Continuing with the animal theme of the past few days, tonight’s story is the tale of a horse’s onryō. As is frequently the case with stories about incidents involving animals, the evil originates once again with the humans in the story, rather than the animals. Funny how that works…

The Dead Horse’s Vengeful Spirit

Jakuren-ji Temple in Koishikawa is the family temple of my acquaintance Yamasaki who frequently visits me. The head priest of Jakuren-ji came to me and told me the following strange tale.

In Himeji Domain there was a man named Murata Yazaemon. He had a beautiful daughter aged around 16 or 17, and she had many suitors.

Anyway, his daughter fell ill for some time. The anguish her parents felt was indescribable. She would ramble incoherently like a madman, and it seemed like she harbored some sort of grudge. They performed prayers and exorcisms, but they had no effect. Yazaemon grew deeply troubled.

“Surely this is the work of a fox or a tanuki!” he raged, and pressed his daughter for answers.

“I am certainly not a fox or a tanuki,” babbled the daughter. “This girls’ grandmother was the daughter of Ōkōchi Tatewaki and she cruelly slew me. With my grudge I have placed a curse on this family. I will kill this girl and end your bloodline.”

“Whose grudge is this?” asked Yazaemon.

She rambled again: “I was a horse kept by this family, but I became old and could no longer be ridden or even graze. When the girl’s grandmother was told of this, she said that old horses were useless, and I should be discarded in a field. Following her orders, I was abandoned in a place called Tengu Valley in Umayabashi, and there I starved to death. They cherished me when I was useful, but were so heartless when I was no longer of use. That is my grudge, and that is why you shall pay!”

After that they understood the issue, and they performed memorial services for the deceased, and the daughter recovered from her illness.