Nobusuma 野衾

Nobusuma (野衾), the “Wild Quilt,” is a sky-gliding predator of the mountain forests—an ancient bat that has grown to a monstrous size and learned the terrifying trick of smothering travelers mid-flight.

Meaning and Origin

The name means “Field Bedding” or “Wild Blanket.”

The legend comes from the forests around Edo (Tokyo). It is based on the biological transformation of a bat. Folklore states that once a bat lives for an exceptionally long time, its body expands, its fur grows thick and coarse, and it transforms into a Nobusuma. The name “Wild Quilt” comes from the way it flattens its body and glides through the air, looking like a discarded piece of bedding flying through the canopy.

Characteristics

The Nobusuma is often confused with the giant flying squirrel (Musasabi), but with a supernatural twist. It is described as a creature with a furry body, fleshy wings, and a thirst for blood.

Its primary method of attack is to swoop down from high trees and latch onto a traveler’s face. It uses its large, blanket-like body to cover the victim’s eyes and mouth, causing instant panic and suffocation. While the victim is struggling, the Nobusuma uses its sharp fangs to suck the blood from their neck. It is also uniquely said to have a diet that includes tree nuts, fire, and even the smoke from human torches.

Legends

A famous legend tells of a group of travelers who were glissading down a mountain trail at night. One by one, their torches were snuffed out by a “hissing wind.” Suddenly, the leader was slammed to the ground by what felt like a heavy, hairy blanket. It was a Nobusuma. Only by driving a dagger into its side did the travelers manage to scare the creature off, which fled into the sky with a high-pitched cry of “Gaa-Gaa!”

In the lifecycle of yokai, the Nobusuma is considered an “intermediate” stage. It is said that if a Nobusuma lives for another century, it will transform once more into the even more powerful Yamachichi (Mountain Father). This legend serves as a reminder to woodsmen that the smallest creatures in the forest can, over centuries, grow into the forest’s greatest and most suffocating nightmares.