Yakuza (also known as gokudo), are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police,
call them boryokudan ("violence group"), while the yakuza call
themselves "ninkyo dantai" ("chivalrous organizations"). The yakuza are
notorious for their strict codes
of conduct and very organized nature. They are very prevalent in the
Japanese media and operate internationally with an estimated 80,900
members in 2009, the last year for which an estimate is available.
Divisions of origin
Despite uncertainty about the single origin of yakuza organizations,
most modern yakuza derive from two classifications which emerged in the
mid-Edo Period (1603–1868): tekiya, those who primarily peddled illicit,
stolen or shoddy goods; and bakuto, those who were involved in or
participated in gambling.
Tekiya (peddlers) were considered one of the lowest social groups in
Edo. As they began to form organizations of their own, they took over
some administrative duties relating to commerce, such as stall
allocation and protection of their commercial activities. During Shinto
festivals, these peddlers opened stalls and some members were hired to
act as security. Each peddler paid rent in exchange for a stall assignment and protection during the fair.
Throughout history, especially since the modern era, Kyushu island has
been the largest source of yakuza members, including many renowned
bosses in the Yamaguchi-gumi. Isokichi Yoshida (1867–1936) was from the
Kitakyushu area and considered the first renowned modern yakuza.
Recently Shinobu Tsukasa and Kunio Inoue, the bosses of the two most
powerful clans in the Yamaguchi-gumi, are from Kyushu. Fukuoka, the
northernmost part of the island, has the largest number of designated
syndicates among all of the prefectures.
The Edo government eventually formally recognized such tekiya
organizations and granted the oyabun (leaders) of tekiya a surname as
well as permission to carry a sword — the wakizashi, or short
samurai sword (the right to carry the katana, or full-sized samurai
swords, remained the exclusive right of the nobility and samurai
castes). This was a major step forward for the traders, as formerly only
samurai and noblemen were allowed to carry swords.
The Yakuza, the Japanese Mafia -- The Crime Library — Origins and Traditions
La Llorona is New Mexico's most famous legend, and the state's most famous ghost. It is centered along the Rio Grande south to Juarez, Mexico. There is scarcely a child in New Mexico that has not been told the story of La Llorona as a youngster.
The legend of La Llorona (pronounced "LAH yoh ROH
nah"), Spanish for the Weeping Woman, has been a part of Hispanic
culture in the Southwest since the days of the conquistadores. The tall,
thin spirit is said to be blessed with natural beauty
and long flowing black hair. Wearing a white gown, she roams the rivers
and creeks, wailing into the night and searching for children to drag,
screaming to a watery grave.
No one really knows when the legend of La Llorona
began or, from where it originated. Though the tales vary from source
to source, the one common thread is that she is the spirit is of a
doomed mother who drowned her children and now spends eternity searching for them in rivers and lakes.
Although there are many variations, the legend goes something like this:
In the early 1700s, there was a young woman named Maria living in
Juarez, Mexico. As Maria blossomed into a young woman, her striking beauty attracted the charms of many local men. Coming from a poor family, her mother encouraged her to marry one of these dashing young men for a good life. However, Maria refused, stating her beauty would one day attract the charms of a very rich man.
Before long, the handsome young man of her dreams rode into town. He was
the son of a well-known wealthy ranchero west of Juarez. He wore nice clothes
and had a handsome, well groomed horse with a fancy saddle — all the
signs of a man of wealth. Maria would follow him around, trying to catch
his eye, but he seemed to only notice the young women who were fairly
"well to do." At night, he would charm the local ladies with his guitar and golden voice, breaking Maria's heart.
One day, the young ranchero came into the tienda (store) where Maria was shopping. She blushed from embarrassment, as she was wearing an old, dirty, tattered dress. However, the blushing beauty suddenly caught the eye of the young ranchero. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. After a short courtship, the ranchero paid her father a large dowry and they were soon married, in spite of the objections of the ranchero's father. After all, it was frowned upon for a wealthy man to marry a woman from a lower class.
The Legend of La Llorona: The Wailing Woman
There
are legends and myths that have been around for centuries and have
seared themselves into our minds and culture. Then there are those that
have been brought to life by way of modern technologies reminding us of
nightmares that should have been buried and forgotten. One such legend
is known through internet popularity as Slender man.
The creature known as Slender man is said to have the appearance of a
tall, lanky man in a black suit. Not so scary, right? Just wait.
He towers at six to seven feet with unusually thin limbs. His face, if
you can call it that, is featureless and white, though some say that it
can morph into whatever you fear the most. His arms, however, can
stretch out to grab his victims and bend in unnatural ways with long,
talon-like fingers used to scratch at the windows
of children. Yes that’s right. While he haunts everyone who has the
misfortune to see him, he prefers to devour those that are 16 and
younger. He is also said to have multiple arms sometimes seen as long
tentacles used to ensnare whomever catches his eye, or should I say, the
void where his face should be.
Slender man is a silent stalker that likes to hide in plain sight and is usually spotted in wooded areas where he could blend
in amongst the trees and dark corners of the forest. When he finds his
victim of choice, he follows them home and upon being seen through the window,
can use a form of hypnosis that compels you to walk right into his
spindly arms. Usually glimpsed at a distance, once he’s close enough to
get a good look at, that’s when he slinks into your home appearing in
dark hallways or blank t.v. screens.
American legend says that he was once a man who was tortured viciously,
first being beaten with a log, then impaled with a 2 foot stick and hung
from a tree with his arms and legs pulled from their sockets.
When captured, you will wake to find Slender man standing above you. He
will ask one question and if you’re lucky and get it right, he breaks
both your arms and legs. But if you are wrong, then he slowly sticks his
fingers down your throat pulling out the heart. In circles on the
internet Slender man is claimed to be the creation of a website called
Somethingawful.com. Many say that this alone debunks the mysterious
legend and closes the case on the creature’s fictitious existence. Well,
not quite.
It appears that the Slender man myth goes back a lot farther than is
claimed. He is based on something called Der Grossman, meaning “tall
man”, which is the Germanic version. Legend says that children would
site him in the Black Forest days before their disappearance. All that
was left behind would be the mutilated remains of livestock and in a few
cases, village inhabitants would be found several miles from their
homes impaled on the higher branches of the trees.
The Real Life Legend of Slender Man
