FUTAKUCHI-ONNA
Lore
A particularly chilling yokai whose name translates to "woman with two mouths." At first glance, she appears no different from any ordinary woman-but hidden beneath the hair at the back of her head lies a second, razor-toothed maw.
This mouth often remains concealed under long strands of hair that can move with a life of their own, snatching up morsels of food.
Stories of Futakuchi-onna typically revolve around curses and retribution for greed. One well-known legend tells of a thrifty woman who spared no effort to economize. She married a man who already had a child. During a time of famine, she went so far as to starve her stepson in order to preserve what little food they had for herself. This cruel act would later doom her to a terrible curse.
An accident befell the woman when her husband, chopping firewood, swung his axe too widely and nicked the back of her head. Though seemingly minor, the wound refused to heal. Over time, a second mouth appeared there, demanding food day and night and causing the woman constant pain. This gaping maw spoke relentlessly, soon confessing: "I killed a child! I was wrong, and now I am cursed!" Uniquely, the second mouth is said to be incapable of lying.
