Baku (spirit)

In Japanese folklore, baku (夢食, ba dream + ku eater) are spirits, eaters of dreams. They are described both as being tapir-like, or, contradictorily, as having a lion's head, tiger's feet, and a horse's body. When a person awakens from a nightmare, he should call "baku, eat my dreams." The baku may turn a bad dream into good fortune by consuming the evil.