Hoha-Yaroha
Hoha-yaroha takes children’s baby teeth and leaves behind stronger, healthier adult teeth. People described this creature as a mix between a fiery snake and a mouse. It had long black whiskers, semi-transparent red wings, long front teeth that gleamed with light, and black eyes that seemed to look straight into the soul.
Beliefs and Fears
Parents sometimes frightened children with hoha-yaroha. If he did not come, the adult tooth might not grow in the empty spot. Worse still, a black, ruined tooth could appear instead of a healthy one. That is why children had to call him before sleep with special words: “Come, Hoho, take this tooth and bring a golden one.” To please him, people often left a gift near a mouse hole — bread, a pastry, or even something larger. If in the morning the child found neither the tooth nor the offering, it meant a strong new tooth would surely grow.
Dwelling of Hoha-Yaroha
Legends also describe where hoha-yaroha lived. He had a little house made from the very teeth he collected. Everything inside that house was also built from teeth. This detail showed his spirit nature, for he used something that had outlived its purpose and no longer belonged to the world of the living.
