Snow Woman Yukionna
From Spirit of Snow to Icy Hot Female
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2777937 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Noriko Tsunoda Reider (noriko tsunoda reider is Professor of Japanese Language, Literature, and Culture at Miami University) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 136 |
| Issue | 541 |
| Pages | 298-321 |
| Publication date | 2023-07-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of American Folklore (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0021-8715 • E-ISSN: 1535-1882 |
| Publisher | University of Illinois Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.5406/15351882.136.541.03 |
| OpenAlex | W4387678727 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 12 |
Yukionna (snow woman), a Japanese supernatural being that represents snow or wintry weather, is frequently described as a striking, ethereal female figure. Among the numerous legends of snow women, arguably the most famous one was written by Lafcadio Hearn. This article discusses the history of yukionna while considering how the symbolic role of snow relates to conceptions of the female and to female yōkai (weird or mysterious creatures), and it examines Hearn's rendition of yukionna and its influence on the character in subsequent tellings. It also considers why a snow woman is often portrayed as a stunningly beautiful female in both Japanese and Western traditions
Archaeology · Art · Character (mathematics) · Creatures · Geography · Literature · Meteorology · Natural (archaeology) · Snow · Asian Culture and Media Studies · Folklore, Mythology, and Literature Studies · History · Japanese History and Culture
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |