Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Wild Horse
Category: Horse
The Myth
Nouma is a one-eyed man-eating yōkai from the folklore of Hinui Village in Ōchi District, Shimane Prefecture.
The creature is associated with the time when iron was produced in local tatara furnaces. One night, while a worker was sleeping at a smelting site, a mysterious woman suddenly appeared and lay over his body.
At the same time, the eerie neighing of the Nouma echoed in the distance. The creature gradually approached the furnace and peered inside through a high window. However, the moment it saw the woman, it immediately fled in terror.
The mysterious woman was later believed to have been Kanayago, the goddess of ironworking and metallurgy, whose presence protected the worker from the man-eating Nouma.
Sources
TYZ. (n.d.). 野馬 (Nouma). In 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010655022.html