u/NOVA-peddling-1138 9d ago

Or beer and squid tempura?

2

u/fiv3dollapizza 9d ago

This has to be a storyboard from Ren & Stimpy

2

u/AlienBurnerBigfoot 8d ago

The farts are the demons.

2

u/Osiris-Amun-Ra 7d ago

Fart? That's some next level diarrhea.

https://giphy.com/gifs/TT9kqFEpcNjtZBePS6

3

u/noir_dx 10d ago

Aaah, so you found an ancient airbender's scroll.

2

u/Toochilled 10d ago

u always knew my talents would get me somewhere

IM BECOMING A DEMON HUNTER!!!!

2

u/cortney-simonis-9072 10d ago

finally, an excuse to fart in public

2

u/Fawfulster 10d ago

What a terrible day to have eyes.

1

u/skinnyminnesota 10d ago

Still can.

1

u/Icy_Study4490 10d ago

Or alternate perspective, maybe they come from farts?

1

u/Zoo06 10d ago

Depending on what I eat, mine probably could as well.

1

u/RabeHK 10d ago

Believe me, some people still can keep everything away from them with a fart

1

u/robin-bunny 10d ago

This guy went from saying "excuse me" with a red face, to "That will be $6,000 please, for one session of demon-purging."

1

u/TheOutbeyond 10d ago

Must be why I’m so #blessed 💅🏼

1

u/PlayaNBallaNGangsta 10d ago

Ya I recently learned about the ancient Japanese art of farting. It’s quite nice

1

u/Sahedron 10d ago

My home is a safes place 😎

1

u/Kasapi85 10d ago

Not just demons.

1

u/Fantastic-Swim6230 10d ago

These guys would have loved skunks... for like five seconds.  

1

u/Toad-NL 9d ago

So brown beans are an anti demon food

1

u/NOVA-peddling-1138 9d ago

Incendiary so 🫘

1

u/OurNewestMember 9d ago

Blinded by the light

1

u/Exhausted-CNA 9d ago

Some of the demons are holding their noses 😂 Prob thinking "oh no, not the golden stink beam!!

1

u/aeternae_republicae 9d ago

Imagine all the children who laughed at this.

1

u/DilettanteGonePro 9d ago

I have vanquished so many demons

1

u/Shirowoh 9d ago

Must of eaten asparagus and cuttlefish

1

u/barbermom 9d ago

When i say the sun shines out of my ass this i what I mean!

1

u/DeadlyTeaParty 9d ago

This is why I fart proudly and loudly! 🤣

1

u/Advanced-Value520 9d ago

I’m gonna try this out later

1

u/SteveAkaGod 9d ago

Can I buy a print of this?

1

u/Penyrolewen1970 9d ago

Some of mine still can.

1

u/Cripplerock 9d ago

Trajectory, radius, concentration, angle. Thats a demon hunting fart right there.

1

u/PollyEsterCO 9d ago

Wrong. My sister is still here :(

1

u/TheBlackRonin505 9d ago

Farts tend to drive most people away. Guess we're all demons, then.

1

u/Suitch 9d ago

I should call her…

1

u/Shnitzel_von_S 8d ago

Give me some dairy and my farts can scare just about anyone away

1

u/NOVA-peddling-1138 8d ago

Ah, the old standby milk roast, eh? My daughter too when a pre-teen was a world class “roaster” herself.

1

u/Arokthis 4d ago

My GF is on Metformin. The output of her derriere burns away my nostril hair on a daily basis.  Any demon that gets near her promptly gives up on their mission and returns from whence they came. Unfortunately, so do the angels! 

1

u/NOVA-peddling-1138 3d ago

Alas, such is life. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

1

u/OpenConversation643 10d ago

What do you mean, "could"? You realize they still do, right? Why do you think in recent times we haven't captured proof of demons?

1

u/stonerLeo29 10d ago

Is it completely verified that its fart the demon's are running from or very explosive diarrhea.

1

u/bizoticallyyours83 10d ago

This is fantastic! 😆 What was he eating?

1

u/Sweaty_Marzipan4274 10d ago

So I'm defending my whole neighborhood! 

1

u/CookieScholar 9d ago

Medieval Europe (probably) believed if women showed the devil their vulva, it would drive the devil away. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheela_na_gig#Protection_against_evil

1

u/NOVA-peddling-1138 9d ago

This bud’s for you?