KATAWAGURUMA

Lore

Katawaguruma is a yokai whose name is written with the characters 片輪車 and literally translates as "Crippling wheel." She is viewed as the female counterpart to the better-known Wanyudo. In Japanese demonology she combines the traits of a hellish messenger and a vengeful onryo spirit: legend says she is the soul of a woman whose sins or unbridled rage turned her into a ghost after death. The creature takes the form of a flaming one-bladed cartwheel to which a woman's body is chained. Every appearance is filled with stifling heat and the reek of smoke, creating the impression of a ruthless courier from hell.

According to myth, Katawaguruma dwells in the Underworld but from time to time rolls into the human realm to hunt for "unclean souls." The demon is especially sensitive to curiosity: the moment a traveler or villager looks at the blazing wheel, a curse falls upon them. The most famous story comes from the old province of omi, where this spirit terrorized a village so thoroughly that no one dared go out-or even peer outside-after dusk. One inquisitive woman, however, could not resist and cracked her door open as the spirit passed by. Katawaguruma noticed and cried out, "Instead of staring at me, you'd better watch your children!" In that instant the children in the house vanished.