ONIBABA

Lore

Oni-Baba is an ancient witch or sorceress who was once an ordinary woman—a real human being. Yet a terrible tragedy twisted her body and soul. Some Oni-Babas bear horns or fangs, but more often they disguise themselves as kindly old grandmothers, revealing no sign of their sinister nature—at least, not until they strike.

They usually live alone in small huts or shacks by the roadside, offering weary travelers a meal, a place to sleep, and a warm fire. Deep in the night, when their guests are sound asleep, the witch casts off her disguise, showing her true form as a hideous, demonic crone.

Sometimes, an Oni-Baba is said to arise from a woman who fled into the forest to evade punishment. After years living as an outcast, her hunger and bitterness warp her mind and body until she becomes a mountain witch, feeding on human flesh and practicing dark magic. Desperate families would sometimes abandon elderly mothers in the deep woods, and those who survived through rage and despair became these monstrous beings.