(Japanese Kanji: 絡新婦, Hiragana:じょろうぐも) is a type of Yōkai, a creature, ghost or goblin of Japanese folklore. It can shapeshift into a beautiful woman, so the kanji for its actual meaning is 女郎蜘蛛 or "woman-spider", and to write it instead as 絡新婦 ("entangling newlywed woman") is ajukujikun pronunciation of the kanji. In Toriyama Sekien's Gazu Hyakki Yagyō, it is depicted as a spider woman manipulating small fire-breathing spiders.
Jorōgumo can also refer to some species of spiders, such as the Nephila and Argiopespiders. Japanese-speaking entomologists use the katakana form of Jorōgumo (ジョロウグモ) to refer, exclusively, to the spider species Nephila clavata.
Hyakki Yagyō (百鬼夜行, "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons"), also transliterated Hyakki Yakō, is an idiom in Japanese folklore. Sometimes an orderly procession, other times a riot, it refers to a parade of thousands of supernatural creatures known as oni and yōkai that march through the streets of Japan at night. As a terrifying eruption of the supernatural into the real world, it is similar (though not precisely equivalent) to the concept of pandemonium in English.
Yuki-onna prey on travelers lost in the heavy snowstorms that blanket the Japanese Alps in winter. They have an otherworldly beauty, with long black hair and dark, piercing eyes. Their skin is ageless and as white as snow, but their bodies are as cold as ice. A mere touch is enough to give a human a deep, unshakable chill. They feed on life force, sucking it from human’s mouths with an icy breath that freezes their victims solid.
Breeze Dancer - Jorōgumo (Japanese: 絡新婦)
Jorōgumo is a type of yōkai, a creature of Japanese folklore. It can shapeshift into a beautiful woman, so the kanji that represent its actual meaning are 女郎蜘蛛 (lit. 'woman-spider'); the kanji which are used to write it instead, 絡新婦 (lit. 'entangling newlywed woman') have a jukujikun pronunciation that is related to the meaning, but not the sound of the word. In Toriyama Sekien's Gazu Hyakki Yagyō, it is depicted as a spider woman manipulating small fire-breathing spiders.
Tengu are a type of legendary creature found in Japanese folk religion (Shinto). They are considered a type of yōkai (supernatural beings) or Shinto kami (gods or spirits). The Tengu were originally thought to take the forms of birds of prey and a monkey deity, and they were traditionally depicted with human, monkey, and avian characteristics.
Buddhism long held that the Tengu were disruptive demons and harbingers of war. Their image gradually softened, however, into one of protective and even manifestations of Buddhist deities, if still dangerous, spirits of the mountains and forests. Tengu are associated with the ascetic practice of Shugendō, and they are usually depicted in the garb of its followers, the yamabushi.
Nekomata are a kind of cat yōkai described in Japanese folklore, classical kaidan, essays, etc. There are two very different types: those that live in the mountains and domestic cats that have grown old and transformed into yōkai.
Niamh just beat out her uncle Lata (you can vote the last few polls of the first round @spicycloverelftourney) by a full 100%, and it's not hard to see why! Let's introduce her formally!
Niamh (pronounced Neev), is Fragil Tormenta's elf. She 's also known as Su-cchan (Little Miss Spider's Web) and Jorogumo-chan (Spider). Niamh stitches a small spider on everything she weaves, which she's come to be known for because of her incredible talent, to the point where she's considered to be the best weaver of the clan.
Niamh is vain and arrogant, but most of her attitude isn't actually real. Her aunt, elder, and idol Mareh has no problem with confrontation, but Niamh is often too sensitive for her own good. To be more like Mareh, she drastically exaggerates her natural pride to put on a brave face, which sometimes makes it difficult for her to make friends.
Niamh is the only person her age in her house, and a great beauty. She's dating Delwyn of T'nuah, and has a (mostly friendly) rivalry with the dancers, Rufel, Fana, and Lira. Niamh often strikes first whenever the dancers come around, as she feels like doing so will help her build up a thicker skin. (She also has some residual resentment at the fact that all three of them placed higher than her in her own competition.) The dancers tend to shorten Jorogumo-chan (女郎蜘蛛) to just Joro-chan (女郎) which means... well, prostitute, but she can always give as good as she gets.
Niamh placed fifth in her own ego-driven beauty tournament last time, but this time we'll hopefully be cheering for her until the end!