Rokurokubi- A female demon that can extend her neck phenomenal distances and attack passersby. One legend tells of how a woman killed a fish, which violated the Buddhist code and legend has it that she was turned into a rokurokubi as punishment for killing.
Nukekubi- Often confused with the rokurokubi, this monster is a humanoid creature that can dettach its head and send it flying around to cause mayhem. Hiding their bodies while their head is free is the only documented way of defeating these creatures, but they can be spotted by symbols/runes or possibly kanji in red writing around their necks. This attribute may often be listed as one of the rokurokubi as part of the blurry line between the mythos of the two monsters.
Yuki Onna- Woman of the snow, often appears to lost travelers on the verge of hypothermia. One tale describes how a woodcutter was spared from death by a Yuki Onna, who later married him without him knowing his wife and would-be murderer were one in the same. After breaking his promise to never tell anyone of the night she first visited him, she fled the house, sparing him only because of the children they had together. Other myths refer to one of these snow women asking travelers to nurse their baby, when doing so will cause the victim to freeze to death.
Oni Baba/Yama Uba- An ogrish crone of the forests, similar to figures throughout the world, such as the candy-witch in Hansel and Gretel. She will offer hospitality, usually only to ensure that she gets a feed that night. Other tales say she will harbour travelers, so long as they perform tasks of labour for her. She may have magical objects in the house or taboo subjects that would cause her to turn on the unfortunate fool who uttered it.
Hannya- A woman-turned demon for being too jealous during her mortal lifetime. They are often referred to as vengeance demons and this makes up a large part of their role in Japanese mythology. An example of this monster in western fiction, may very well be the vengeance demon Anya in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as the name seems too similar to be coincidental. They are often in Noh plays, which seem to love creating the grotesque masks of these beasts to stir the emotions of the audience. Over variations on this demon, include the unpleasant characteristic of baby-eating.
Nopperabo- Not so much classed as an evil spirit, the Nopperabo is a frightful woman without a face. Her existance throughout Japanese mythology is said to be that of a ghost dedicated to bringing the killers of innocent women to justice. There are countless kaidan or ghost stories that relate to this type of being.
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