Kijo (folklore)

A kijo (鬼女, lit. demon woman) is an oni woman from Japanese legends.

This article is about the mythical creature. For film, see Onibaba (film). For the media franchise of similar name, see Kurozuka.
"Kijo" from the Tosa Obake Zōshi (author unknown)

Mythology

They are normally considered to be women who have turned into oni as a result of karma and resentment, with the younger ones being called "kijo" while the ones that look like old ladies are called onibaba (鬼婆, "demon hag").[1] They often appear in Japanese legends, folktales, fairy tales, and performing arts, and famous among them are Momiji Densetsu (The Legend of Momiji) from Togakushi, Shinano Province (now the town of Kinasa, Nagano, Nagano Prefecture) and Suzuka Gozen from the Suzuka Mountains.[1]

The onibaba of Adachigahara (Kurozuka) had "baba" in her name, but she is also considered a kijo.[2] Also, the Tosa Obake Zōshi (author unknown) that spelled out tales of yōkai in Tosa Province (now Kōchi Prefecture) had, under the title of "Kijo," stated that an oni woman (kijo) with hair of a length 4 shaku and 8 sun (about 150 centimeters) ate a fetus from a pregnant woman, although the origin of this story is the onibaba legend of Adachigahara from Fukushima Prefecture that later spread to Tosa, and due to this spread, it became told about along with local legends there.[3]

The word "kijo" is also used as a general term for women with hideous hearts like that of an oni.[4]

See also

References
  1. 村上健司編著 (2000). 妖怪事典. 毎日新聞社. p. 132. ISBN 978-4-620-31428-0.
  2. 多田克己 (2008). "『妖怪画本・狂歌百物語』妖怪総覧". In 京極夏彦編 (ed.). 妖怪画本 狂歌百物語. 国書刊行会. p. 306. ISBN 978-4-3360-5055-7.
  3. 「雪婆編著 (2003). 妖怪百物語絵巻. 国書刊行会. p. 60. ISBN 978-4-336-04547-8.
  4. "【鬼女】". dic.yahoo.co.jp. Yahoo! JAPAN. Archived from the original on 2012-07-10. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
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