Hashihime and the "Ushi no Koku Mairi" - Until Jealousy and Prayer Turn into a Demon
Hashihime and the Midnight Visit: Jealousy and Prayers Turn You into a Demon
Uji Bridge spans the Uji River in Kyoto. At its base, Hashihime Shrine sits, quietly holding the memory of a woman's deep emotions.
Prayer to become a demon
During the Heian period, a noblewoman's daughter was plagued by jealousy in love and lined up at Kifune Shrine for seven days.
"Kifune Daimyojin, please turn me into a demon. There is a woman I want to kill."
God responded to this request as follows:
"The one who has become a demon should change his appearance and immerse himself in the Uji River for 21 days."
The girl divided her hair into five parts to resemble horns, painted her face vermilion and her body red, placed an upside-down iron ring on her head, lit a torch, and ran down the street at night.
This scene later became the prototype for the "Ushi no Koku Mairi" ritual.
What is Ushi no Koku Mairi?
The image of this sorcery, performed at midnight (around 2 a.m.), involves a woman wearing white robes, iron rings, and hammering five-inch nails into a straw doll - this was born from Hashihime's harsh training.
Another side of Hashihime
Hashihime is sometimes described as a "jealous demon woman" and is also the deity who protects Uji Bridge. There is even a superstition that if a wedding procession crossing the bridge passes in front of her, the jealous couple will end their relationship.
Those feelings were so deep that they sometimes turned people into demons - that story still lingers in the winds of Uji.