Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

Urikohime and the Amanojaku

 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
type
TVTItem
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
label
Urikohime and the Amanojaku
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
page
UrikohimeAndTheAmanojaku
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
comment
Urikohime and the Amanojaku is a Japanse Fairy Tale of the type that starts with a childless couple finding the protagonist as a very small baby. Here that baby is Urikohime (ç“œå­�姫), meaning Melon Seed Princess, for she is discovered within a melon.note Technically, "ç“œ" covers all cucurbits, but the specific fruit in the tale is always identified as a melon. The titular amanojaku is the villain of the story. Amanojaku are youkai commonly used in depictions of divine heroes as the evil entities those heroes subdue, but rarely do classic stories incorporate amanojaku. Urikohime and the Amanojaku is the best known tale to feature this youkai.The couple adopts Urikohime and she grows up to be a fine young lady, reputed for her beauty, her song, and her weaving. One day, the couple has to leave Urikohime home alone and instruct her not to open the door for anyone. This is when the amanojaku strikes. It convinces Urikohime to open the door just a little bit and that is enough to force it open in full.In versions generally told in West Japan, the amanojaku strongarms Urikohime outside, undresses her, and ties her up in a persimmon tree. Then it dons her clothes and shapeshifts into her image. Upon the couple's return, the amanojaku pretends to be their beloved daughter and takes place in the litter readied for her. The group doesn't get far before either Urikohime's voice or those of the birds taking pity on her warn of the deception. The amanojaku is decapitated on the spot, staining the roots of the millet red. In versions common to East Japan, the story is much more grim. The amanojaku murders Urikohime, flays her to disguise itself in her skin, and consumes the rest of the evidence. Either curious behavior by the amanojaku betrays it or Urikohime's soul reincarnated as a bird reveals the deception (a common motif in folklore also found in The Brothers Grimm's story "The Juniper Tree"). The amanojaku is killed, staining the roots of the proso millet red.While Urikohime's fate is region-bound, the further story variations are not. Another major one is the presence of a prince. In case he's not part of the fairy tale, the litter is readied for Urikohime to take her to a festival and the amanojaku is killed by Urikohime's father. In case the tale includes a prince, Urikohime is to marry him and the litter is to transport her safely to the palace. The amanojaku is killed either by guards or the prince. As well, instead of acting for evil's sake, the amanojaku goes after Urikohime for political influence. Incidental story variations include Urikohime's origin not being mentioned, the villain being a wolf instead of an amanojaku, the amanojaku also being born from the melon, Urikohime falling to her death out of the persimmon tree, Urikohime's parents being tricked into eating her flesh, and the amanojaku's blood also staining the chestnut's and the buckwheat's roots red.At the very tail end of the 1970s, a Bloody Mary-style Urban Legend developed from the East Japanese version of the fairy tale. It had its popularity in the first half of the 1980s and goes that if one says "Urikohime" in front of a mirror at 12 o'clock, Urikohime's resentfulness will manifest and kill the one who summoned her.See also Momotarō, with which Urikohime and the Amanojaku occasionally exchanges traits.
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
fetched
2024-02-16T20:30:28Z
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
parsed
2024-02-16T20:30:28Z
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_27705cf8
type
Textile Work Is Feminine
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_27705cf8
comment
Textile Work Is Feminine: The main quality Urikohime is praised for is her high skill in weaving, which she always does with a song on her lips. She's weaving when the amanojaku arrives at her house and manipulates her into letting it enter.
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_27705cf8
featureApplicability
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_27705cf8
featureConfidence
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_27705cf8
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_3403abfc
type
Mugged for Disguise
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_3403abfc
comment
Mugged for Disguise: The amanojaku wants what Urikohime has and therefore opts to impersonate her. This is done A.) by abducting or killing the real Urikohime, and B.) taking her clothes and sometimes her skin to dress up in as her.
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_3403abfc
featureApplicability
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_3403abfc
featureConfidence
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_3403abfc
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_3fe6a857
type
Public Domain Character
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_3fe6a857
comment
Public Domain Character: Both Urikohime and the amanojaku are popular for adaptation in all sorts of stories and they usually show up together.
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_3fe6a857
featureApplicability
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_3fe6a857
featureConfidence
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_3fe6a857
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_48e8fe57
type
Happily Adopted
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_48e8fe57
comment
Happily Adopted: Urikohime is found as a baby inside a melon that was either grown by a childless couple or found floating down the river. They raise her as their own and love her dearly.
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_48e8fe57
featureApplicability
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_48e8fe57
featureConfidence
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_48e8fe57
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_6a49268
type
"Just So" Story
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_6a49268
comment
"Just So" Story: Urikohime and the Amanojaku explains why the roots of the millet, and sometimes the chestnut and the buckwheat, are red: it's the blood of the amanojaku.
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_6a49268
featureApplicability
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_6a49268
featureConfidence
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_6a49268
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_9369b9d6
type
Bride and Switch
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_9369b9d6
comment
Bride and Switch: The amanojaku sometimes takes Urikohime's place to marry the prince instead.
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_9369b9d6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_9369b9d6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_9369b9d6
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_9b54d536
type
Evil Counterpart
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_9b54d536
comment
Evil Counterpart: Urikohime and the amanojaku are generally interpreted as two sides of the same coin in a light-dark setup, especially in regards to versions in which they both die. They're both supernatural beings, the amanojaku takes Urikohime's role, there's creation on both sides by weaving and dyeing, and then death.
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_9b54d536
featureApplicability
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_9b54d536
featureConfidence
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_9b54d536
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_a16aeb99
type
Genuine Human Hide
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_a16aeb99
comment
Genuine Human Hide: In the gruesome versions of the tale, the amanojaku flays Urikohime and disguises itself as her with her skin.
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_a16aeb99
featureApplicability
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_a16aeb99
featureConfidence
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_a16aeb99
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_a2465845
type
Not Quite Human
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_a2465845
comment
Not Quite Human: Urikohime is found as a baby inside a melon and her unusual origins aren't cleared up by the fairy tale. She grows up to look and act no different from a human.
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_a2465845
featureApplicability
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_a2465845
featureConfidence
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_a2465845
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_af8dad6b
type
Beautiful Singing Voice
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_af8dad6b
comment
Beautiful Singing Voice: It's not as praised as her skill at weaving, but Urikohime's singing voice is often noted to be exceptional. It is also linked to her weaving because she always sings while at it.
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_af8dad6b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_af8dad6b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_af8dad6b
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_bea77379
type
Youkai
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_bea77379
comment
Youkai: Amanojaku are youkai that represent great evil and have both the ability and aim to bring out the worst in humans. They are rare in classic stories, so Urikohime and the Amanojaku is a big influence on how the youkai is commonly understood.
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_bea77379
featureApplicability
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_bea77379
featureConfidence
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_bea77379
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_dc835463
type
The Big Bad Wolf
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_dc835463
comment
The Big Bad Wolf: A few versions feature a wolf instead of an amanojaku as villain. Urikohime gets eaten by it once it finds its way inside her house and it may trick her parents into consuming the leftovers, which are details that suggest the fairy tale is part of the same thematic family that Little Red Riding Hood is also part of.
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_dc835463
featureApplicability
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_dc835463
featureConfidence
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_dc835463
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_e37f19
type
Disguised in Drag
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_e37f19
comment
Disguised in Drag: Especially in modern versions and adaptations, the amanojaku is male. He dresses up as the female Urikohime, either through shapeshifting and wearing her clothes or through wearing her skin.
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_e37f19
featureApplicability
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_e37f19
featureConfidence
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_e37f19
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_e87efd00
type
Born from Plants
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_e87efd00
comment
Born from Plants: Urikohime is a woman born from a melon. Technically "uri" means any cucurbit, but the common interpretation is specifically a melon. Her Evil Counterpart, the amanojaku, rarely is also born from a melon.
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_e87efd00
featureApplicability
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_e87efd00
featureConfidence
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_e87efd00
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_eb28ab57
type
Bound and Gagged
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_eb28ab57
comment
Bound and Gagged: If not killed, Urikohime is abducted and left tied up in a persimmon tree, wearing at most her underwear. She's not gagged, though, which comes back to bite the amanojaku when Urikohime's voice carries far enough to reveal the deception.
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_eb28ab57
featureApplicability
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_eb28ab57
featureConfidence
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_eb28ab57
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_ece27800
type
Kill and Replace
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_ece27800
comment
Kill and Replace: If Urikohime dies, the amanojaku murders and then impersonates her for personal gain.
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_ece27800
featureApplicability
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_ece27800
featureConfidence
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_ece27800
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_name
type
ItemName
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_name
comment
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_name
featureApplicability
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_name
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku / int_name
itemName
Urikohime and the Amanojaku

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Born from Plants / int_6fb13fc1
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Kill and Replace / int_6fb13fc1
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Mirror Monster / int_6fb13fc1
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Mugged for Disguise / int_6fb13fc1
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Youkai / int_6fb13fc1
 Urikohime and the Amanojaku
hasFeature
Youkai Works / int_6fb13fc1