Tsuchinoko
| (Tsuchinoko (Romaji), Bachi-hebi (North Japan)) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Grouping | Cryptid |
| Sub grouping | Mutter |
| Country | Japan |
The Tsuchinoko (ツチノコ or 槌の子) literally translating to "hammer's spawn," is a legendary snake-like cryptid from Japan. The name tsuchinoko is prevalent in Western Japan, including Kansai and Shikoku; the creature is known as bachi hebi (バチヘビ) in Northeastern Japan.
Tsuchinoko are described as being between 30 and 80 centimetres in length, similar in appearance to a snake, but with a central girth that is much wider than its head or tail, and as having fangs and venom similar to that of a viper.[1] Some accounts also describe the tsuchinoko as being able to jump up to a meter in distance.[2]
According to legend, some tsuchinoko have the ability to speak and a propensity for lying, and is also said to have a taste for alcohol. Legend records that it will sometimes swallow its own tail so that it can roll like a hoop, similarly to the mythical hoop snake.
Popular culture
The Tsuchinoko features in the 2005 Konami video game Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. A very rare type of animal only found in certain areas, its capture earns the player the achievement/trophy "Believe It or Not" on the HD Collection of Metal Gear Solid for PS3/Xbox360 and the infinity face paint.
In the visual novel Rewrite by Key, the Occult Research Club look for a Tsuchinoko.
In the Japanese murder mystery games Dangan Ronpa and Super Dangan Ronpa 2, characters Hagakure Yasuhiro (Dangan Ronpa) and Hiyoko Saionji (Super Dangan Ronpa 2) make a reference to the Tsuchinoko.
The Tsuchinoko also appears in the game Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow as a unique enemy, only appearing in one cellar, often already disappearing before the player can enter the room.
In 1973 Takao Yaguchi the creator of Tsurikichi Sanpei wrote and illustrated a manga titled Bachi Hebi simultaneously with Tsurikichi Sanpei in the weekly Shonen magazine. It focuses on a group of tourists getting stalked by whole group of tsuchinoko. In 1974 Tsurikichi Sanpei and Bachi Hebi received the fourth Kodansha children's cultural comic book award. It started the boom in Tsuchinoko popularity and was collected in one volume. Tsuchinoko, with otherwise reptilian attributes, has compound eyes.
The Pokémon Dunsparce was inspired by the Tsuchinoko.
In Golden time episode 302 Tsuchinoko are eaten grilled as a bar snack.
In the anime Blood Lad, Tsuchinoko is grilled and eaten at a cafe in the Demon World.
References
- ↑ Moriguchi, Kenzo (2001-06-16). "Town touting mythical snake find; is 'rare' creature really a cash cow?". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2010-05-10.
- ↑ Metropolis, "Fortean Japan", 27 June 2008, p. 12.