The countdown to halloween continues with our look at Japanese Urban Legends. We've already covered Hanako-san of the Toilet, Kuchisake-onna, the Slit-Mouthed Woman, and Aka-Manto. Today, let's go with another older one, let's cover...
Hone-onna is a beautiful woman in a kimono. She attracts young men late at night in dark alleys and convinces them to undress her. But if they do, they are doomed, for as soon as they open her kimono they discover that she has no skin. Before they can scream and run away, she will embrace them and suck their life away.
At least that's one version. The clean and quick one, so to speak. Another has it that she might become lovers with her victim and spend many nights with him. Every night she drains more and more of his life until he wastes away. In this version of the story, only those unblinded by lust can see that she is a gruesome skeleton; others see her as a beautiful young woman.
In this version, the slow and sweet one we might say, or perhaps the more tragic one, usually a servant or friend will visit and see through the illusion and warn them about what's happening. In this case, she will keep visiting so a charm or spell is needed to prevent her from coming
Unlike our previous ghouls who were seeking revenge against humanity, Hone-onna is said to instead have an undying craving for love and doesn't actually intend to hurt her victims. Nor is she even aware of her condition or that she kills her lovers.
In some tellings there isn't just one Bone Woman, but there can be many as it is more a condition (like being a zombie) that strikes some women who die while still holding onto an undying passion for love.
This may be the oldest of the urban legends we've looked at so far. In Japan this dates to 1666 to a story called Botan Dōrō, but it may be based on a Chinese work by Qu You from as far back as 1378.
This is perhaps less an urban legend than a traditional ghost story (called kaidan, 怪談) but I thought the modern version that I mentioned at first fits well enough with the idea of urban legends.
❦
 |
David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. |
If this blog post has entertained or helped you, please follow/upvote/reblog. If you want to further support my writing, donations are welcome.