Hone-Onna

The Hone-Onna is an undead Yokai from Japanese myth. The name translates to “bone woman.” They often linger in dark streets, down alleyways, and graveyards. They are believed to be women who die and return from death due to love, rather than anger. They return to their partner in life to continue living a life with them, appearing at night and leaving during the day. They appear as they did in life, though their true form is that of a rotting skeletal woman. The strength of their illusion grows stronger as they continue to further rot. The only ones who could see this form are those unaffected by love and those of strong religious faith. When the Hone-Onna first appears to their partner, they are met with shock that is quickly overwhelmed by joy which blinds their partner from their true nature. While the partner is often unaware of what the Hone-Onna is, sometimes the Hone-Onna is also unaware of what it is. As they continue to visit their partner, the Hone-Onna slowly drains their life force, eventually causing the partner to become sick and die. Oftentimes someone close to the Hone-Onna’s partner alerts them of the problem. The Hone-Onna doesn’t realize the situation however and continues to visit, often needing to be warded away with charms and prayers. This warding only functions if the partner wills it to, and sometimes they instead give in to the Hone-Onna, accepting death to be with their love. The most famous story of the Hone-Onna is Botan Dōrō, or The Tale Of The Peony Lantern.

Citations:

Meyer, Matthew. The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons: A Field Guide to Japanese Yōkai. United States, Matthew Meyer, 2015.

Sekien, Toriyama. Japandemonium Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopedias of Toriyama Sekien. United States, Dover Publications, 2017.