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Traditionally, they are female and dress in white kimonos, typical burial clothing in ancient Japan. They typically lack legs and feet, and are frequently depicted as being accompanied by a pair of floating flames or will o' the wisps in eerie colors such as blue, green, or purple. Yurei also often have a triangular piece of paper or cloth known as a hitaikakushi on their forehead. Like many monsters of Japanese folklore, malicious yurei are repelled by ofuda.
Vengeful ghosts, on the other hand, called goryo, traditionally haunt a person or a location as an act of revenge for a wrong done to them during their lifetime. Thus, saying "I will haunt you" became a threatening statement made in anger to someone. Buddhist priests and ascetics were sometimes hired to perform services on those whose unusual or unfortunate deaths could result in their transition into a vengeful ghost. (see exorcism). Sometimes these ghosts would be deified in order to placate their spirits.