The Spider at Jōren Falls
At a waterfall on the Izu Peninsula, a woodcutter felt silk wrap around his ankle as he rested. Something in the water was pulling.
What was reported
The jorōgumo is a spider of Japanese folklore that can take the form of a beautiful woman, luring men away to devour them. One of the best-known stories is told at Jōren Falls, a waterfall on the Izu Peninsula.
A woodcutter resting by the pool noticed fine threads being wound around his ankle. He unwound them and tied them to a tree stump, and the stump was torn from the ground and dragged into the water. In some versions, a woman's voice later asked him to keep her secret, and when he told the story, he never woke from his sleep.
Explanations offered
The jorōgumo is named after a real spider, the large, brightly coloured golden orb-weaver common in Japan. Folklorists see the tales as warnings about strangers and temptation. Jōren Falls, now a tourist spot, still has a shrine and statues for the spider of the falls.
- When
- Told since the Edo period
- Where
- Jōren Falls, Izu, Shizuoka, Japan
- Witnesses
- Japanese folklore
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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