The Empowered Woman Image in The Japanese Yamauba Myth: “Yamauba The Devouring Witch”

Abstract

Yamauba, also known as yamamba, is a witch-like hag in Japanese mythology, who lives in the mountain. She is an empowered woman who threatens men. Such powerful evil woman images and figures are similarly represented in Western culture as the counterpart of yamauba. In Greek mythology, it is possible to see the same empowered but horrifying women archetype that shares the similar yamauba-topos especially in the depiction of witches such as Medusa and Medea. In this regard, what makes yamauba popular is the very fact that she is fearful and avenging, which causes terror and horror. Therefore, yamauba and her ravenous mythological existence will be analysed in this study in terms of deconstructing the authority of patriarchy. The purpose of this study is, hence, to discuss the terrifying place of yamauba as an empowered, and yet an evil woman, who is depicted rather dreadful and alarmingly dark.

Keywords

• yamauba
• witch
• evil-woman
• empowered woman

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