Yaksha In Hindu myth, Yakshas
are chthonic semi-divine beings, half god and half demon. They live
under the earth in the Himalayas where they guard the wealth of the
earth (gems, gold, silver, etc.). They are led by Kubera, the god
of wealth. Like their leader, they have all fat bellies and plump
legs. They have no special characteristics, are not violent, and
are therefore called punyajana ("good beings"). Kubera's epithet is
Punyajaneshvara.
Yama Clad in the robes of a Chinese judge, Yama presides
over his domain, Pitris, the Chinese hell. King over all the other
demons of the Orient, Yama assigns the relevant legion of demons to
torture either souls in hell or those on earth. He passes judgement
on those who have committed one of the Ten Deadly Sins, while other
secondary rulers in Pitris condemn souls of lesser importance.
He is flanked on either side of his throne by the bodiless heads
of two demons. The female head is able to detect the most secret
flaws in the sinners who are brought in front of Yama, while the
male head is able to assess sins by smelling them. Around Yama are
assembled his multitude of 'eyes' called Tevodas, who are the
witnesses that testify to a person's sins.
In Hindu legend, Yama was the first mortal to die because he
travelled down the road from whence there is no return. He dwells
in Pitris with his wife Yami, who is his own sister. The souls of
the departed are brought to Yama in crowds by Agni, the emanation
of the funeral pyre. After rushing past the enormous dogs which
guard the entrance to Pitris, the souls are relegated to the
various levels of hell.
One Chinese legend says that, in the eyes of the celestial gods,
Yama was too compassionate to the worst of the criminals brought in
front of him, so he was demoted to govern over the fifth region of
hell in which rapists, prostitutes and those who committed
religious offences were punished. There the sinners' chests are
ripped open, their hearts tugged out and chopped into morsels which
the attendant demons quickly gobble.
Yaotzin (Aztec) god of Hell.
Yauhahu A spirit supposed to cause diseases amongst Indians
of British Guiana.
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