Tsurara-onna

Tsurara-onna (つらら女, "icicle woman") is a Japanese folktale about an icicle that became a woman, so it is often confused with yuki-onna.

Appearance

Tsurara onna are beautiful woman that are created from the loneliness of single men during the winter time. When a man gazes longingly at a strong, beautiful icicle hanging from a roof and reflects upon his loneliness, a tsurara onna may appear shortly afterwards. On the surface, a tsurara onna appears to be an ordinary—though exceptionally beautiful—woman. They are very similar in appearance and behavior to yuki onna, which inhabit the same areas during wintertime. When the winter snows melt and icicles can no longer be seen hanging from roofs, tsurara onna disappear along with the cold weather.

Interactions

Despite their icy origins, tsurara onna can be quite warm and loving spirits. In fact, many stories of tsurara onna involve one which has fallen in love with and married a human. These marriages invariably end in tragedy. The beautiful bride inevitably leaves when the spring comes, leaving her mate confused and heartbroken. And any future encounters the following winter usually do not end well for either party, if the legends are to be believed.Because they look and behave like ordinary human women, it is often very difficult to identify a tsurara onna. One recognizable warning sign is an unwillingness to enter a bath. Occasionally, stories tell of a woman who refuses to take a bath no matter how much her husband pressures her. Eventually, tired of fighting, she relents and enters the bath. When the husband checks on her later, all he sees are a few tiny shards of ice floating in the tub, and his wife is nowhere to be found.

Legends

There are countless tales of tsurara onna. They are found in every prefecture where snow falls, and each one has its own unique twist. However, there are a few common motifs found in most versions of the story. Many of them are similar or even identical to yuki onna stories. Themes of love, marriage, and betrayal are common.One iconic example from Echigo Province—modern day Niigata Prefecture—goes like this: a young, single man gazed out his window on a cold, snowy night. He sat there, wistfully admiring the lovely winter scene. He wished in his heart that he could find a wife as beautiful as the icicles hanging from his roof. Suddenly, he heard a knock at his door. A woman’s voice called out, and it was as beautiful and clear as ice. “Excuse me! I was traveling along this road, but the snowstorm became too fierce and I cannot journey any further. Might I lodge at your house for the night?” The young man of course accepted (what young man would refuse such a request?), and he was delighted to see the woman’s face was as beautiful as her voice. He worked hard to make sure her stay was as enjoyable as possible. Several months later, the woman was still staying at the house… In fact, she and the young man had fallen deep in love and she forgot about her journey entirely. They had gotten married and were very happy together.One spring morning, the beautiful young bride went out shopping. That night she did not return. The young man waited her return night after night. The snows melted, the plum blossoms bloomed, and soon it was spring. The young man asked everyone he met if they had seen his wife. He searched all around, but there was no sign of her at all. Nobody he met could tell him anything either. He slowly forced himself to accept that she had left him. Over time, the young man’s broken heart healed, and he was remarried to young woman from his village. The following winter, during a snowstorm, the young man found himself looking out the window at the long icicles hanging from his roof. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. The beautiful woman from the previous winter was standing outside of his house. The young man was shocked. “I searched for you every day! What is the meaning of this? How could you just vanish like that without a word?” he cried.The woman replied, “People have different circumstances you know… But we promised to love each other forever. You said that our bond was as long and as solid as the beautiful icicles hanging from your roof. And yet… you have remarried.”The beautiful woman left the house with a sad look on her face. The young man started after her, when suddenly there was a voice from inside the house. It was his new wife, asking what was going on.“It’s nothing. Stay inside.”Suddenly there was loud crash followed by a shriek near the front of the house. The new wife ran to the front door to see what had happened. There, lying in the front yard, was her husband. He was dead, pierced through the brain by an enormous icicle which had fallen from the roof.

Summary

A single man was looking at the icicles hanging under the eaves of his home and sighed saying "I'd like a wife as beautiful as these icicles," and just as he wished, a beautiful woman appeared who wanted to be his wife. This woman was an incarnation of an icicle, and there are variations on how this plays out.

Aomori Prefecture, Niigata Prefecture, and Tōhoku region

They are also called shigama-nyōbō or tsurara-nyōbō (氷柱女房). The woman and man became husband and wife, but for some reason the woman was reluctant to go in a bath. The man made the woman go into the bath, but the woman would not come out of the bath even after a while. Out of worry, the man peeked into the bathroom, but there was no sight of the woman, only fragments of ice floating in the bathtub.

Akita Prefecture

It has similarities to the above, but only the Akita version is not a story about a woman appearing to a man and wishing to marry.

On a night of great snow, a woman came to visit the house of a couple, and requested to have lodging. The couple kindly granted this.

Several days continued of snow that was too heavy for anyone to go outside, so the woman continued staying at that house. The couple tried to be considerate by warming the bath, but the woman did not want to go in at all. However, unable to completely refuse the couple's recommendation, the woman sorrowfully went into the bath. After that, the woman wouldn't come out of the bath even after a while.

The couple was worried, and when they peeked into the bath, there was no sight of the woman, only a single icicle hanging from the roof.

Other

The woman who suddenly appeared married the man, but when spring came, the woman disappeared. The man felt sad thinking that the woman ran away from him, but within a year married another woman.

Another winter came. The woman came to the man once again. The woman became so angry that the man married again, that the woman turned her appearance into that of an icicle and stabbed him to death.

Similar folktales

In many places, there are similar folktales about how a single man charmed by the beauty of icicles would have a woman suddenly appear wishing to be his wife who in the end was actually an icicle, and how those stories play out in the end differ.

Echigo Province (now Niigata Prefecture)―"Kanekori-jorō"

The woman who suddenly appeared married the man, but when spring came, the woman disappeared. The man felt sad thinking that the woman ran away from him, but unable to bear the disadvantages of living alone, he married another woman.

Another winter came. There was a large icicle hanging under the eaves. The man said it was an obstruction to movement, so he went to break off the icicle. The wife that was in the house heard the man's scream. Out of surprise, she went outside and found the man impaled to death through the neck by an icicle.

Yamagata Prefecture―"Suga-jorō"

It was during a marriage ceremony. The woman went to the kitchen to warm some alcohol, but wouldn't return after a while. Unable to wait any longer, the man went to the kitchen but did not see a woman there, only a soaked kimono. The woman incarnation of an icicle was melted by the heat of the kitchen.