Tales of Mountain Witches
Yama uba in Japanese folklore and art
In this post I’m going to introduce you to a yokai known as yama uba, which is often translated into English as mountain witch or mountain crone. Despite the translation, they are quite different to the witches we are familiar with in the west. I’ll give you a little bit of information about what they are, and then share two folktales featuring these terrifying supernatural creatures. I’ll also include a collection of Japanese woodblock prints depicting yama uba.
In Japanese folklore yama uba are said to live alone in remote mountainous areas and in many tales they appear as kind old ladies offering travellers a place to stay. But then, late at night, they magically transform back into vicious old hags and eat their guests alive. Some people suggest that tales like these arose during a time of food shortages when the oldest members of poor families were abandoned in the mountains and left to die. It was believed that the haunting and vengeful spirits of the old women became yama uba. From what I understand though, there isn’t a lot of evidence that this practice actually occurred. Regardless of the truth of the matter, the legends spread and over time the yama uba became one of the most well know and feared yokai in Japan.
Yama Uba and Kintaro
While most tales about yama uba portray her as a terrifying monster who uses shapeshifting and powerful magic to kill her victims, in one of the most popular Japanese folktales the hero Kintaro was raised in the mountains by a yama uba. Kintaro, which means golden boy, was an incredibly strong child who could throw boulders and uproot trees. He befriended animals in the mountains including a hare, a rabbit, and a bear and learned to speak their language. There are tales of him wrestling with bears and fighting oni (demons), and he possessed a hatchet which often appears alongside him in art. There are different explanations of his parentage; in some yama uba is his mother, while in others he is abandoned in the mountains and raised by her. Regardless, she was believed to be kind and devoted mother and their relationship may have been the inspiration for Yubaba and Boh in the Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away. But don’t let this depiction of a loving mother fool you, as the following tales will confirm, yama uba is definitely not a yokai that you want to encounter.
The Two Children and the Yama Uba
The first folktale I’m sharing today is about a sister and brother and their encounter with a yama uba. One year the persimmon tree in their garden was loaded with ripe fruit so their mother suggested they take some to their grandmother who lived in the mountains. She warned them to walk quickly and beware in case they met a yama uba along the way.
The children set off and soon encountered a kind old woman who asked them where they were going. When they explained that they were taking the persimmons to their grandmother's house, the old woman laughed and told them that she was their grandmother. The sister said that she could not possibly be because their grandmother had a mole on her cheek. The old woman claimed that she had covered the mole with rice powder then quickly disappeared, only to return soon after with a mole on her cheek.
The children ran to embrace her believing that she was indeed their grandmother. They continued walking and along the way grandmother noisily crunched on one persimmon after another with teeth that seemed stronger than the children could remember. When they got to the house she cooked them a lovely dinner after which it was time for bed.
The two children argued over who would sleep in with their grandmother that night. The sister won and so the brother curled up to sleep on his own. During the night he was woken by loud crunching noises and he assumed his grandmother was eating more of the persimmons. He called out to her to throw him one and with a thud something rolled towards him.
When he picked it up he saw with horror that it was actually his sister's bloody arm. Realising at last that his grandmother was a yama uba, the boy ran out of the house with the old hag in pursuit. Passing a tree, he climbed up quickly, stripped off his clothes and tied them to the branches, then kept running for his life. The wicked yama uba arrived and when she looked up she thought the boy was still in the tree. She went to get her friends with the idea that they could all share in the feast. When they all arrived back and realised that it was only empty clothes hanging in the tree, they were so angry at her for tricking them that they killed her on the spot.
The Hag of Adachi Moor
Just a warning, this tale is quite disturbing and some of the art would definitely fit the horror genre. I’ve include the most grim images in the gallery at the end so just scroll past that if you’d like to avoid them.
This famous tale is about a cannibalistic hag who lived alone on the Adachi Plain. One version of the story tells of a Buddhist monk who arrived at her lonely cottage late at night and asked if he could shelter there. At first she said no, but he was able to finally persuade her to let him in. They sat and talked until late in the night. Eventually, the fire went out so the old woman left to gather more wood and told him that while she was gone he must not look in the room at the very back of the house.
At first he sat patiently waiting for her but as she was gone so long he began to feel curious, and a little scared, about his strange surroundings. Unable to help himself, he crept towards the back of the house and peeked into the forbidden room. To his horror, he saw piles of human bones, and the walls and floor covered in blood. In a state of terror, he quickly left the house and began running away. On looking back, he realised the hag was chasing him with a bloodstained knife. Fortunately in this case he was able to outrun her and get to safety.
Other even more ghastly versions of the tale warn that the hag enjoys drinking the blood of unborn children. In one, the hag collects the blood to sell to a local lord in order to cure his mysterious illness. This theme is reflected to horrifying effect in some of the many ukiyo-e prints inspired by the Lonely House of the Hag of Adachi below.
Below are some more horrifying, and graphic, depictions of this ghastly tale.
Yama Uba in Ukiyo-e Art
Because tales of yama uba were so prevalent, it is no surprise that many noh and kabuki plays included this yokai among their cast of characters. During the Edo period, ukiyo-e prints were often produced that depicted famous actors of the time in character to promote the plays. Below are a collection of this kind of print showing the actors dressed as yama uba.
The print below is by Utagawa Kuniyoshi who regularly depicted supernatural figures in his work. In this case it shows yama uba dancing through the mountains on a cloud holding a fan.
To highlight the dual nature of yama uba, here is a wonderful collection of prints by Kitamara Utamaro depicting her as a kind and loving mother to the hero Kintaro. I particularly like the one where she proudly looks at his first painting of the new year (top centre). It is difficult to reconcile this kindly figure with the terrifying canabilstic hag of the earlier tales and prints.
The print below is one of my favourites and is actually part of a zodiac series by Utagawa Kuniyoshi. It shows a yama uba dancing in the mountains with a white rabbit and is a nice contrast to the gruesome depictions in the Adachi series.
I hope you have enjoyed reading these tales about yama uba and seeing how she was depicted in art. Next time you are travelling or hiking in the mountains, please beware if you are approached by a kind woman offering help as things are not always quite what they seem. This newsletter is completely free but if you would like to support my work, donations will be most gratefully received via Ko-fi.
This piece is wonderful. It reminded me of a kamishibai story about a yamauba from my childhood. It wasn’t just a little scary—it felt far too frightening for a child, and I still remember how terrifying the illustrations were.
Fascinating, as always. I love the differing depictions of yama uba in art. The duality of her being. Perhaps you meet the yama uba you deserve?
Thank you for such an interesting article.