Kamaitachi are weasels that ride strong winds. They have claws that are as strong as steel and as sharp as razors. Their fur is spiny and has been compared to hedgehog quills. Kamaitachi bark like dogs. Although they are primarily said to live in the Japanese Alps, they can potentially be found anywhere weasels live.
Kamaitachi move so quickly that they are invisible to the naked eye. As such, their antics are often blamed on the wind. Kamaitachi often travel in groups of three. The first weasel slashes the victim's legs, knocking them to the ground. The second weasel uses its blade-like claws to slice the victim thousands of times. The third weasel applies a magical salve that instantly heals a majority of the cuts. As such, kamaitachi attacks are never fatal. They just leave people believing that they simply tripped and received a few minor scratches.
That being said, kamaitachi have the potential to cause great harm. They are said to be able to strike people with such precision that they can carve out entire chunks of flesh without spilling a drop of blood. Thankfully, kamaitachi prefer to leave their victims with only minor injuries.
FUN FACT: The term "kamaitachi" means sickle weasel in Japanese. It can refer to the yōkai itself or to the events they cause.
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In some regions, kamaitachi are said to be created when people accidentally leave their grass-cutting sickles behind in the fields. One tale states that a woman whose lover was stolen by another woman cut off her own hair, creating a kamaitachi that proceeded to cut the other woman's head off. Stories about the origins of kamaitachi vary, but most tales depict them as little more than mildly annoying tricksters. They are seldom portrayed as doing more than causing minor injuries.
Examples in various media:
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Kyukimon (Digimon)
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Juro (Ushio and Tora)
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The Poltergeist (Ōkami) The three kamaitachi in this game each control one element that they can use against the player. One controls fire, one controls lightning, and one controls ice. They can also join their weapons together to form a wheel of blades.
