{{Short description|Evil supernatural beings in Japanese lore}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}} {{redirects here|Maō|the TV series|Devil (TV series)}} In Japanese mythology and fantasy, {{nihongo|'''mazoku'''|魔族}} are supernatural beings, normally evil ones such as devils or demons.<ref>{{cite web|title=Demon Guide|url=http://www.kanzenshuu.com/tidbits/demon-guide/|website=Kanzenshuu|accessdate=7 June 2015}}</ref> A {{nihongo|'''maō'''|魔王}} or '''maou''' is a ruler of mazoku, or in fiction more generically a dark lord or powerful monster.<ref name="Legends of Localization 13 April 2018">{{cite web|last1=Mandelin|first1=Clyde|title=Legends of Localization: Tricky Translations #1: Maou & Daimaou|url=https://legendsoflocalization.com/tricky-translations-1-maou-daimaou/|website=Legends of Localization|accessdate=14 April 2018|language=en|date=13 April 2018|archive-date=13 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613232325/https://legendsoflocalization.com/tricky-translations-1-maou-daimaou/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Etymology == The name ''ma'' ({{lang|ja|魔}} – devil) suggests that they are meant to threaten human existence or defy the gods, while -zoku ({{lang|ja|族}} – tribe, clan, family) indicates that they are a family.<ref>{{cite web|title=Zoku|url=http://neojaponisme.com/2009/02/03/the-origin-of-zoku/|website=The Origin of Zoku|accessdate=7 June 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007044306/https://legendsoflocalization.com/tricky-translations-1-maou-daimaou/|archive-date=2024-10-07|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Maō ({{lang|ja|魔王}}) is a term derived from mazoku, suggesting a king ({{lang|ja|王}} ''Ō'' – king, ruler) that rules the mazoku.<ref name="Legends of Localization 13 April 2018" />
== In mythology and folklore == The term "mazoku" was used to describe the asura and yaksha in Hindu mythology, as well as Zoroastrianism's daeva. It is a general term for devils, demons and evil beings. In Japanese polytheism, it is an antonym of {{lang|ja|神族}} (shinzoku), "the tribe of gods".
A maō is a king or ruler over mazoku. For instance, in Bible translations, Satan is a maō. In polytheism, the counterpart of maō is {{lang|ja|神王}} (shin'ō), "the king of gods".
The Japanese feudal lord Oda Nobunaga also called himself a maō in a letter to Takeda Shingen, signing it with {{lang|ja|第六天魔王}} ("the demon king of the sixth heaven").
== In fiction == In Japanese fantasy, the meaning of "mazoku" differs from work to work. Some works use the term for all evil beings that are enemies of humans or good beings, while others use it to specify a certain group of beings (not necessarily evil). The term {{lang|ja|悪魔族}} (akumazoku) may be used to designate evil mazoku specifically (the word {{lang|ja|悪}}, aku, means "evil").{{fact|date=April 2018}}
A maō may be a king of the mazoku, or more generally a king of demons, overlord, dark lord, archenemy of the hero or video game boss. The term is not gender-specific.<ref name="Legends of Localization 13 April 2018" /> For instance, "Erlkönig", by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, widely translated as "Elf King" in English, was translated as "maō" in Japanese. The term daimaō or daimaou ({{lang|ja|大魔王}} – great demon king) is sometimes used to describe a very high-ranking or powerful maō.<ref name="Legends of Localization 13 April 2018" /> An example is Piccolo Daimaō, a villain from the ''Dragon Ball'' manga.
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Japanese folklore long}}
Category:Japanese demons Category:Yōkai Category:Dark lords