Jorogumo

A group of travelers arrive in a remote village nestled deep within the dense forest. You are among one of these travelers, an experienced and honorable samurai with a long history of battles. As you take a moment to sharpen your gleaming sword against a broken-down tree, the villagers notice your weapon, their eyes fill with awe. They quickly inform you that something has disturbed the natural order of their village, and they fear going into the dark forest down the road. Villagers have gone missing, and the only clues they have were the blood-stained clothes found deep in the forest. You accept the task at hand, standing before the dark forest beneath the full moon. With determination, you casually state, ‘Any night can be my last,’ as you stride forward.

A Tale of Jorogumo

You question yourself as you make the decision to explore the treacherous terrain, and the path is obscured by the dense canopy of trees. The sun disappears below the horizon, and darkness settles in. You realize… you’re actually lost. However, you know that you have nothing to fear.

A cold gust of wind blows across your brown tattered clothing and glistening armor as you walk through the shrubs and bushes. You feel something biting your neck as you shuffle through the bushes like a mosquito leaving a bite mark. You smack your neck with your hand and move on. You stumble upon an open clearing bathed in the soft glow from the moonlight. A mysterious figure distracts you from the serene beauty. An enchanting woman with long dark hair with eyes as deep as the night sky stands before you. As a seasoned samurai, you are well-trained in discerning illusion from reality. Though the woman’s beauty tugged at the strings of your very soul, you knew this was an impossible encounter in the dead of night. As you drew closer, you call out to the woman, but receive no response. Your instincts kick in, and you recognize that it’s as a trap. You reach to your waist when the woman turns her head to her shoulder, the scrape of the blade against the wooden sheathe showers the air. Her body twists and contorted into that of a monstrous spider, her fangs glistening with venom, revealing her true form with multiple spider-like legs.

You have faced many adversaries in the past, and feel unfazed as you stand your ground, ready to face the threat head-on. With a drop of cold sweat, you launched at the woman. You aim to impale the woman in the heart. However, you feel a jolt of pain on your neck and your sword slams to the floor. A contour of webs fall over you like snow. You fall down by the trunk of a tree, your heart pounding intensely. You realize, a spider had bitten you from the shrubs earlier. Your vision blurs, and a sense of despair washed over you.

The woman shifts back to a human. As your heart slowed, you gaze into her eyes. Despite the impending darkness, you can’t help but admire her beauty, pondering why you have been gifted with such a site before death. A small smile forms from your lips. You feel your body is numbing. The woman approaches you as your eyes close to an impending abyss.

The Origin

The Jorogumo, also known as the ‘Binding Bride,’ is a creature from Japanese folklore. Referred to as the ‘Spider Woman,’ it is a supernatural entity that takes the form of a spider, particularly an orb-weaver spider. It can transform into an attractive woman to trap unsuspecting humans, usually young men. When it shapeshifts into human form, it often seeks to seduce and ensnare travelers, luring them into its silk-like web. Once the victim is trapped, the Jorogumo reveals its true form and typically either feeds on the person or marries them, leading to various outcomes. Jorogumo’s motivations varied from creature to creature. In some versions, the Jorogumo sought to find a husband to marry and bear children with.

The Jorogumo legend is a example of the shape-shifting and seductive yōkai (supernatural creatures) found in Japanese folklore and serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of being deceived by outward appearances.

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