Fujiwara no Mokou

Fujiwara no Mokou – a Hourai Immortal born during the Asuka or Nara Period to the Fujiwara Clan.

Etymology of Her Name
Name Fujiwara no Mokou (藤原　妹紅) literally means "Scarlet (younger) Sister," which ties Mokou to an earlier Extra Boss. According to ZUN, her name can also mean: "Paint me Red", which alludes to her violent fate.

"Mokou" can also mean 'Mourning' (喪) 'Female Phoenix' (凰). It also alludes to the 'Great Burnet' (吾亦紅 'Waremokou' – Fujiware no Mokou), a plant that has historically been used to stop bleeding, heal wounds as well as treat burns and insect bites. (The last one being notable, because Wriggle Nightbug is the first boss in Imperishable Night).

"Fujiwara" is not only the name of one of Japan's oldest noble clans, tying her to the events of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, but perhaps more notably we have the end of said tale, where the Emperor commands his troops to burn the elixir of life that Kaguya left him, along with a letter to Kaguya, at the top of the highest mountain in Japan, him having decided that he could not stand living forever if he could not do so by Kaguya's side. This is allegedly how Mt. Fuji is said to have gotten its name: From the abundant (富 fu) soldiers (士, shi/ji) ascending the slopes of the mountain. However, a second origin of the mountain's name is also suggested: "Immortal" (不死, fushi). This was also the explanation for why smoke could always be seen rising from the back-then actively volcanic Mount Fuji: The immortal smoke was reaching for the moon so that it may one day reach Kaguya. This also alludes to the title of Mokou's theme – Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke.

Mokou's Father
Her father was said to be one of the suitors of Kaguya-hime and may have been Fujiwara no Fuhito (659-720), as Kuramochi no Miko (a character in The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter) was based on Fuhito. He was tasked to retrieve a jeweled branch from the island of Mount Hourai. He also provoked Mokou to drink the Hourai Elixir in his vengeful spirit form.

He later possessed Sanuki no Miyatsuko (Kaguya-hime's adoptive father) to enact revenge on him and Kaguya.

Mokou's Mother
Fujiwara no Fuhito had many wives, so it's impossible to say for sure, which one of them was Mokou's mother. There is however one of the wives, who is connected with another Touhou character – Soga no Masako. She was a great-granddaughter of Soga no Umako, who may have been a father of Soga no Tojiko. That fact would make Tojiko Mokou's great-great aunt.

Mokou's Grandfather
If we assume, that Fuhito was Mokou's father, then Fujiwara no Kamatari (614-669) – the founder of the Fujiwara Clan, was one of her grandfathers. This links Mokou's family to other characters in Touhou, namely Taoists from Senkai. Mononobe no Futo's historical counterpart – Mononobe no Futsuhime, betrayed her clan in support of Miko (then Prince Shōtoku). A while later Fujiwara no Kamatari betrayed the Soga clan for a different emperor, causing Tojiko's clan]] to go extinct (645). Kamatari was given the clan name "Fujiwara" in gratitude for his services, but he was struck dead by lightning shortly thereafter, an incident which was said to be the curse of the Soga clan. If we take into consideration the fact, that Tojiko uses thunderbolt danmaku, it is possible that she is Mokou's grandfather murderer.

Asuka Period Aristocracy
Mokou's design consists of several elements typical for a woman from aristocratic family during Heian Period, like Hime cut or red hakama, and an ilustration from Cage in Lunatic Runagate reaveals that Mokou used to have black hair.

Great aristocratic families of the Asuka Period spoke Middle Chinese as their first language, so it is possible that Mokou knows or used to know how to speak in that language.

Mokou and Mononobe no Futo
There are several links between Mokou and Mononobe no Futo. Futo, just like Mokou, hails from an ancient noble clan, uses fire magic, has obtained immortality and has a rivalry with a fellow noble woman that's romantically involved with an emperor. (Tojiko's]] historical counterpart – was the lover of Miko, then Prince Shōtoku). However unlike Mokou who suffers her way through immortality, Futo enjoys being immortal and she also has a closer relationship with fire than Mokou, as she is a pyromaniac. Furthermore, Futo actually succeeded in killing her rival, and even though Tojiko came back as a vengeful spirit, she and Futo are on friendly terms with each other, unlike Mokou and Kaguya.

Mokou and the Japanese Royal Family
Fujiwara Clan was one of the most influential families in Japanese history and as such its members were married to many other influential clans, and even to the Royal House. Two of supposed sisters of Mokou – Miyako and Kōmyō, were wives of two emperors, Monmu and Shōmu respectively. Since then many members of the Fujiwara clan were married into the Royal Family. Empress Shōken, wife of the Emperor Meiji, was a descendant of Fujiwara clan's Ichijō branch on both sides. She never had a child, but she adopted the next emperor – Taishō, who married another Fujiwara, Empress Teimei from Kujō branch. Empress Teimei was a mother of Hirohito, which also makes her a grandmother of Akihito and a great-grandmother of the current emperor. This all means that Mokou is a distant relative of the current emperor of Japan, as well as a very distant relative of the Watatsuki sisters.

Red Hakama
During the Heian Period women wore baggy trousers, called Hakama (袴) or Nagabakama, under all the layers of their clothes (there typically were 12 of those layers). Red-dyed Hakama was believed to ease menustral problems, help with period cramps and prevent infertility.

Visage



 * Her hair would be long, straight, thick, uncut, black and parted in he middle.
 * She would wear bangs (Hime Cut), unless she was married, in which case she would cut her bangs.
 * Her eyebrows would be shaved or plucked and then redrawn on (Hikimayu).
 * Her teeth would be blackened (Ohaguro).
 * Her complexion would be very pale and alabaster like.

Garments

 * She would wear Karaginumo (twelve unlined robes made out of silk) over her hakama.
 * She would also hold a fan known as hiōgi (ひおうぎ) as an accessory.

In Real Life
Majority of the "old" youkai and kami in Touhou are really only as old as Kojiki (712) or even younger. That makes them Mokou's contemporaries.