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All Japan Morioka Grave of Princess Centipede
AO Edited

Grave of Princess Centipede

Legend says that a swarm of centipedes and snakes once crawled out of the tomb of this cursed princess.

Morioka, Japan

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
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The grave of Princess Centipede.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The grave of Princess Centipede.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The legendary tomb.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Detail.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The story.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The funerary stupa.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Cross the cemetery and the parking lot to reach the gravesite.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Legend has it that, in the ninth century, samurai warrior Fujiwara no Hidesato slayed a giant centipede with his bow and arrow on the Seta no Karahashi Bridge. Many centuries later, his descendant O-take brought Hidesato's monster-slaying arrowhead to her husband, daimyo lord Nanbu Toshinao, as a dowry, unaware of what it might bring about.

The curse manifested as soon as O-take died. First, a centipede-shaped bruise suddenly emerged on her body. Toshinao ordered her grave to be enclosed within a moat, as it was believed that centipedes are afraid of water, but every time he built a bridge over it a huge centipede appeared out of nowhere and destroyed it. Soon, a swarm of centipedes of all sizes started crawling out of the grave and O-take's hair turned into one-eyed snakes.

Due to these supernatural incidents, Lady O-take eventually came to be known as Princess Centipede. Today, the Grave of Princess Centipede retains its eerie presence between the cemetery of Kōdai-ji Temple and modern parking lots. Since the legend does not state how the situation was solved, you may want to beware the reemergence of the monstrous centipedes when visiting.

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Samurai Legends Cursed Places Spiders Insects Royalty Graves
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Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Published

October 16, 2024

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Grave of Princess Centipede
Morioka, 020-0016
Japan
39.710471, 141.152969

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