Artist's commentary
Mahou-sama
A deity worshipped in the Okayama Prefecture at the Mahou shrine, as a protector of horses, cows and beasts of burdens. He(?) is also known as Kyuumou-danuki, a tanuki who became a shinto deity.
When Christian missionaries came to Japan during the Edo period (*1) on nanban trade ships this tanuki hid among them and got into Japan. He roamed the land and eventually found a home in an abandoned copper mine in Okayama.
He would come out during moonlit nights, grab a cattle plow and sing ”sangyang, sangyang” while dancing.
*1: To be exact, it was right before the beginning of the Edo period.The name "mahou" (魔法) was given before the word was used as a translation for "Western sorcery". The name is thought to be derived from ”Marici's Dharma” (摩法) by the locals.