Jorōgumo – 絡新婦 29. March 2023

Jorōgumo, a legendary creature, is said to originate from a 400-year-old golden orb-weaver that develops magical powers and a half-humanoid, half-arachnoid appearance due to its age. Its upper body looks like a beautiful young woman, while its lower body is that of a giant spider. Jorōgumo are highly intelligent and cold-hearted, viewing humans (preferably men) as nothing more than insects fit for consumption. They lure young men into their lair and torture them to death for days using poison.

The Legend

One Jorōgumo was considered the mistress of the Jōren waterfalls. A woodcutter dropped his axe into the pool, and a beautiful woman appeared to return it. The woodcutter fell in love with her and visited her every day, but he grew weaker with each visit. An oshō (monk) suspected that he was under the spell of a Jorōgumo and accompanied him the next day. When a spider thread reached for the man, the oshō fought it off with a thunderous cry, and the thread disappeared. Although the woodcutter knew the woman was a Jorōgumo, he could not resist her. He tried to get permission from the Tengu of the mountain to marry the Jorōgumo, but he refused. The woodcutter ran to the waterfall and got caught in a spider’s web, disappearing into the waterfall.

The Conclusion

This legend is a reminder that sometimes the most beautiful things can also be the most dangerous, and not everything is as it seems.