also: とう
noun
decorative black flagpole tassel
A traditional ornament made from tail hair (yak, horse, ox, etc.) or dyed hemp, attached to the top of a flagpole. Compare 大頭 (おおがしら), which can also refer to a similar tassel.
See also: 大頭 (おおがしら)
祭りの行列で、鬼頭をつけた旗が風に揺れていた。
In the festival procession, a flag with a decorative black tassel fluttered in the wind.
大頭 can also refer to a decorative tassel on a flagpole, but it may have broader or different uses; 鬼頭 specifically refers to the black tassel made from animal hair or hemp.
The kanji 鬼 (oni, demon) and 頭 (head) together suggest a fierce or demon-like head ornament, but the exact historical derivation is uncertain. The reading おにがしら is a kun'yomi compound.