Buruburu
| |
| Buruburu | |
|---|---|
| Powers and Abilities | Spreads a Ghost Sickness. The infected experience increasing terror until they suffer from cardiac arrest and die. |
| Vulnerabilities | As a ghost, the corpse of the deceased can be salted and burnt. It can also be "scared to rest." |
| Appearance | As a ghost, it appears in the form of the deceased. |
| Episode(s) | 4.06 Yellow Fever |
Contents
Buruburu in Supernatural
According to Bobby, the buruburu are ghosts born of a person's fear after dying in a terrifying manner. They can then infect others with their fear, and this infection is known as the ghost sickness. The people they infect are usually people who have made a habit of terrorizing others. Because it is a type of ghost, it has all the same abilities and weaknesses as a ghost, but it differs in one notable way: it can be "scared to rest." It is a spirit form first categorized and documented by the Japanese in the Edo period, and the book that Bobby has on the subject is in Japanese.[1]
Characteristics
Powers and Abilities
- All the attributes of ghosts.
- Spreads a ghost sickness which eventually causes the victim to die of heart failure.
Weaknesses
- Corpse can be salted and burned.
- It can be "scared to rest."
Appearances
4.06 Yellow Fever
Dean is infected with the ghost sickness, and Bobby and Sam deduce that the culprit is a buruburu born from the terrifying nature of Luther Garland's death. Luther was chained to a truck and dragged up and down a gravel road until he died, so it is impossible to find and burn all of his remains. So far, the victim's of Luther's ghost sickness have all died of heart attacks brought on by crippling fear, so they have to find another solution quickly. Finally, Sam captures the buruburu with an iron chain etched with spell work and then has Bobby drag his soul down the same gravel road where he died, re-enacting his death and literally "scaring him to rest." This happens not a moment too soon, as Dean is having hallucinations of Lilith and close to having a heart attack of his own when they finally manage to defeat Luther's spirit.
Buruburu in Lore
While there is no specific lore on buruburu, the Japanese word ブルブル or ぶるぶる (pronounced buru buru) means:[2]
- to "shake," usually from cold (i.e., shudder, shiver, tremble)
- to "shake one's head" (i.e., nod, no, refuse)
