生いき霊りょう

noun

vengeful spirit; living ghost; doppelgänger

In Japanese folklore, a spirit that leaves a living person's body to haunt or harm others, often born from intense hatred or jealousy. Also used for a wraith-like double.

• 彼かの女じょの恨うらみが生いき霊りょうとなって彼かれを苦くるしめた。

  Her grudge turned into a vengeful spirit and tormented him.

• 昔むかし話ばなしでは、生いき霊りょうに取とり憑つかれた人ひとが次つぎ々つぎと倒たおれたという。

  In old tales, people possessed by living ghosts fell ill one after another.

noun

mankind; souls; people

Only when written 生霊 · Only with reading せいれい

Rare reading せいれい used in classical or Buddhist contexts to refer to human beings or spirits. Not used in modern everyday language.

• 古こ文ぶん書しょには「生せい霊れい」を「せいれい」と読よみ、人ひと々びとの魂たましいを指さすことがある。

  In old documents, 生霊 is read as せいれい and can refer to the souls of people.