Yuki-onna - Revision history

TeraS at 17:20, 20 October 2014

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	[[Category:~~Definitions~~]]		[[Category:Deities, Spirits, and Mythic Beings]]
	[[Image:yukionna.jpg\|thumb\|250px\|A depiction of a Yuki-onna]]		[[Image:yukionna.jpg\|thumb\|250px\|A depiction of a Yuki-onna]]
	{{nihongo\|'''Yuki Onna'''\|雪女\|\|snow woman}} is a spirit or yōkai in Japanese folklore. She is a popular figure in Japanese literature, manga, and animation.		{{nihongo\|'''Yuki Onna'''\|雪女\|\|snow woman}} is a spirit or yōkai in Japanese folklore. She is a popular figure in Japanese literature, manga, and animation.

TeraS at 18:56, 24 July 2014

2014-07-24T18:56:35Z

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TeraS at 19:00, 27 June 2011

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	Some legends say the Yuki-onna, being associated with winter and snowstorms, is the spirit of someone who perished in the snow.<ref>Smith, Richard Gordon, [http://www.sacred-texts.com/shi/atfj/atfj51.htm "The Snow Ghost"] Chapter XLIX of ''Ancient Tales and Folk-lore of Japan'' at [http://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htm sacred-texts.com]</ref> She is at the same time beautiful and serene, yet ruthless in killing unsuspecting mortals. Until the 18th century, she was almost uniformly portrayed as evil. Today, however, stories often color her as more human, emphasizing her ghost-like nature and ephemeral beauty.<ref name = "b">[http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/kwaidan_-_yuki-.shtml Kwaidan - Yuki-onna (Snow Woman)] at [http://www.sarudama.com www.sarudama.com]</ref>		Some legends say the Yuki-onna, being associated with winter and snowstorms, is the spirit of someone who perished in the snow.<ref>Smith, Richard Gordon, [http://www.sacred-texts.com/shi/atfj/atfj51.htm "The Snow Ghost"] Chapter XLIX of ''Ancient Tales and Folk-lore of Japan'' at [http://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htm sacred-texts.com]</ref> She is at the same time beautiful and serene, yet ruthless in killing unsuspecting mortals. Until the 18th century, she was almost uniformly portrayed as evil. Today, however, stories often color her as more human, emphasizing her ghost-like nature and ephemeral beauty.<ref name = "b">[http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/kwaidan_-_yuki-.shtml Kwaidan - Yuki-onna (Snow Woman)] at [http://www.sarudama.com www.sarudama.com]</ref>

	In many stories, Yuki-onna appears to travelers trapped in ~~[[ snowstorm]]s~~, and uses her icy breath to leave them as frost-coated corpses. Other legends say she leads them astray so they simply die of exposure. Other times, she manifests holding a child. When a well-intentioned soul takes the "child" from her, they are frozen in place.<ref name="a"/> Parents searching for lost children are particularly susceptible to this tactic. Other legends make Yuki-onna much more aggressive. In these stories, she often invades homes, blowing in the door with a gust of wind to kill residents in their sleep (Some legends require her to be invited inside first.)		In many stories, Yuki-onna appears to travelers trapped in snowstorms, and uses her icy breath to leave them as frost-coated corpses. Other legends say she leads them astray so they simply die of exposure. Other times, she manifests holding a child. When a well-intentioned soul takes the "child" from her, they are frozen in place.<ref name="a"/> Parents searching for lost children are particularly susceptible to this tactic. Other legends make Yuki-onna much more aggressive. In these stories, she often invades homes, blowing in the door with a gust of wind to kill residents in their sleep (Some legends require her to be invited inside first.)

	What Yuki-onna is after varies from tale to tale. Sometimes she is simply satisfied to see a victim die. Other times, she is more vampiric, draining her victims' blood or "life force." She occasionally takes on a [[succubus]]-like manner, preying on weak-willed men to drain or freeze them through sex or a kiss.<ref name="a"/>		What Yuki-onna is after varies from tale to tale. Sometimes she is simply satisfied to see a victim die. Other times, she is more vampiric, draining her victims' blood or "life force." She occasionally takes on a [[succubus]]-like manner, preying on weak-willed men to drain or freeze them through sex or a kiss.<ref name="a"/>

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External references

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	<references/>		<references/>

	==External ~~references~~==		==External Links==
			*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukionna The original source of this article at Wikipedia]
	*[http://www.obakemono.com/obake/yukionna/ The Obakemono Project: Yuki-onna]		*[http://www.obakemono.com/obake/yukionna/ The Obakemono Project: Yuki-onna]
	*[http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/jz/1279/Ghoul+Power An article that references Yuki Onna in the movies] ''Japanzine'' By Jon Wilks		*[http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/jz/1279/Ghoul+Power An article that references Yuki Onna in the movies] ''Japanzine'' By Jon Wilks

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Behavior

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	==Behavior==		==Behavior==
			Some legends say the Yuki-onna, being associated with winter and snowstorms, is the spirit of someone who perished in the snow.<ref>Smith, Richard Gordon, [http://www.sacred-texts.com/shi/atfj/atfj51.htm "The Snow Ghost"] Chapter XLIX of ''Ancient Tales and Folk-lore of Japan'' at [http://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htm sacred-texts.com]</ref> She is at the same time beautiful and serene, yet ruthless in killing unsuspecting mortals. Until the 18th century, she was almost uniformly portrayed as evil. Today, however, stories often color her as more human, emphasizing her ghost-like nature and ephemeral beauty.<ref name = "b">[http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/kwaidan_-_yuki-.shtml Kwaidan - Yuki-onna (Snow Woman)] at [http://www.sarudama.com www.sarudama.com]</ref>

	~~The~~ Yuki-onna, ~~being associated with winter~~ and ~~snowstorms, is said in some~~ legends ~~to be the spirit~~ of ~~an individual who has perished in the snow and cold~~.~~(5) She is at~~ the ~~same time beautiful and serene~~, ~~yet ruthless~~ in ~~her killing of unsuspecting mortals~~. ~~Until the 18th century~~, she ~~was almost uniformly portrayed as evil. Today, however, stories~~ often ~~color her as more human~~, ~~emphasizing~~ her ~~ghostlike nature and ephemeral beauty~~.~~(6b~~)		In many stories, Yuki-onna appears to travelers trapped in [[ snowstorm]]s, and uses her icy breath to leave them as frost-coated corpses. Other legends say she leads them astray so they simply die of exposure. Other times, she manifests holding a child. When a well-intentioned soul takes the "child" from her, they are frozen in place.<ref name="a"/> Parents searching for lost children are particularly susceptible to this tactic. Other legends make Yuki-onna much more aggressive. In these stories, she often invades homes, blowing in the door with a gust of wind to kill residents in their sleep (Some legends require her to be invited inside first.)

	~~In many stories,~~ Yuki-onna ~~reveals herself~~ to ~~travelers who find themselves trapped in snowstorms and uses her icy breath to leave them as frost-coated corpses~~. ~~Other legends say that~~ she ~~leads them astray so they~~ simply die ~~of exposure~~. Other times, ~~she manifests holding a child. When a well-intentioned soul takes the "child" from her, he or~~ she is ~~frozen in place.(6a) Parents searching for lost children are particularly susceptible to this tactic. Other legends make Yuki-onna much~~ more ~~aggressive. In these stories~~, ~~she often physically invades people~~'~~s homes, blowing in the door with~~ a ~~gust of wind~~, to ~~kill~~ them ~~while they sleep (though some legends require her to be invited inside first)~~.		What Yuki-onna is after varies from tale to tale. Sometimes she is simply satisfied to see a victim die. Other times, she is more vampiric, draining her victims' blood or "life force." She occasionally takes on a [[succubus]]-like manner, preying on weak-willed men to drain or freeze them through sex or a kiss.<ref name="a"/>

	~~Exactly what~~ Yuki-onna ~~is after varies from tale to tale~~. ~~Sometimes~~ she ~~is simply satisfied~~ to ~~see~~ her ~~victim's death~~. ~~Other times~~, ~~however~~, she is ~~more vampiric, draining her victims' blood or~~ "~~life force~~"~~. She occasionally takes on~~ a ~~[[succubus]]-like manner~~, ~~preying on weak~~-~~willed men in order to drain or freeze them through sexual intercourse or a kiss~~.~~(5)~~		Like the snow and winter weather she represents, Yuki-onna has a softer side. She sometimes lets would-be victims go for various reasons. In one popular Yuki-onna legend, for example, she sets a young boy free because of his beauty and age. She makes him promise never to speak of her, but later in life, he tells the story to his wife who reveals herself to be the snow woman. She reviles him for breaking his promise, but spares him again, this time out of concern for their children (but if he dares mistreat their children, she will return with no mercy. Luckily for him, he is a loving father).<ref name="b"/> In a similar legend, Yuki-onna melts away once her husband discovers her true nature.

	~~Like the snow~~ and winter ~~weather she represents~~, ~~Yuki-onna has~~ a ~~softer side~~. ~~She sometimes lets would-be victims go for various reasons~~. ~~In one popular Yuki-onna legend~~, ~~for example, she sets~~ a ~~young boy free due~~ to ~~his beauty and age~~. She ~~makes~~ him ~~promise~~ to ~~never mention her again~~, ~~though~~, and ~~when he relates the story to his wife much~~ later ~~in life~~, ~~his wife reveals herself to be none other than the~~ snow ~~woman~~. She ~~reviles him~~ for ~~breaking his promise but spares him yet again~~, ~~this time out of concern for~~ the children ~~she has born him (but if he dares mistreat their children~~, ~~she will return with no mercy~~. ~~Luckily for him~~, ~~he is already~~ a ~~loving father)~~.~~(6b) In~~ a ~~similar legend,~~ Yuki-onna ~~melts away once~~ her ~~husband discovers~~ her ~~true nature~~.		===Lafcadio Hearn's version===

			A long time ago, there lived two woodcutters, Minokichi and Mosaku. Minokichi was young and Mosaku was very old.

			One winter day, they could not come back home because of a snowstorm. They found a hut in the mountain and decided to sleep there. On this particular evening, Mosaku woke up and found a beautiful lady with white clothes. She breathed on old Mosaku and he was frozen to death.

			She then approached Minokichi to breathe on him, but stared at him for a while, and said, "I thought I was going to kill you, the same as that old man, but I will not, because you are young and beautiful. You must not tell anyone about this incident. If you tell anyone about me, I will kill you."

			Several years later, Minokichi met a beautiful young lady, named Oyuki (yuki = "snow") and married her. She was a good wife. Minokichi and Oyuki had several children and lived happily for many years. Mysteriously, she did not age.

			One night, after the children were asleep, Minokichi said to Oyuki: "Whenever I see you, I am reminded of a mysterious incident that happened to me. When I was young, I met a beautiful young lady like you. I do not know if it was a dream or if she was a Yuki-onna..."

			After finishing his story, Oyuki suddenly stood up, and said "That woman you met was me! I told you that I would kill you if you ever told anyone about that incident. However, I can't kill you because of our children. Take care of our children... " Then she melted and disappeared. No one saw her again.

			In some versions, she chose not to kill him rather because he told her which she did not treat as a broken promise given that he never told anyone else. However, she parts to the afterlife afterward the same way.

	==In popular culture==		==In popular culture==

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Appearance

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	==Appearance==		==Appearance==
			Yuki-onna appears on snowy nights as a tall, beautiful woman with long black hair and red lips. Her inhumanly pale or even transparent skin makes her blend into the snowy landscape (as famously described in Lafcadio Hearn's ''Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things''). She sometimes wears a white kimono,<ref name = "a">[http://japanese123.com/yukionna.htm Yuki-onna] at [http://japanese123.com/ japanese1-2-3.com]</ref> but other legends describe her as nude, with only her face and hair standing out against the snow.<ref>Seki, Seigo Seki (1963), ''Folktales of Japan'', p. 81, University of Chicago, ISBN 0226746143</ref> Despite her inhuman beauty, her eyes can strike terror into mortals. She floats across the snow, leaving no footprints (in fact, some tales say she has no feet, a feature of many Japanese ghosts), and she can transform into a cloud of mist or snow if threatened.
	Yuki-onna appears as a tall, beautiful woman with long hair ~~on snowy nights~~. Her ~~skin is~~ inhumanly pale or even transparent~~, causing~~ her to blend into the snowy landscape (as ~~she is most~~ famously described in Lafcadio Hearn's Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things). She sometimes wears a white kimono,(2) but other legends describe her as nude, with only her face, hair~~, and pubic region~~ standing out against the snow.(3) Despite her inhuman beauty, her eyes can strike terror into mortals. She floats across the snow, leaving no footprints (in fact, some tales say she has no feet, a ~~notable~~ feature ~~for~~ many Japanese ghosts), and she can transform into a cloud of mist or snow if ~~she is~~ threatened.~~(4)~~

	==Behavior==		==Behavior==

TeraS at 16:54, 24 June 2011

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	[[Image:yukionna.jpg\|thumb\|250px\|A Yuki-onna]]		[[Image:yukionna.jpg\|thumb\|250px\|A Yuki-onna]]

	''Yuki~~-onna~~'' (雪女 snow woman) is a spirit or yōkai ~~found~~ in Japanese folklore. She is a popular figure in Japanese ~~animation~~, manga, and ~~Japanese literature~~. Yuki-onna is sometimes confused with Yama-uba ("mountain crone"), but ~~the two figures~~ are not the same. ~~(1)~~		{{nihongo\|'''Yuki Onna'''\|雪女\|\|snow woman}} is a spirit or yōkai in Japanese folklore. She is a popular figure in Japanese literature, manga, and animation. Yuki-onna is sometimes confused with Yama-uba ("mountain crone"), but they are not the same.<ref>[http://www.shejapan.com/jtyeholder/jtye/living/ghost/ghost3.html Yuki-onna and Yama-uba] at [http://www.shejapan.com/ shejapan.com]</ref>

	==Appearance==		==Appearance==
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	==References==		==References==
	*1 Yuki-onna and Yama-uba at [http:/~~/www.shejapan.com/jtyeholder/jtye/living/ghost/ghost3.html shejapan.com]~~		<references/>
	*2 a b c Yuki-onna at [http://japanese123.com/yukionna.htm japanese1-2-3.com]
	*3 Seki, Seigo Seki (1963), Folktales of Japan, p. 81, University of Chicago, ISBN 0226746143
	*4 Yuki-Onna at the [http://www.pantheon.org/articles/y/yuki-onna.html Encyclopedia Mythica]
	*5 Smith, Richard Gordon , "The Snow Ghost," Chapter XLIX of Ancient Tales and Folk-lore of Japan at [http://www.sacred-texts.com/shi/atfj/atfj51.htm sacred-texts.com]
	*6 a b Kwaidan - Yuki-Onna (Snow Woman) at [http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/kwaidan_-_yuki-.shtml www.sarudama.com]


	==External references==		==External references==
	*[http://www.obakemono.com/obake/yukionna/ The Obakemono Project: Yuki-onna]		*[http://www.obakemono.com/obake/yukionna/ The Obakemono Project: Yuki-onna]
	*[http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/jz/1279/Ghoul+Power An article that references Yuki Onna in the movies] ''Japanzine'' By Jon Wilks		*[http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/jz/1279/Ghoul+Power An article that references Yuki Onna in the movies] ''Japanzine'' By Jon Wilks

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Appearance

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	==Appearance==		==Appearance==

	Yuki-onna appears as a tall, beautiful woman with long hair on snowy nights. Her skin is inhumanly pale or even transparent, causing her to blend into the snowy landscape (as she is most famously described in Lafcadio Hearn's Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things). She sometimes wears a white kimono,(2) but other legends describe her as nude, with only her face, hair, and pubic region standing out against the snow.(3) Despite her inhuman beauty, her eyes can strike terror into mortals. She floats across the snow, leaving no footprints (in fact, some tales say she has no feet, a notable feature for many Japanese ghosts), and she can transform into a cloud of [[mist]] or snow if she is threatened.(4)		Yuki-onna appears as a tall, beautiful woman with long hair on snowy nights. Her skin is inhumanly pale or even transparent, causing her to blend into the snowy landscape (as she is most famously described in Lafcadio Hearn's Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things). She sometimes wears a white kimono,(2) but other legends describe her as nude, with only her face, hair, and pubic region standing out against the snow.(3) Despite her inhuman beauty, her eyes can strike terror into mortals. She floats across the snow, leaving no footprints (in fact, some tales say she has no feet, a notable feature for many Japanese ghosts), and she can transform into a cloud of mist or snow if she is threatened.(4)

	==Behavior==		==Behavior==

TeraS: /* In popular culture */

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In popular culture

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	Yuki-onna have also appeard in live action films, such as Takashi Miike's The Great Yokai War (2005), Akira Kurosawa's film Dreams (1990) and Misaki Kobayashi's Kwaidan (1965).		Yuki-onna have also appeard in live action films, such as Takashi Miike's The Great Yokai War (2005), Akira Kurosawa's film Dreams (1990) and Misaki Kobayashi's Kwaidan (1965).

			Perhaps the classic film adaptation is director Tanaka Tokuzo's 1968 Kaidan Yuki Onna which was released in the US under the title Ghost Story of the Snow Witch.

	Progressive metal band ''Symphony X wrote of yuki-onna in the song "Lady of the Snow," from the album Twilight in Olympus.		Progressive metal band ''Symphony X wrote of yuki-onna in the song "Lady of the Snow," from the album Twilight in Olympus.

TeraS: Start Entry

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Start Entry

New page

[[Category:Definitions]]

[[Image:yukionna.jpg|thumb|250px|A Yuki-onna]]

''Yuki-onna'' (雪女 snow woman) is a spirit or yōkai found in Japanese folklore. She is a popular figure in Japanese animation, manga, and Japanese literature. Yuki-onna is sometimes confused with Yama-uba ("mountain crone"), but the two figures are not the same. (1)

==Appearance==

Yuki-onna appears as a tall, beautiful woman with long hair on snowy nights. Her skin is inhumanly pale or even transparent, causing her to blend into the snowy landscape (as she is most famously described in Lafcadio Hearn's Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things). She sometimes wears a white kimono,(2) but other legends describe her as nude, with only her face, hair, and pubic region standing out against the snow.(3) Despite her inhuman beauty, her eyes can strike terror into mortals. She floats across the snow, leaving no footprints (in fact, some tales say she has no feet, a notable feature for many Japanese ghosts), and she can transform into a cloud of [[mist]] or snow if she is threatened.(4)

==Behavior==

The Yuki-onna, being associated with winter and snowstorms, is said in some legends to be the spirit of an individual who has perished in the snow and cold.(5) She is at the same time beautiful and serene, yet ruthless in her killing of unsuspecting mortals. Until the 18th century, she was almost uniformly portrayed as evil. Today, however, stories often color her as more human, emphasizing her ghostlike nature and ephemeral beauty.(6b)

In many stories, Yuki-onna reveals herself to travelers who find themselves trapped in snowstorms and uses her icy breath to leave them as frost-coated corpses. Other legends say that she leads them astray so they simply die of exposure. Other times, she manifests holding a child. When a well-intentioned soul takes the "child" from her, he or she is frozen in place.(6a) Parents searching for lost children are particularly susceptible to this tactic. Other legends make Yuki-onna much more aggressive. In these stories, she often physically invades people's homes, blowing in the door with a gust of wind, to kill them while they sleep (though some legends require her to be invited inside first).

Exactly what Yuki-onna is after varies from tale to tale. Sometimes she is simply satisfied to see her victim's death. Other times, however, she is more vampiric, draining her victims' blood or "life force". She occasionally takes on a [[succubus]]-like manner, preying on weak-willed men in order to drain or freeze them through sexual intercourse or a kiss.(5)

Like the snow and winter weather she represents, Yuki-onna has a softer side. She sometimes lets would-be victims go for various reasons. In one popular Yuki-onna legend, for example, she sets a young boy free due to his beauty and age. She makes him promise to never mention her again, though, and when he relates the story to his wife much later in life, his wife reveals herself to be none other than the snow woman. She reviles him for breaking his promise but spares him yet again, this time out of concern for the children she has born him (but if he dares mistreat their children, she will return with no mercy. Luckily for him, he is already a loving father).(6b) In a similar legend, Yuki-onna melts away once her husband discovers her true nature.

==In popular culture==
[[Image:yukionna2.jpg|thumb|250px|Yukionna from Tanaka's 1968 film]]

Being a creature of Japanese folklore, the yuki-onna has naturally been used as a character in a wide range of Japanese fiction and pop-culture. Like many yōkai, it has been the basis for a Pokémon character and a Magic:The Gathering card, as well as often appearing as a character, in anime, such as Yukime in 'Hell Teacher Nūbē or in Ranma 1/2, even as gag appearances as in Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z. Some series, such as Shirahime-Syo: Snow Goddess Tales' by Clamp use the yuki-onna as a main character.

Yuki-onna have also appeard in live action films, such as Takashi Miike's The Great Yokai War (2005), Akira Kurosawa's film Dreams (1990) and Misaki Kobayashi's Kwaidan (1965).

Progressive metal band ''Symphony X wrote of yuki-onna in the song "Lady of the Snow," from the album Twilight in Olympus.

In the video game 'Kingdom under Fire: Circle of Doom yuki-onna is a monster faced in the winter regions of the game.

==References==
*1 Yuki-onna and Yama-uba at [http://www.shejapan.com/jtyeholder/jtye/living/ghost/ghost3.html shejapan.com]
*2 a b c Yuki-onna at [http://japanese123.com/yukionna.htm japanese1-2-3.com]
*3 Seki, Seigo Seki (1963), Folktales of Japan, p. 81, University of Chicago, ISBN 0226746143
*4 Yuki-Onna at the [http://www.pantheon.org/articles/y/yuki-onna.html Encyclopedia Mythica]
*5 Smith, Richard Gordon , "The Snow Ghost," Chapter XLIX of Ancient Tales and Folk-lore of Japan at [http://www.sacred-texts.com/shi/atfj/atfj51.htm sacred-texts.com]
*6 a b Kwaidan - Yuki-Onna (Snow Woman) at [http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/kwaidan_-_yuki-.shtml www.sarudama.com]

==External references==
*[http://www.obakemono.com/obake/yukionna/ The Obakemono Project: Yuki-onna]
*[http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/jz/1279/Ghoul+Power An article that references Yuki Onna in the movies] ''Japanzine'' By Jon Wilks