 Some of the earliest representations of tengu appear in Japanese picture scrolls , such as the Tenguzōshi Emaki ( 天狗草子絵巻 ) , painted c . 1296 , which parodies high @-@ ranking priests by endowing them the hawk @-@ like beaks of tengu demons . Tengu are often pictured as taking the shape of some sort of priest . Beginning in the 13th century , tengu came to be associated in particular with the yamabushi , the mountain ascetics who practice Shugendō . The association soon found its way into Japanese art , where tengu are most frequently depicted in the yamabushi 's distinctive costume , which includes a small black cap ( 頭襟 , tokin ) and a pom @-@ pommed sash ( 結袈裟 , yuigesa ) . Due to their priestly aesthetic , they are often shown wielding the Shakujo , a distinct staff used by Buddhist monks . 
