Ame onna is depicted as a woman standing in the rain and licking her hands.
Ame onna is a class of youkai that appear on rainy days and nights. They summon rain wherever they go, and are blamed for kidnapping and killing children. They appear as depraved, revealing women, drenched in rainwater. They lick the rainwater off their hands and arms like wild animals.
Ame onna is said to be related to a Chinese mountain goddess that is a cloud in the morning, rains in the afternoon and becomes a woman in the evening. This goddess can be seen walking around the human world on wet, rainy nights. However, unlike the gods, Ame onna is not benevolent. While the rains they bring can save a drought-stricken village or bring good luck to farmers, they have a more sinister purpose — under the cover of the rain, Ame onna roam the mountains. village in search of newborn girls. If they found a child born that night, they would grab it and carry it into the dark, sending it off to another world.
Mothers whose children have been robbed sometimes turn themselves into Ame onna out of grief and despair. Losing their minds, these shapeshifting women roam the streets at night with large sacks in the hope of replacing what has been stolen. They sneak into homes where the cries of small children can be heard, and rob them from their homes at night.
Origin: Ame onna originates from the ancient folk religions of Japan and China. The rains are said to be brought by benevolent gods and goddesses, who live like clouds in the morning and rain at night, forever traveling between heaven and earth. Legend has it that some of these rain goddesses were metamorphosed and turned into evil youkai. They give up their divinity to live among mortals and prey on them.
Comments
Post a Comment