Ōmukade
Ōmukade (おおむかで, "giant centipede") is a Yōkai in Japanese mythology.
Legend
The Ōmukade is a giant man-eating centipede that lives in the mountains. While it eats humans, the Ōmukade has a weakness to human saliva.
A giant centipede or mukade was killed near Lake Biwa by Fujiwara no Hidesato (aka Tawara Tōda Hidesato, "Rice bag Tōda") according to the legendary tale Tawara Tōda Monogatari. While crossing the bridge over the lake,[a] Tawara was besought by a giant serpent to avenge the killer of her sons and grandsons.[b] This centipede made its lair at Mount Mikami nearby. Tawara shot two ineffective arrows, but the third arrow smeared with his saliva proved lethal.[1][2]
Popular culture
- Different adaptions of Ōmukade appear in the Super Sentai franchise:
- In Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, the Ōmukade has a football-theme to it. In Season 3 of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, it was adapted into Centiback.
- In Shuriken Sentai Ninninger, the Ōmukade is the result of a Sealing Shuriken coming in contact with a power strip. This monster has energy-eating abilities. In Power Rangers Ninja Steel, it was adapted into Voltipede.
- In Yo-kai Watch, the Ōmukade has the ability to make anyone it inspirits into becoming easily ticked off and burst into angry rants. His name in the English dub is Irewig.
- In Pokémon Sword and Shield, Centiskorch along with its Gigantamax form are based on the Ōmukade.
- In Ghost of Tsushima, an open world action-adventure game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation 4, which follows a samurai on a quest to protect Tsushima Island during the first Mongol invasion of Japan, the name “Omukade’s Revenge” is given to one of the game’s numerous cosmetic skins, known as Sword Kits, which can be applied to the protagonist’s Katana and Tanto, changing the appearance of the scabbards and hilts of both blades.
- In the 2019 game of the year Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice , centipedes are a representation of corrupted immortality. Many enemies and bosses relate back to the Japanese mythology surrounding the centipede
Explanatory notes
- ^ Seta Bridge of Ōmi Province.
- ^ The serpent may have been the transformation of the lady of the Dragon Palace where he is invited, or a messenger of hers. In a variant telling, the serpent transforms into a small-bodied man.
References
- ^ Visser, Marinus Willem de [in German] (1913), "§9 Dragon-palaces", The Dragon in China and Japan, Amsterdam: J. Müller, pp. 191–192
- ^ Friday, Karl (2008). "The Tale of Tawara Toda". The First Samurai: The Life and Legend of the Warrior Rebel, Taira Masakado. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 157–158.
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External links
- Ōmukade at Yokai.com