Kappa

         A Kappa ("river-child"), alternatively called kawatarō ("river-boy"), komahiki (“horse puller”), or kawako ("river-child"), is a yōkai found in Japanese folklore. The name is a combination of the word kawa (river) and wappa, an inflection of warabe (child). In Shintō they are considered to be one of many suijin (“water deity”), their yorishiro, or one of their temporary appearances. A hairy kappa is called a Hyōsube. There are more than eighty other names associated with the kappa in different regions, including kawappa, gawappa, kōgo, mizushi, mizuchi, enkō, kawaso, suitengu, and dangame. Along with the oni and the tengu, the kappa is among the best-known yōkai in Japan.
       Kappa are similar to Finnish Näkki, Scandinavian/Germanic näck/neck, Slavic vodník and Scottish kelpie, in that all have been used to warn children of the dangers lurking in rivers and lakes.
       It has been suggested that the kappa legends are based on the Japanese giant salamander or hanzaki, an aggressive salamander that grabs its prey with its powerful jaws.