Tsuchigumo

土蜘蛛・土蜘 The Ground Spider

1 Source and/or Related Material

“The Sword,” Tale of the Heike

2 Author

Unknown

3 Repertoire

Kanze, Hōshō, Komparu, Kongō, Kita

4 Synopsis

The handmaiden Kochō (tsure) brings medicine to her bedridden master, Minamoto no Yorimitsu (tsure), then discusses his condition with one of his attendants (tsure). That night, a monk (maeshite) visits, saying that Kochō is to blame for Yorimitsu’s illness, then casts a spider web at him, and everyone realizes that the monk was really a giant spider in disguise. Yorimitsu draws his sword and attacks the spider, who vanishes. Hearing the sounds of the struggle, Yorimitsu’s peerless retainer Hitorimusha (waki) appears, and Yorimitsu tells him about the incident with the spider. Hitorimusha prepares to hunt the spider down, and his servant (ai) retells the story thus far in plain speech. Together with his subordinates (wakitsure), Hitorimusha locates the spider’s lair and takes on the monster (nochishite), sword against web, and he and his men save the day.