Ushi no koku mairi - 橋姫 - [Curse.]

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Ushi no koku mairi - 橋姫, 丑の刻参り - aka: "Ushi no toki mairi" - [Curse.]

• About this Curse: An illegal, dark magic ritual often performed by jealous or scorned women at Kyoto shrines, its performed around 1-3 AM (the hour of the ox.) when most people would be asleep. - Wearing all white with a candle lit, iron trivet on your head, a comb in your mouth, and a sacred shinto mirror hung from your neck. With blazing hatred in your heart: Nail A straw effigy (representing the intended victim to a sacred tree. Repeat this for 7 nights without being caught; If you succeed, your victim will die. - But! - If anyone else observed you or the ritual, the effects will either be nullified or worse, turned back on the person casting the spell. - So its important you do not get caught (or accidentally witness someone else in the act, else they'll hunt you down!! no witnesses. 💀) - An old saying goes: "If you curse someone, best to dig two graves..."

• History: The Ushi no koku Mairi curse was inspired by the jealous 'Hashihime' (Who's cheating husband betrayed her.) Her story is famously performed in the noh play "Kanawa" where night after night, she begs the goddess of kifune shrine for her to be transformed into a "living oni" (kijoh) in order to enact her revenge. it's thought that people began performing the ritual in real life after it was made famous in noh theatre & plays which where most popular during the Edo period.

[Hashi hime as she appears in toriyama sekiens Gazu Hyakki Yagyo]

[the hour of the ox ritual also had its own entry]

[edo period print]

Hashi hime is also one of few characters with a Noh mask which is used to portray her specifically:

...Over the years people have attempted the ritual in real life; of course, these days it’s illegal (often seen as a form of bad intent/stalking) but that doesn't seem to stop people from trying! - Every so often monks still find the straw dolls nailed to trees. -(Though, with the introduction of easy to obtain security cameras, it’s becoming more and more rare, no use trying it if someones watching.) - Never the less, Surprisingly you can buy ready made kits for this off of sites like amazon & etsy there are even services to have someone supposedly perform the curse for you. (isn't that a bit like hiring a hit man?)

• In pop culture: You probably recognize various aspects of this ritual from anime & games too; It’s the same curse that Souichi Tsujii performs on his classmates (from the various works of junji ito,) it’s also why the principal was freaking out at the straw doll in Nichijou, The wara wara no mi devil fruit is also based on this curse. - Most notably however, is that its also the direct Inspiration behind the move "curse" from Pokemon!! subsequently to that, it also seems that both Shuppet (and Banette) were both originally planned to be direct references to the ritual (but it seems likely due to controversy of including that, they where changed to be based on teru-bozu & a haunted doll instead.) – [The following sprite was found in a pokemon Ruby & Sapphire beta leak a few years back along with many other cut pokemon sprites.]

[Art sticker by samkalensky, part of my Hyakki yagyo collection of stickers. follow and support for many more.]