Spider

Enkirigumo

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Relationship-Severing Spider
Category: Spider

The Myth

The Enkirigumo is a giant spider yōkai associated with the forests at the foot of Mount Katsuragi in Nara Prefecture. It was believed to descend from the ancient giant spider of Katsuragi and lived for generations within a woodland known as Spider Forest.

At night, the Enkirigumo did not always appear in its true form. Instead, it transformed into a glowing orb the size of a lantern, drifting silently through the trees as it searched the forest.

During the Meiji period, the forest was cut down to provide timber for the reconstruction of Honganji Temple, destroying the spider’s home. Homeless, the Enkirigumo began wandering into the nearby village every night, floating through the darkness around houses that still had large trees.

The villagers became terrified of the mysterious glowing apparition and stopped leaving their homes after sunset. Young couples could no longer meet secretly beneath the cover of night, and romances quietly came to an end.

Because its nightly appearances unintentionally separated lovers and prevented relationships from forming, the creature became known as the Enkirigumo—the Spider That Severs Relationships.

Sources

TYZ. (n.d.). Enkirigumo [縁切蜘蛛]. In 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010654031.html

Ushioni

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Gyūki, Goki
Category: Spider, Cow

The Myth

The Ushioni is a terrifying yōkai that usually appears as a monstrous ox-like creature, although its appearance varies greatly between regions. Some traditions describe it as a giant ox, while others portray it with the face of an oni and the body of a huge spider, or as a two-legged beast with wing-like membranes. It is a violent predator feared for attacking both humans and animals.

The Ushioni is most commonly associated with dangerous places near water, including deep pools, rivers, waterfalls, marshes, and the seashore. Numerous locations throughout Japan bear names such as Ushioni Pool or Ushioni Waterfall, reflecting the belief that these monsters once haunted them.

Along the coasts of western Japan, the Ushioni often works together with other sea yōkai such as the Nure-onna and Iso-onna. It may first appear as a beautiful woman carrying a baby and ask a traveler to hold the child. As soon as the victim accepts, the infant becomes impossibly heavy, making escape impossible before the Ushioni reveals itself and attacks.

In the mountains of the Kumano region, the Ushioni was believed to kill without even touching its victims. It simply stared relentlessly at anyone it encountered until they gradually weakened, collapsed, and died. This mysterious affliction was known as having one’s shadow swallowed. People believed the only protection was to recite the strange charm: “Stones flow, leaves sink, cows neigh, and horses roar.”

Another tradition from Izumo says that during long periods of rain, a mysterious white light could cling to a person’s body. This phenomenon was called meeting a Ushioni and was believed to disappear only when exposed to fire.

One famous legend tells of an Ushioni that terrorized the region around Negoro-ji Temple in Kagawa Prefecture, killing people and livestock until it was finally slain by the master archer Yamada Kurōdo Takakiyo. The temple is said to preserve the monster’s horns as proof of its existence.

Across Japan, the Ushioni is remembered as one of the country’s most feared monsters—a savage ox demon that haunts lonely waters, deceives travelers, and brings death to anyone unfortunate enough to meet its gaze.

Sources

TYZ. (n.d.). Ushi Oni [牛鬼]. In 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010653546.html

Spider Demons

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Tradition / Region: Chinese Mythology
Alternative names: Seven Spider Demons, Spider Maidens, Pansi Cave Demons
Category: Spider

The Myth

The Spider Demons are seven powerful spider spirits from Journey to the West. Their true forms are enormous spiders said to be as large as buckets, but they usually appear as extraordinarily beautiful young women to deceive travelers.

The seven sisters lived in Pansi Cave beneath Pansi Ridge. Their greatest weapon was the silk they produced from their navels. The strands were incredibly thick and strong, allowing them to instantly weave vast webs capable of trapping even powerful supernatural beings.

During Tang Sanzang’s pilgrimage, the monk stopped nearby to beg for food and encountered the seven beautiful women. They invited him inside, but the meal they prepared was made from human flesh. Realizing they were demons, Tang Sanzang tried to flee, but the sisters bound him with ropes and planned to steam and eat him after finishing their bath in the nearby Cleansing Spring.

Sun Wukong discovered their plot after questioning the local earth god. Finding the demons bathing, he transformed into an eagle and stole their clothing to delay them while rescuing Tang Sanzang. Zhu Bajie later attempted to kill the bathing demons, but they escaped by shooting silk from their navels and trapping him inside enormous webs.

The seven sisters fled to the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord, their senior brother, who sheltered them at the Yellow Flower Temple. Together they fought Sun Wukong, again covering the battlefield with vast sheets of spider silk. Wukong eventually learned that they were spider spirits and armed his monkey followers with double-pronged forks to cut through the webs. Once the silk was destroyed, the Spider Demons were forced to reveal their true forms as gigantic spiders. Sun Wukong killed all seven before defeating the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord.

Although famed for their beauty, the Spider Demons were not powerful martial fighters. Their greatest strengths were shapeshifting, deception, and their supernatural spider silk, which could instantly entangle enemies and cover entire buildings in enormous webs.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). 蜘蛛精. In 維基百科，自由的百科全書. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%9C%98%E8%9B%9B%E7%B2%BE

Tsuchigumo

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Yamagumo, Ōgumo, Yatsukahagi
Category: Spider

The Myth

The Tsuchigumo is a colossal spider yōkai that dwells in mountains, caves, abandoned mansions, and underground lairs. It is a master of illusion, capable of taking human form, disguising itself as monks, women, or other beings to lure victims into its webs before revealing its monstrous true form.

Although later folklore depicts it as a supernatural spider, the name originally referred to rebellious clans that resisted the early Yamato court. During the medieval period these figures gradually transformed into the giant spider monsters of Japanese legend.

The most famous legend tells of the warrior Minamoto no Yorimitsu, who was suffering from a mysterious illness when a towering monk entered his room at night and attempted to bind him with ropes. Yorimitsu slashed the stranger with his sword, causing the figure to flee while leaving behind a trail of blood. Following the trail with his retainers, he discovered a gigantic spider hidden inside a cave and killed it. His sword thereafter became known as Spider-Cutter.

Another famous version tells how Yorimitsu and his companion entered a ruined mansion after following a floating human skull. There they were attacked by strange monsters before a beautiful woman appeared to deceive them. When Yorimitsu wounded her, she fled, leaving a trail of white blood that led into a mountain cave. Inside they found the Tsuchigumo in its true form—a gigantic spider said to be nearly sixty meters long. After a fierce battle they slew the monster, and when its swollen body was cut open, nearly two thousand human skulls spilled from its abdomen, along with countless smaller spiders.

The Tsuchigumo became one of Japan’s most famous spider yōkai, remembered as a monstrous cave-dwelling predator whose greatest weapon was deception, using illusions and shapeshifting before trapping its victims in its immense webs.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Tsuchigumo. In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsuchigumo

Spider Son

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Spider Son
Category: Spider

The Myth

The Spider Son was a half-human, half-spider child born from the union of a mountain spider spirit and a human woman. Although monstrous in appearance, he became famous for his wisdom, craftsmanship, and supernatural knowledge.

The story tells of a poor widower and his thirteen-year-old daughter, who survived by gathering wild greens in the mountains. One spring she met a handsome young man who offered to buy everything she collected each day. After many meetings, he revealed his true identity, transforming into a gigantic spider. Before disappearing into the mountains, he told her she was carrying his child and asked her to raise it with care.

In time she gave birth to a son who was human from the waist up but possessed the body of a spider below. Rather than abandoning him, the family lovingly accepted him and raised him as their own.

Ashamed of his appearance, the Spider Son asked his grandfather to cut a hole in the floor so he could remain hidden beneath the house while only his upper body emerged. From there he spent his days carving wooden toys, statues of gods and Buddhas, and other beautiful works. The children of the village loved his creations, and grateful families rewarded the poor household with rice and money.

As he grew older, the Spider Son became known for his extraordinary wisdom. When the daughter of a wealthy man fell gravely ill, he declared that she could be cured simply by drinking water from a hidden spring at the foot of a nearby mountain. Although few believed him, the spring was found exactly where he described, and the girl recovered immediately after drinking its water.

From then on, people traveled from far away seeking the Spider Son’s advice and predictions, which rarely proved false. His fame spread throughout the region, bringing prosperity to the once-impoverished family, while the mysterious child of a mountain spider came to be remembered as a miraculous being rather than a monster.

Sources

TYZ. (n.d.). Spider Son [蜘蛛の子]. In 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1074146146.html

Ashidakagumo-Henge

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Ashidakagumo-Henge
Category: Spider

The Myth

The Ashidakagumo-Henge is an aged giant spider that gains the power to transform into a human. Unlike the seductive Jorōgumo, it often appears as an eerie elderly woman whose unnatural presence brings fear and madness.

One tale tells of a man from a mountain village who went out for an evening walk beneath the moon. High in the fork of a great chestnut tree he saw an old woman with tangled hair, blackened teeth, and a disturbing smile staring directly at him. Terrified, he hurried home.

After returning, he fell into an uneasy sleep. The old woman repeatedly appeared in his dreams until, bathed in moonlight, she stood outside his house exactly as she had appeared in the tree. Grabbing his sword, the man prepared himself as the woman slowly opened the sliding door and stepped inside.

As soon as she entered, he struck her across the body with a single powerful slash. The monster staggered from the blow, but before he could strike again the man lost consciousness.

When he awoke, neighbors had gathered after hearing his scream. The mysterious old woman had vanished. Inside the house there was no trace of her except for the severed legs of an enormous spider lying on the floor.

The story concludes that even ordinary spiders, after living long enough, can acquire supernatural power and transform into terrifying human-like beings.

Sources

TYZ. (n.d.). Ashidakagumo-Henge [足高蜘蛛変化]. In 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010654434.html

Jorōgumo

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Jorōgumo, Jorō Kumo
Category: Spider

The Myth

The Jorōgumo is a supernatural spider that can transform into a beautiful woman to deceive and ensnare humans. It is one of Japan’s most famous spider yōkai and is often associated with lonely houses, forests, waterfalls, and secluded places. Some traditions identify the guardian of Jōren Falls on Mount Amagi as a Jorōgumo.

In its true form, the Jorōgumo is an enormous spider capable of spinning vast webs. It can disguise itself as an elegant young woman, or sometimes an older woman, using beauty, charm, and conversation to lure unsuspecting victims into its trap.

One famous tale tells of a wealthy samurai named Sonroku, who spent his summer afternoons resting at a secluded villa. One day an elderly woman appeared and claimed that her beautiful daughter had fallen deeply in love with him after hearing one of his poems. She led him to a magnificent mansion where the daughter, a stunning young noblewoman dressed in colorful silk, begged him to stay with her forever.

Although captivated by her beauty, Sonroku refused because he was already married. As the mysterious woman desperately clung to him, the entire mansion suddenly vanished. He found himself back on the veranda where he had fallen asleep only moments earlier.

Looking around, Sonroku noticed a small female spider walking nearby while countless spiders covered the eaves with webs. He then remembered chasing away a spider with his pipe a few days before, just as the old woman in the vision had claimed her mother had been driven away with a pipe. Realizing the entire encounter had been the work of the spider spirit, he ordered every web removed, and the strange visitations never returned.

The Jorōgumo is remembered as a dangerous shapeshifter that uses beauty, illusion, and desire rather than brute force, patiently weaving both webs and deception to capture its victims.

Sources

TYZ. (n.d.). Jorōgumo [絡新婦]. In 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010654252.html

Rhox

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Tradition / Region: Greek Mythology, Roman Mythology, Italian Mythology
Alternative names: Rhogalida / Grape-Spider
Category: Spider

The Myth

The Rhox was a terrifying venomous creature described in ancient Greek and Roman writings. It was usually identified as a spider or phalangion, though its exact nature remains uncertain. Ancient authors associated it with Libya, while similar creatures were also known around the Mediterranean, especially on the island of Crete.

The creature was dark smoky-black or pitch black in color. It possessed a strange mouth lined with teeth in the middle of its body and had short, stubby legs that moved one after another. Although ancient writers called it a spider, these unusual features have led some to believe it may have resembled a centipede or another venomous arthropod instead.

The Rhox was feared for its extraordinarily deadly venom. Ancient physicians claimed that its bite could kill almost immediately, and one of its most unusual symptoms was the appearance of thread-like strands resembling spider webs in the victim’s urine.

Because of its appearance and the lethal effects of its poison, some modern scholars believe the Rhox may have been inspired by the Mediterranean black widow, whose venom was well known throughout antiquity.

Whether it was a true spider or another poisonous creature, the Rhox remained one of the most feared venomous beasts recorded by the natural historians of the ancient Mediterranean.

Sources

A Book of Creatures. (2020, July 6). Rhox. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from https://abookofcreatures.com/2020/07/06/rhox/

Pająk Pół Kilo

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Tradition / Region: Polish Mythology
Alternative names: Half-Kilo Spider
Category: Spider

The Myth

The Pająk Pół Kilo, or “Half-Kilo Spider,” is a legendary giant spider said to have lived inside a church near the Polish village of Janików. Hidden high above the priests’ dining hall, the monstrous spider remained unnoticed for years as venom dripped continuously from its fangs into the food prepared below.

One after another, the priests who ate the poisoned meals became ill and died. As new priests arrived, they too mysteriously perished, until the growing number of unexplained deaths convinced the church that something unnatural was taking place.

An investigator priest, often described as an exorcist, was sent to uncover the cause. After carefully searching the church, he discovered the enormous spider concealed above the dining hall. Rather than approaching it, he hurled a single stone, killing the creature instantly.

When the dead spider was brought down, everyone was astonished by its immense size. It was so heavy that four men were needed to carry it outside. The creature reportedly weighed half a kilogram, giving rise to its famous name: Pająk Pół Kilo.

According to the legend, the giant spider was displayed publicly for many years as proof of the extraordinary event. During the Second World War, however, it was reportedly taken away by the Germans and disappeared, leaving only the story behind.

Today, the legend of the Pająk Pół Kilo remains associated with the village of Janików near Przysucha, where it is remembered as one of Poland’s most unusual tales of a monstrous spider.

Sources

Oral tradition recorded from the author’s grandmother

Anansi

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Tradition / Region: Ghana Mythology
Alternative names: Ananse, Kwaku Anansi, Anancy, Nanzi, Aunt Nancy
Category: Spider

The Myth

Anansi was a supernatural spider-being famous for his intelligence, cunning, deception, and ability to outwit stronger enemies. He was usually portrayed as a spider, though many stories described him as partly human or as a man with spider-like features.

He was one of the most important figures in Akan folklore and later became widely known throughout the Caribbean and the Americas after enslaved Africans carried his stories across the Atlantic.

Anansi was associated with wisdom, speech, trickery, storytelling, and survival. Many traditions treated him as the owner of all stories, and spider tales themselves became known as Anansesem — “Spider Stories.”

Although often selfish, greedy, and mischievous, Anansi constantly defeated stronger beings through cleverness rather than force. He tricked spirits, animals, humans, and even gods. In some traditions he interacted directly with the Sky God Nyame and other divine beings, sometimes receiving temporary supernatural powers or sacred duties.

Some Akan traditions described Anansi as connected to the divine world and occasionally treated him as a lesser spiritual being associated with wisdom. Certain stories even claimed he created the first human body. In Caribbean religions such as Haitian Vodou, Anansi was sometimes linked to the Guede spirits connected with death and the world of the dead.

One of the most famous stories tells how Anansi became the owner of all stories in the world. The Sky God Nyame possessed every story and demanded impossible tasks in exchange for them. Anansi succeeded by trapping dangerous creatures including the python Onini, hornets, a leopard, and a magical dwarf through tricks and deception. Impressed, Nyame declared that all stories would belong to Anansi forever and would be known as Spider Stories.

Another famous tale tells how Anansi tried to gather all wisdom in the world inside a pot so nobody else could possess it. He attempted to hide the pot high in a tree, but his son Ntikuma pointed out a simpler way to climb. Furious that another person still possessed wisdom, Anansi smashed the pot, scattering wisdom across the earth for everyone to share.

Many stories portrayed Anansi causing trouble through greed and manipulation. He brought diseases into the world after tricking Nyame and releasing sickness from a magical gourd. In another tale he tricked a jealous husband and stole his wife Aso, who later became Anansi’s permanent wife in many stories.

Anansi was also connected with survival and resistance. Enslaved Africans in the Americas saw him as a symbol of intelligence overcoming power because he repeatedly escaped danger and humiliated stronger enemies using wit alone. His stories became both entertainment and lessons about survival, selfishness, cleverness, and human weakness.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Anansi. In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 16, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anansi#Anansi_as_a_spiritual_and_mythological_figure