is a

yōkai are a class of supernatural entities and spirits in Japanese folklore. The word is composed of the kanji for "attractive; calamity" and "apparition; mystery; suspicious." are also referred to as , or . Despite often being translated as suc ...

Japanese mythology Japanese mythology is a collection of traditional stories, folktales, and beliefs that emerged in the islands of the Japanese archipelago. Shinto and Buddhist traditions are the cornerstones of Japanese mythology. The history of thousands of year ...

Legend

The Ōmukade is a giant man-eating

centipede Centipedes (from New Latin , "hundred", and Latin , " foot") are predatory arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda (Ancient Greek , ''kheilos'', lip, and New Latin suffix , "foot", describing the forcipules) of the subphylum Myriapoda, an ...

that lives in the mountains. While it eats

human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...

s, the Ōmukade has a weakness to human

saliva Saliva (commonly referred to as spit) is an extracellular fluid produced and secreted by salivary glands in the mouth. In humans, saliva is around 99% water, plus electrolytes, mucus, white blood cells, epithelial cells (from which DNA can be ...

. It also preys on great serpents and

dragons A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

. A giant centipede or ''mukade'' was killed near

Lake Biwa is the largest freshwater lake in Japan, located entirely within Shiga Prefecture (west-central Honshu), northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto. Lake Biwa is an ancient lake, over 4 million years old. It is estimated to be the 13th ol ...

Fujiwara no Hidesato , was a '' kuge'' (court noble) of tenth century Heian period Japan. He is famous for his military exploits and courage and is regarded as the common ancestor of numerous clans, including the Ōshū branch of the Fujiwara clan. Hidesato served u ...

(aka Tawara Tōda Hidesato, "Rice bag Tōda") according to the legendary tale ''

Tawara Tōda Monogatari is a Japanese heroic tale recounting the legendary exploits of Fujiwara no Hidesato. It is part of the ''otogi-zōshi'' genre of tales dating to the Edo Period or earlier. Some of the fabulous accounts are also told in the military pseudo-chr ...

''. While crossing the bridge over the lake, Tawara was besought by a giant serpent to avenge the killer of her sons and grandsons. This centipede made its lair at

Mount Mikami Mount Mikami (, pronounced "Mikami Yama", meaning Mikami Mountain) is a mountain, above sea level, located in Yasu City, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. In spite of its relatively low altitude, it is also called "Ōmi Fuji", that is Mount Fuji of Ōmi P ...

nearby. Tawara shot two ineffective arrows, but the third arrow smeared with his saliva proved lethal.

Popular culture

* Different adaptions of Ōmukade appear in the ''

Super Sentai is a Japanese superhero team metaseries and media franchise consisting of television series and films produced by Toei Company, and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi ("Sentai" is the Japanese word for "task force" or "fighting squadron"). The sho ...

'' franchise: ** In ''

Ninja Sentai Kakuranger is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' television series. It was Toei Company Limited's eighteenth production of the Super Sentai metaseries. The name given to this series by Toei for international distribution is ''Ninja Rangers''. Action footage from ...

'', the Ōmukade has a football-theme to it. In Season 3 of ''

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers ''Mighty Power Rangers'' (''MMPR'') is a superhero television series that premiered on August 28, 1993, on the Fox Kids programming block. It is the first entry of the ''Power Rangers'' franchise, and became a 1990s pop culture phenomenon along ...

'', it was adapted into Centiback. ** In ''

Shuriken Sentai Ninninger is a Japanese television series, the 39th entry of Toei's long-running Super Sentai metaseries, following '' Ressha Sentai ToQger''. It is the third ninja-based Sentai, and the fourth to be based on Japanese mythology and culture (after Samurai ...

'', the Ōmukade is the result of a Sealing Shuriken coming in contact with a

power strip A power strip is a block of electrical sockets that attaches to the end of a flexible cable (typically with a mains plug on the other end), allowing multiple electrical devices to be powered from a single electrical socket. Power strips are often ...

. This monster has energy-eating abilities. In ''

Power Rangers Ninja Steel ''Power Rangers Ninja Steel'' is the twenty-fourth season of the television program ''Power Rangers''. The season was produced primarily using footage, costumes, and props from Japanese 39th Super Sentai series ''Shuriken Sentai Ninninger'' wit ...

'', it was adapted into Voltipede. * The Ōmukade appear in ''

Inuyasha is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from November 1996 to June 2008, with its chapters collected in fifty-six '' ...

'' franchise: ** In ''Inuyasha'' the Ōmukade named Mistress Centipede. In episode 1, she has been revived by the Shikon Jewel and kidnapped Kagome from the modern era and traveled through time to the feudal era and has been killed by

, and in episode 147, the demon slayers have discovered that Mistress Centipede have asleep at Midoriko's cave since she have the Shikon Jewel until it was removed by Sango's grandfather Shako, she was killed but revived the jewel. During the night of the new moon, she was going to find the jewel that it's nearby as she'll increase her demonic power again before her body fails her. She's going to attempt to take young Kaede hostage and take the jewel from Kikyō but was killed by Inuyasha for the first time. Kikyō acknowledged that as long as Mistress Centipede's body was near the jewel she would resurrect to no end. Kikyō had her followers collect all remains of this fearsome demon and throw it down the Bone-Eater's Well, so that the power of the Shikon no Tama would not be able to revive her again. ** In '' Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon'', the Ōmukade named Mistress Three-Eyes. In ''The Three Princesses'', she took red and gold Rainbow Pearls from Moroha and Setsuna until they were sucked by the portal. In ''The Dream Butterfly'', she had failed to take the silver Rainbow Pearl and has been killed by Setsuna. * In '' Yo-kai Watch'', the Ōmukade has the ability to make anyone it inspirits into becoming easily ticked off and burst into angry rants. His name in the English dub is Irewig. *In ''

One-Punch Man is a Japanese superhero manga series created by One. It tells the story of Saitama, a superhero who, because he can defeat any opponent with a single punch, grows bored from a lack of challenge. One wrote the original webcomic manga v ...

'', the Elder Centipede is based on Ōmukade * In ''

Pokémon Sword and Shield and are 2019 role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch console. They are the first installments in the eighth generation of the ''Pokémon'' video game series ...

'', Centiskorch along with its Gigantamax form are based on the Ōmukade. * In ''

Ghost of Tsushima ''Ghost of Tsushima'' is a 2020 action-adventure game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The player controls Jin Sakai, samurai on a quest to protect Tsushima Island during the first Mongol ...

'', the name “Omukade’s Revenge” is given to one of the game’s cosmetic skins that changes the appearance of the

scabbards A scabbard is a sheath for holding a sword, knife, or other large blade. As well, rifles may be stored in a scabbard by horse riders. Military cavalry and cowboys had scabbards for their saddle ring carbine rifles and lever-action rifles on t ...

and

hilts The hilt (rarely called a haft or shaft) of a knife, dagger, sword, or bayonet is its handle, consisting of a guard, grip and pommel. The guard may contain a crossguard or quillons. A tassel or sword knot may be attached to the guard or pommel. ...

of the protagonist’s

katana A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the ''tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge fa ...

and tanto. * In '' Touhou Kouryuudou ~ Unconnected Marketeers'', the extra stage boss Momoyo Himemushi is an Ōmukade.

Explanatory notes

References

External links

Ōmukade
at Yokai.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Omukade Yōkai Centipedes Mythological arthropods