Nure-onna: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Suuhi Nure-onna.jpg|right|thumb|200px|"Nure-onna" (ぬれ女) from the ''[[Hyakkai-Zukan]]'' by Sawaki Suushi.]] |
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[[File:SekienNureonna.jpg|right|thumb|200px|"Nure-onna" (濡女) from the [[Gazu Hyakki Yagyō]] by [[Toriyama Sekien]]]] |
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{{nihongo|'''nure-onna'''|濡女||"wet woman"}} is a Japanese [[yōkai]] which resembles a reptilious creature with the head of a woman and the body of a [[snake]]. They are also known to be a paranormal phenomenon at sea under the name of '''nureyomejo'''. In legends, they are often said to consume humans, but they have no single appearance or personality. |
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==Concept== |
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They are similar to the yōkai called [[isoonna]] of [[Kyushu]], and like the isoonna, they are said to appear at seas or rivers.<ref name="youkaizukan">{{Cite book|author=[[多田克己]]|editor=[[京極夏彦]]・多田克己編|title=妖怪図巻|year=2000|publisher=[[国書刊行会]]|isbn=978-4-336-04187-6|pages=145-146}}</ref> Their name comes from how their hair is always set in legends.<ref name="youkaizukan"/> They are also theorized to be the changed form of [[sea snake]]s.<ref name="youkaizukan"/> |
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Many Edo Period publications such as the [[Hyakkai Zukan]], [[Gazu Hyakki Yagyō]], among others, depict this yōkai as a woman with a snake body, which would make it appear as if this was a well-known yōkai of the time, but there are no stories about a snake-bodied nure-onna in the classical literature of the time that can be found. Despite this, according to the essay ''Yōkai Gadan Zenshū, Jō'' (妖怪画談全集 日本篇 上, "Discussion on Yōkai Pictures, Japan Volume, First Half") by the early Shōwa period folklorist Morihiko Fujisawa, despite not pointing out any primary sources as references, it states that there is the following story from the year [[Bunkyū]] 2 (1819) of the Edo Period. |
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:At a certain riverside on the border between [[Echigo Province]] (now [[Niigata Prefecture]]) and [[Aizu]] (now [[Fukushima Prefecture]]), as some young lads were heading out on several boats to collect wood, one boat was swept far away. The people on the swept away boat found one woman washing her hair, and they thought it was mysterious at first, but eventually they raised a scream and desperately started rowing their boat. |
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:They finally reunited with the other boats they were originally with, and when one of those others asked, "did you see a big snake or something?" the ones who were swept away answered, "something even more terrifying. It was a wet woman (nure-onna)!" The others did not believe them and ignored the attempts by ones who were swept away to stop them, and headed towards where that woman was. The ones who were previously swept away turned back out of fear, but the others who went to the nure-onna heard a terrifying scream beneath them several times. It is said that the nure-onna has a tail that is at least 3 chō (about 327 meters) long, so once one is found, there is no escape, and it is said that those others never returned.<ref>{{Cite book|author=[[藤沢衛彦]]編|title=妖怪画談全集 日本篇 上|year=1929|publisher=中央美術社|ncid=BA49584216|pages=1-10}}</ref> |
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In this story, the nure-onna was not directly given an appearance, but the tail with a length of at least 3 chō would appear to imply a snake body.る<ref name="murakami">{{Cite book|author=[[村上健司]]編著|title=日本妖怪大事典|year=2005|publisher=[[角川書店]]|series=Kwai books|isbn=978-4-04-883926-6|pages=250頁}}</ref> They can also be seen in the essay ''[[Tōhoku Kaidan no Tabi]]'' by [[Norio Yamada]] and in the essay ''Zusetsu: Nihon Mikakunin Seibutsu Jiten'' (図説・日本未確認生物事典, "Illustrated: An Encyclopedia of Japanese Cryptids") by the literature professor [[Yoshiko Sasama]],<ref>{{Cite book|author=[[笹間良彦]]|title=図説・日本未確認生物事典|year=1994|publisher=[[柏書房]]|isbn=978-4-7601-1299-9|pages=102-104}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|author=[[山田野理夫]]|title=[[東北怪談の旅]]|year=1974|publisher=[[自由国民社]]|ncid=BA42139725|pages=171-172}}</ref> but likewise they do not provide any examples of primary sources.<ref name="murakami" /> |
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==Mythology== |
==Mythology== |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{Reflist}} |
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* http://www.pinktentacle.com/2008/02/edo-period-monster-paintings-by-sawaki-suushi/ |
* http://www.pinktentacle.com/2008/02/edo-period-monster-paintings-by-sawaki-suushi/ |
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* http://www.youkaimura.org/nureonna.htm |
* http://www.youkaimura.org/nureonna.htm |
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Revision as of 01:12, 3 September 2019
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (September 2016) |
nure-onna (濡女, "wet woman") is a Japanese yōkai which resembles a reptilious creature with the head of a woman and the body of a snake. They are also known to be a paranormal phenomenon at sea under the name of nureyomejo. In legends, they are often said to consume humans, but they have no single appearance or personality.
Concept
They are similar to the yōkai called isoonna of Kyushu, and like the isoonna, they are said to appear at seas or rivers.[1] Their name comes from how their hair is always set in legends.[1] They are also theorized to be the changed form of sea snakes.[1]
Many Edo Period publications such as the Hyakkai Zukan, Gazu Hyakki Yagyō, among others, depict this yōkai as a woman with a snake body, which would make it appear as if this was a well-known yōkai of the time, but there are no stories about a snake-bodied nure-onna in the classical literature of the time that can be found. Despite this, according to the essay Yōkai Gadan Zenshū, Jō (妖怪画談全集 日本篇 上, "Discussion on Yōkai Pictures, Japan Volume, First Half") by the early Shōwa period folklorist Morihiko Fujisawa, despite not pointing out any primary sources as references, it states that there is the following story from the year Bunkyū 2 (1819) of the Edo Period.
- At a certain riverside on the border between Echigo Province (now Niigata Prefecture) and Aizu (now Fukushima Prefecture), as some young lads were heading out on several boats to collect wood, one boat was swept far away. The people on the swept away boat found one woman washing her hair, and they thought it was mysterious at first, but eventually they raised a scream and desperately started rowing their boat.
- They finally reunited with the other boats they were originally with, and when one of those others asked, "did you see a big snake or something?" the ones who were swept away answered, "something even more terrifying. It was a wet woman (nure-onna)!" The others did not believe them and ignored the attempts by ones who were swept away to stop them, and headed towards where that woman was. The ones who were previously swept away turned back out of fear, but the others who went to the nure-onna heard a terrifying scream beneath them several times. It is said that the nure-onna has a tail that is at least 3 chō (about 327 meters) long, so once one is found, there is no escape, and it is said that those others never returned.[2]
In this story, the nure-onna was not directly given an appearance, but the tail with a length of at least 3 chō would appear to imply a snake body.る[3] They can also be seen in the essay Tōhoku Kaidan no Tabi by Norio Yamada and in the essay Zusetsu: Nihon Mikakunin Seibutsu Jiten (図説・日本未確認生物事典, "Illustrated: An Encyclopedia of Japanese Cryptids") by the literature professor Yoshiko Sasama,[4][5] but likewise they do not provide any examples of primary sources.[3]
Mythology
A nure-onna's intentions are unknown. In some stories, she is a monstrous being who is powerful enough to crush trees with her tail and feeds on humans. She carries with her a small, childlike bundle, which she uses to attract potential victims. If a well-intentioned person offers to hold the baby for her, the nure-onna will let them. If they attempt to discard the bundle, however, it is revealed that it is not a child at all. Instead, the bundle becomes incredibly heavy and prevents the victim from fleeing. She then uses her long, snake-like tongue to suck all the blood from her victim’s body. In other stories, a nure-onna is simply seeking solitude as she washes her hair and reacts violently to those who bother her. The rokurokubi is a close relative to the nure-onna.
References
- ^ a b c 多田克己 (2000). 京極夏彦・多田克己編 (ed.). 妖怪図巻. 国書刊行会. pp. 145–146. ISBN 978-4-336-04187-6.
- ^ 藤沢衛彦編 (1929). 妖怪画談全集 日本篇 上. 中央美術社. pp. 1–10.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|ncid=ignored (help) - ^ a b 村上健司編著 (2005). 日本妖怪大事典. Kwai books. 角川書店. pp. 250頁. ISBN 978-4-04-883926-6.
- ^ 笹間良彦 (1994). 図説・日本未確認生物事典. 柏書房. pp. 102–104. ISBN 978-4-7601-1299-9.
- ^ 山田野理夫 (1974). 東北怪談の旅. 自由国民社. pp. 171–172.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|ncid=ignored (help)
- http://www.pinktentacle.com/2008/02/edo-period-monster-paintings-by-sawaki-suushi/
- http://www.youkaimura.org/nureonna.htm
External links
- Nure Onago – The Soaked Woman at hyakumonogatari.com
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