Kera kera onna - 倩兮女 - [Yokai]

•About this yokai•

KeraKeraOnna - “倩兮女” - “Cackling woman.”

Another yokai from the ‘red light’ district: shes the ghost of a gigantic  Ojiichan (middle aged woman) who’s gruesome shrill laughter reverberates in the ears of men, who will continue to hear it until the day they die. (Nobody else can hear it, so it quickly drives them insane!) – Payback & revenge for the lifetime of abuse she went through...

• History and early appearances •

Its another yokai from Toriyama Sekiens 3rd hyakki yagyo book: “KonjakuHyakkiShui” (1779) she appears to  be laughing at someone whilst standing over a wall.

There are a /lot/ of yokai who are specifically from the red-light districts: [to name a handful: Rokurokubi, Ohaguro bettari, Taka onna, Dorotabo and even Nekomusume.) – The large number of red light dwelling yokai is likely because at the time, it was also a district dedicated to food, restaurants and many other forms of general entertainment: gambling, circuses, theatre. ( & of course ‘Adult 🏩 Pleasures’) if it was something to enjoy, it was there.

Naturally people likely talked of ghosts and other such things over dinner, the topic was also a regular form of entertainment in theatres! (...as it is today!) so it makes sense that a lot of stories seem to stem from those areas.

Sadly, 'Ladys of the night' where just not paid very well and abuse was rampant. (as it still is today...) so, it makes sense that there are a lot of yokai are related to brothels in particular i suppose. (Apparently The average life expectancy of those working in Edo period brothels was sadly just 23! So despite being “middle aged” the kera-kera-onna was actually quite young.) – Like most things that live long lives, those who lived beyond expectancies to an old age  where said to become very powerful yokai... 

in retrospect its kind of nice that in most folklore, its seems the spirits of those that where wronged, are getting their just revenge. (but it would be nicer if people where just decent to everyone... oh well.)

Sticker Art by @Samkalensky (yo thats me!) - Part of my Night parade of 100 Demons - Yokai & Japanese folklore sticker collection, weather-resistant 6" Glossy sticker. Check my shop & follow @samkalensky for many more!