Darumas and Santas: My Kishimoto Christmas

Does Santa visit Arbea?

Nope. We got this guy - Hoba

Hoba visits bringing presents to children of Arbea

Seal of Hoba

In the old religion of Arbea, Hoba (or Hermit Hoba - the Striped Sage) was the trickster aspect of the god Arbea. He was originally depicted as a hermit who carried a staff made from a broken branch. Atop the twisted staff sat the symbol of Hoba (or the last cold snap of winter when it gets coldest just before the spring which is where the hermit gets his name). Miraculously from his broken staff there are two leaves sprouting.

The god Arbea manifests as Hoba after the long winter when there are no harvests to sacrifice to him for his appeasement. It was said that Hoba would come to your house and steal your children as tribute before he would allow spring to return. So, people would trick him by creating straw doppelgänger of their children for him to take away instead. This would appease Hoba and spring would return. It was how parents convinced their children not to go play out in the snow past dark even though the days got shorter.

In modern times Hoba is as you see him above - a jolly wendersell (travelling salesman) who brings toys to children. Families make dolls (or cookies shaped like people) so that Hoba knows which children to leave presents for. He visits on the holiday Arbeas which is similar to our Christmas.

Hoba is inspired by Japanese Daruma dolls which are mini representations of Bodhidharma. I've always been intrigued by culuture and how we can take something as solemn as a Bhuddist monk and turn them into essentially a charm for good luck. So, I conceived of this little egg-shaped man who brings presents and worked backwards to get to who this man really was and how he got from menacing monk to mirthful myth. There's so much more behind every folk tale.


Also, here are some sketches of how the gang will look now that they've had their Kishimoto inspired makeover for this year's Christmas card. It's going to be epic!!!

So, what do you think of Hoba?

Enjoy!
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