Yamauba 山姥

Yamauba (山姥), the “Mountain Hag,” is a powerful and dual-natured figure of the Japanese wilderness—a fearsome cannibal to the wicked and a nurturing mother of legends to the brave.

Meaning and Origin

The name means “Mountain Old Woman” (yama - mountain, uba - old woman).

Her origin is a tragic reflection of Japan’s history, often linked to the custom of ubasute (abandoning the elderly). During times of extreme famine, the elderly were sometimes left in the mountains to die; it was believed these abandoned women, filled with rage and a refusal to perish, transformed into Yamauba. Over time, she evolved from a simple “ghost in the woods” into a primordial mountain witch, representing the terrifying and life-giving power of untamed nature.

Characteristics

A Yamauba typically appears as an old woman with long, white-gold hair that reaches the ground. She wears tattered, filthy kimonos and has piercing, predatory eyes. Some legends say she has a second mouth hidden under her hair at the top of her head, which she uses to devour travelers.

She is a master shapeshifter, frequently appearing as a kind, elderly grandmother offering shelter to weary travelers. She possesses immense strength and is a master of mountain sorcery, able to control the wind and create lethal potions from forest herbs. She is neither purely good nor purely evil; she is as unpredictable as the mountain weather itself.

Legends

Her most famous legend is her role as the foster mother of Kintarō (the “Golden Boy”). In this tale, a young woman named Yamauba found an abandoned child of supernatural strength in the woods. Instead of eating him, she raised him as her own, training him to wrestle bears and move mountains. Kintarō eventually became the legendary warrior Sakata no Kintoki, a pillar of Japanese heroism.

Another, darker legend is The Mountain Hag and the Ox-Driver. A traveler staying at her hut realizes she is a monster and tries to flee. In most versions of this story, the traveler eventually tricks her or uses a religious charm to survive. This legend serves as a classic “cautionary tale” about the dangers of the unknown, while her maternal side shows that even the most “monstrous” parts of nature can nurture the next generation of heroes if approached with respect.