The “Killing Stone” in Japan, claimed to have held a chaotic demon for 1,000 years, has split in half
As if the year 2022 didn’t already have enough bad omens, an ancient Japanese folklore has reared its dreadful head. The Sessho-seki death stone has broken in half, supposedly sealing the spirit of a vengeful demon from the outside world.
The Sessho-seki stone, a gigantic volcanic rock that is claimed to kill anyone who touches it, is firmly rooted in Japanese mythology and is said to be the transformed corpse of the fabled Tamamo-no-Mae. Tamamo-no-Mae was said to be a beautiful woman possessed by the nine-tailed fox, or kitsune, a demon spirit notorious for deception and treachery through disguise. Tamamo-no-Mae, who could answer any question, was involved in a scheme to seduce and assassinate Emperor Toba, who became ill as a result. Two mythological warriors uncovered and hunted the fox spirit, and as a last resort, the spirit lodged itself into the Sessho-seki stone, which produced a poisonous gas that killed anybody who touched it.
The spirit was said to haunt the rock, which had been designated as a local historical landmark in 1957, until a Buddhist priest performed rites to put the spirit to rest.
The death stone has since been said to have split in two, most likely due to natural erosion. According to the Guardian, fissures in the volcanic rock were discovered several years ago, allowing water to enter and dissolve it from the inside.
That hasn’t stopped superstitions from raging, with visitors visiting the demonic rock claiming to “feel like they have seen something they shouldn’t have seen.”
We can’t say we blame them; given how the year has started, an evil fox-demon running wild would be expected.
