Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Praying Mantis Hill
Category: Insect
The Myth
Kamakiri-zaka is a haunted hill in Katagai-machi, Mishima District, Niigata Prefecture, associated with the curse of a gigantic praying mantis. According to local legend, a monstrous mantis once lived in the area, growing so enormous that it could devour human beings.
One winter, a severe snowstorm crushed the giant insect to death. However, its death did not end the danger associated with the creature. The hill became the site of a strange supernatural phenomenon believed to be caused by the dead mantis’s curse.
Ever since the creature’s death, anyone who falls on the hill is said to suffer sickle-shaped wounds that bleed black blood. These strange injuries resemble cuts made by a praying mantis’s sharp forelegs, suggesting that the enormous insect continues to exact revenge even after its death.
Sources
“Kamakiri-zaka.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010653961.html