Tsuchigumo

Tsuchigumo(Thổ tri chu,literally translated "dirt/earth spider" )is a historical Japanese derogatory term for renegade local clans, and also the name for a race of spider-likeyōkaiinJapanese folklore.Alternative names for the mythologicalTsuchigumoincludeyatsukahagi(Bát ác hĩnh,roughly "eight grasping legs" )andōgumo(Đại tri chu,"giant spider" ).^[1]In theKojikiand inNihon Shoki,the name was phonetically spelled with the four kanjiĐô tri cửu mẫu(for the four moraetsu-chi-gu-mo),^[2]and these words were frequently used in theFudokiofMutsu Province,Echigo Province,Hitachi Province,Settsu Province,Bungo ProvinceandHizen Provinceas well as others.

Tsuchigumo, fromBakemono no escroll,Brigham Young University

The nameTsuchigumois believed to be derived fromtuchigomori(Thổ ẩn).tuchi(Thổ)means "earth" andgomori(Ẩn)means "hiding". The word is thought to have referred to a local clan of powerful people who did not obey the imperial court and lived in caves. As a local clan, theTsuchigumowere described as short in stature but long in limbs, with the temperament of a wolf and the heart of an owl, and living an uncivilized life.^[3]^[4]

Historian Sōkichi Tsuda (ja) points out that unlikeKumasoandEmishi,Tsuchigumois not treated as a group in theFudoki,but as an individual name. The historian Yoshiyuki Takioto (ja) also deduces that theTsuchigumowere local chieftains with shamanism as their power background from the fact that theTsuchigumoin theFudokiofKyushuappear as sorcerers related to agriculture who appease angrykami.^[5]

The giant spider-like figure of thetsuchigumoas aoni-likeyōkaifirst appeared in medieval literary works. The most representative work among these tales isThe Tale of the Heike,compiled in theKamakura period(1185–1333) in the first half of the 13th century, in which it appears under the nameyamagumo(Sơn tri chu,"mountain spider" ).As thetsuchigumopassed through the ages, it became a more bizarre-lookingyōkai.^[6]In the 14th-centuryemakimonoTsuchigumo Sōshi,thetsuchigumois depicted as a giantyōkai60 meters long, and when it was exterminated, 1990 heads of the dead came out of its belly.Minamoto no YorimitsuandWatanabe no Tsuna,who participated in the extermination of thetsuchigumoin these stories, are legendary heroes in Japan; they also appear in the legend of the powerfuloniShuten-dōji.^[7]Thetsuchigumoas ayōkaialso appeared as the subject ofNoh,JōruriandKabukiplays.^[4]

In history

Tsuchigumo of the Katsuragi

Of the clans referred to as tsuchigumo, those of theMount Yamato Katsuragiare particularly well known. Katsuragi Hitokotonushi Shrine(Cát thành nhất ngôn chủ thần xã,Katsuragi Hitokotonushi Jinja)was said to be the remains whereEmperor Jimmucaptured tsuchigumo and buried their head, body and feet separately to prevent their grudges from harming the living.^[8]

In historicYamato Province,the unique physical characteristics of the tsuchigumo were that they were tailed people. In theNihon Shoki,the founder of the Yoshino no Futo ( cát dã thủ ) were written to be "with a glowing tail," the founder of Yoshino no Kuzu ( quốc 樔) were stated to "have tails and come along pushing rocks ( bàn thạch, iwa)," presenting the indigenous people of Yamato as non-humans. Even in the Kojiki, they shared a common trait with the people of Osaka ( nhẫn bản ) (now Sakurai city) in that they were "tsuchigumo ( thổ vân ) who have grown tails."

Records from the Keiko generation and others

In theHizen no Kuni Fudoki,there is an article writing that when Emperor Keiko made an imperial visit to Shiki island ( chí thức đảo, Hirado island) (year 72 in the legends), the expedition encountered a pair of islands in the middle of sea. Seeing smoke rising from inland, the Emperor ordered an investigation of the islands, and discovered that the tsuchigumo Oomimi ( đại nhĩ ) lived on the smaller island, and Taremimi ( thùy nhĩ ) lived on the larger island. When both were captured and about to be killed, Oomimi and Taremimi lowered their foreheads to the ground and fell prostrate, and pleaded, "we will from now on make offerings to the emperor" and presented fish products and begged for pardon.

Also, in theBungo no Kuni Fudoki,there appeared many tsuchigumo, such as the Itsuma-hime ( ngũ mã cơ ) of Itsuma mountain ( ngũ mã sơn ), the Uchisaru ( đả hầu ), Unasaru ( cảnh hầu ), Yata ( bát điền ), Kunimaro ( quốc ma lữ ), and Amashino ( võng cơ dã ), of Negi field ( di nghi dã ), the Shinokaomi ( tiểu trúc lộc thần ) of Shinokaosa ( tiểu trúc lộc áo ), and the Ao ( thanh ) and Shiro ( bạch ) of Nezumi cavern ( thử の bàn quật ). Other than these, there is also the story of Tsuchigumo Yasome ( thổ tri chu bát thập nữ ), who made preparations in the mountains to resist against the imperial court, but was utterly defeated. This word "Yaso" ( bát thập ), literally "eighty," is a figurative term for "many," so this story is interpreted to mean that many of the female chief class opposed the Yamato imperial court, and met a heroic end, choosing to die alongside their men. In the story, Yaso, one local female chief, was greatly popular among the people, and she separated her allies from those resisting the imperial forces. Tsuchigumo Yasome's whereabouts were reported to the emperor, and for her efforts she was spared.^[9]

According to writings in the Nihon Shoki, in the 12th year of emperor Keiko (year 82 in the legends), in winter, October, emperor Keiko arrived in Hayami town, Ookita (now Ooita), and heard from the queen of the land, Hayatsuhime ( tốc tân viện ) that there was a big cave in the mountain, called the Nezumi cave, where two tsuchigumo, Shiro and Ao, lived. In Negino ( di nghi dã ), Naoiri, they were informed of three more tsuchigumo named Uchizaru ( đả viên ), Yata ( bát điền ), and Kunimaro ( quốc ma lữ, quốc ma lữ ). These five had great amount of allies, and would not follow the emperor's commands.^[10]

Yōkai tsuchigumo

A depiction ofMinamoto no Yorimitsuslaying tsuchigumo yokai, byUtagawa Kuniyoshifrom the beginning of the Ansei period. The large version continues for 2 more images.

Twotsuba(sword guard) depicting Minamoto no Yorimitsu trying to cut a tsuchigumo with atachinamed 'Hizamaru'. made by Unno Yoshimori I (left), Gochiku Sadakatsu (right).Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

From theJapanese middle ages(Kamakura/Muromachi/Azuchi-Momoyamaperiods, or the late 12th to the early 17th centuries) onward,tsuchigumobegan to be depicted as giant, monstrous spiders.

A commonly cited early text depicting theyōkai tsuchigumoisThe Tale of the Heike,or rather some variant texts of theHeike.This work, which was passed down orally amongbiwalute players, has a complicated textual history and numerous variants, including the massively expandedGenpei Jōsuiki,and some versions include an extended passage on swords, known as the"Sword Scroll", ortsurugi-no-maki.This is regarded as one of the most important and influential texts that depict the conflict between Yorimitsu and thetsuchigumo,and is the source for many later artistic representations.^[11]It describes Yorimitsu's using the swordHizamaru[ja]to defeat ayamagumo,which led to his renaming it 'Kumokiri' ( tri chu thiết, "Spider-Cutter" ).^[12]At present,Daikaku-jiTemple,Hakone Shrineand an individual, havetachithat have been handed down asHizamaru,which are also called by other names such as 'Kumokiri', 'Hoemaru' and 'Usumidori' based on various legends.^[13]

Works such as the 14th-century picture scrollTsuchigumo Sōshiand the 15th-century Noh dramaTsuchigumoenvision various versions of a legend in whichMinamoto no Yorimitsu,also known as Raikō, a famous 10th-century general and ancestor of theMinamoto clandefeat an enormous spideryōkaireferred to as atsuchigumooryamagumo( "earth spider" or "mountain spider", respectively). In some versions, Yorimitsu and his retainerWatanabe no Tsunapursue the spider, whichtakes various forms such as a beautiful woman,and when they defeat it they cut it open and skulls pour out of its torso, while in others, Yorimitsu is incapacitated and a young retainer hunts the spider down in his stead.

Tsuchigumo Sōshi(see scrolling image below) interestingly contains a visual depiction that doesn't appear to match the accompanying text, as the text has Yorimitsu and Tsuna take down an enormous, 60-foot monster that they later realize is a giant spider, but the imagery shows them doing battle with twooni,or ogre-demons, resemblingGozu and Mezu,which perhaps represent another of thetsuchigumo's transformations.

Tsuchigumo Sōshi,parts eight through thirteen

References

Citations

^Nham tỉnh hoành thật (2000).Mộ しの trung の yêu quái たち.Hà xuất văn khố. Hà xuất thư phòng tân xã. pp. 156 hiệt.ISBN 978-4-309-47396-3.
^Kinh cực hạ ngạn ・ đa điền khắc kỷ biên trứ (2008).Yêu quái họa bổn cuồng ca bách vật ngữ.Quốc thư khan hành hội. pp. 293–294 hiệt.ISBN 978-4-3360-5055-7.
^Makoto Sahara (Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties) (1987).Thể hệ nhật bổn の lịch sử 1 nhật bổn nhân の đản sinh.Shogakukan.p. 178.ISBN 978-4096220016.
^^a ^bThổ tri chu(in Japanese). Kotobank. Archived fromthe originalon 12 February 2023.Retrieved12 February2023.
^Itaru Matsueda[in Japanese](2006).Tượng trưng đồ tượng nghiên cứu ― động vật と tượng trưng.Gensōsha.pp. 76–100.ISBN 978-4862090072.
^Katsuhiko Fujii (8 February 2021).Thổ tri chu ～ sơn trung の dị hình の yêu quái も, nguyên は thiện lương な dân だった⁉(in Japanese). ABC Ark, Inc. Archived fromthe originalon 27 September 2022.Retrieved12 February2023.
^Sachie Miyamoto, Azusa Kumagai (2007).Nhật bổn の yêu quái の mê と bất tư nghị.Gakken.p. 74.ISBN 978-4056047608.
^Thôn thượng kiện tư biên trứ (2000).Yêu quái sự điển.Mỗi nhật tân văn xã. pp. 222 hiệt.ISBN 978-4-620-31428-0.
^Nghĩa giang minh tử 『 cổ đại nữ tính sử への chiêu đãi ―― “Muội の lực” を siêu えて』
^Nhật bổn thư kỷ の tham khảo bộ phân:Nhật bổn thư kỷ quyển đệ thất Nhật bổn thư kỷ ( triều nhật tân văn xã bổn )《 cảnh hành thiên hoàng thập nhị niên ( nhâm ngọ bát nhị ) thập nguyệt 》 đông thập nguyệt. Đáo thạc điền quốc. ・・・ nhân danh thạc điền dã. ・・・ đáo tốc kiến ấp. Hữu nữ nhân. Viết tốc tân viện. ・・・ tư sơn hữu đại thạch quật. Viết thử thạch quật. Hữu nhị thổ tri chu. Trụ kỳ thạch quật. Nhất viết thanh. Nhị viết bạch. Hựu ô trực nhập huyện di nghi dã, hữu tam thổ tri chu. Nhất viết đả viên. Nhị viết bát điền. Tam viết quốc ma lữ. Thị ngũ nhân tịnh kỳ vi nhân cường lực. Diệc chúng loại đa chi. Giai viết. Bất 従 hoàng mệnh.
^Reider 2013,p. 56.
^Shida 1983,p. 389.
^Tsumugu Japan art & culture.Yomiuri shimbun.

Works cited

Reider, Noriko T. (2013)."Tsuchigumo sōshi:The Emergence of a Shape-Shifting Killer Female Spider "(PDF).Asian Ethnology.72(1): 55–83.JSTOR 41958916.Gale A347520275NAID 40019716973ProQuest 1445172743.
Shida, Itaru(1983). "Heike Tsuruginomaki".Nihon Koten Bungaku DaijitenNhật bổn cổ điển văn học đại từ điển(in Japanese). Vol. 5. Tokyo:Iwanami Shoten.p. 389.OCLC 11917421.NCID BN00750640.