Lore 316: A Spoonful of Sugar

Aaron Mahnke (0:08)

It's certainly unique. There might be plenty of glowing bioluminescent creatures in the ocean, but you won't find this one on any scientific record. It's called the Amabia, a spirit from Japanese folklore, and not only does it glow bright enough to see from the shore, but it's also a mermaid, sporting a mix of human and fishy features, as well as a beak and three legs for good measure. Now, according to the stories, back in April of 1846, an Amabia marched right up out of the water, tapped a government official on the shoulder, and warned him of a coming plague. Not as a threat, mind you, just a heads up so the people could be prepared.

From then on, the Amabia was celebrated as a protector from disease, which is why, when a particular world event occurred in the spring of 2020, this little guy made a major comeback, and it was all thanks to one shop, a candy shop. You see, in the early days of COVID, the president of a Tokyo sweet shop noticed the Amabia tales had started making the rounds online, and so he had an idea. He popped onto the health ministry's website, found a drawing of the mer creature, and copied the image right onto a piece of candy.

Although the candy is not medicine, the creator said, I hope people will keep it with them as a charm for good luck. And that's exactly what happened. Within weeks, he had sold over 10,000 bags of the infectious confections. In fact, many were specifically purchased as gifts for people hospitalized with COVID.

When times get tough, humans have always found creative solutions for keeping our spirits afloat. Whether it's by reviving old tales or inventing new treats, we somehow manage to sugar coat even the most frightening dangers around us. And sometimes, that sugar coating just happens to be real.

I'm Aaron Mahnke, and this is Lore.

Most of us enjoy a sweet treat every now and then, from peanut butter cups to jelly beans. And according to folklore, we aren't alone. In fact, there are monsters with a bit of a sweet tooth who seem to show up all over the world. Take, for example, the Kuchisake Onna, another example from Japan. At first, she may look like an ordinary woman, that is until you see the massive bleeding gash in the place of her mouth. She tends to stop travelers to ask the question, am I pretty? And let's just say you better not give the wrong answer. But don't worry, there's a surefire way to escape. Simply distract the vengeful spirit with the hastily flung fistful of her favorite hard candy. She'll be too busy slurping it up to notice that you are running away for your life. Have plans to go swimming in Estonia? Well, you might want to toss a bit of cake into the water first. This ensures that the knack, a people-eating water spirit, is nice and full before you take a dip. Meanwhile, in Slavic mythology, the household spirit known as the domovoy is often appeased with candy, cookies, or simply a saucer of sugar. These snacks keep the spirit from harming you and even incentivizes it to stick around as your home's protector.

Ancient Greeks offered the goddess Hecate cakes decorated with torches every new moon, basically the same vibe as a modern birthday cake, except these Hecate suppers came with an unfortunate side of puppy sacrifice. Sorry. And speaking of birthday cakes, celebrating significant life events with sweets is another worldwide habit. In 19th century Sweden, special candies were handed out at milestone moments like weddings, baptisms, and even funerals. Yes, funeral candy. And let me tell you, the wrappings on these bonbons weren't pulling any punches. One example preserved in Stockholm's Nordiska museum depicts a skull, crossbones, and an hourglass, edged with a pattern of what appeared to be screaming faces.

Another shows a skull resting on a book in front of a broken column, captioned with the cheeky phrase, Think of death, the hour strikes. Heck, even some came with jaunty little poems such as, The dark, quiet abyss. All our days will end like this.

Alas, when funeral confectionary became mass-produced in the 1800s, the skull-forward imagery was replaced with religious iconography, before falling out of fashion altogether by the mid-20th century. But don't worry, there are still plenty of macabre treats elsewhere. Quick question for you. Have you ever eaten bones? If you happen to live in Malta, you might have. Bone-shaped sugar cookies, that is. There, November is considered the month of the dead, and to celebrate, revelers chow down on a treat that translates to, Dead Men's Bones, or sometimes November Bones. Bite into one, and you'll hit the marrow, an almond dough flavored with cardamom and cloves. Even Spain has its own bone-inspired snack. Served for All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, Huesos de Santo, or Saint's Bones, are marzipan tubes with a candied egg yolk marrow inside. And lest we forget the most famous popular skeletal treats of all, the sugar skulls serve for Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, which is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd throughout Mexico, as well as other Latin American countries and in the United States. It blends Aztec traditions with the Catholicism brought by conquistadors, and is intended not to mourn but to honor deceased loved ones, inviting their souls for a visit.