horse-headed demon (in hell)
Buddhist term; a demonic figure with a horse's head, often paired with 牛頭 (ごず, ox-headed demon) as guardians or torturers in hell.
See also: 牛頭馬頭
In pictures of hell, horse-headed and ox-headed demons are often depicted.
仏教では、馬頭は亡者を責める鬼の一つとされる。
In Buddhism, the horse-headed demon is considered one of the ogres that torment the dead.
horse-headed and ox-headed demons in Buddhist hell
Standard kanji form for this Buddhist term.
From 馬 (horse) + 頭 (head). The reading めず is a Buddhist term derived from Middle Chinese.