The Tree of Blood
I have come across a wide assortment of strange and twisted vampire stories - from vampire cats to floating heads, but today’s tale is a new one even for me.
Among the many fascinatingly wicked Japanese myths, the jubokko is for sure my new favorite. According to the myth, on grounds where there has been much bloodshed, such as execution sites or battlefields, a special kind of tree grows. This tree is known as the jubokko. But what is so unique about this tree? The jubokko is a vampire tree that feeds on the blood and life-force of humans.
These demonized trees must feed off of humans in order to survive. But unfortunately the jubokko appears as a normal tree, there is no way of knowing what it really is… until it’s too late. Once a person walks too close to the tree it attacks, capturing the person with its branches and draining them of their blood.
There is one way to spot the jubokko for what it is but you have to get up close to it, which obviously means painful death for you. Either way, you can reveal a jubokko by cutting it, for it is said that a jubokko will bleed real human blood. Another problem is that is heals incredibly fast, so even if you were able to some how attack it from a distance it would simply bleed for a moment and then heal.
Oh but it doesn’t end there, this evil tree is also known to hide amongst other trees and bushes and it is able to alter the flora in the area. This makes it very easy for someone to get lost in the forest, which makes it easy for a jubokko to snatch them up. In some versions of the myth the jubokko can speak to other plants as well and are able to find its victims that way.
But it’s not all bad; in fact a jubokko can bring goodness to a lucky few. Any branch taken from a jubokko tree, with permission of course, is a powerful item that can be used to heal and purify almost anyone.
Well, I guess that’s something.
- Moonlight
No related posts.
Related Reading:
How the Fox Got His Color Bilingual Japanese-EnglishThis delightful little story tells of a young girl's time with her grandmother as she relates a legend of how a mischievous little white fox with all ... Read More >
Lore vs. The Summoning (Lore Book 1)Laura "Lore" Denham's exceptional birth has both blessed and cursed her with extraordinary abilities. As the half-divine daughter of the Greek god of ... Read More >
Vampires RevealedLeave behind your preconceived ideas, forget the horror stories and disregard everything you think you know about vampires.For centuries the d... Read More >
Maid for MeFeisty Mina Lin waltzes on glass shards when she lands a job as billionaire Jaiden Daniels's maid. What happens when Jaiden hires her to become his pr... Read More >
Japanese Literature; Including Selections From Genji Monogatari and Classical Poetry and Drama of JapanThis is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned cop... Read More >
Not just blood-red roses, but blood-drinking trees! D
If I had a tree like the JUBOKKO would it feed on the neighbors if they came close? Any why I’m a big fan of vampires just as the jubokko tree. By the way did you say that it was a vampire in the story? Does it live in the forest or the graveyard or any where else? Why can’t other trees see as well as the jubokko can?
Did you writ this on your own or got this from a friend?
I got the info from a book and various websites. I called it a vampire because the tree feeds on blood. It lives where ever a large battle took place, or an execution site- anywhere with lots of bloodshed. Other trees can’t see like that because they haven’t been demonized.
Also, in future comments please do not post your info, we want you to stay safe. Thank you :)
that is the first i have ever heard of a tree that attacks/ kills people but it is kind of interesting. and i think this myth alo shows that if humans kill nature nature will come back and kill us, painfully it seems. but that is really coolio info and i hope i can see more posts like that.