fabulous creature like a turtle, toad
蜮 refers to a mythical creature resembling a turtle or a toad, often associated with water and folklore. The two meanings are closely linked as different descriptions of the same legendary animal.
蜮 combines 虫 (insect/reptile) with 或, which likely contributes a phonetic element. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the character was used to name a mythical water creature.
The left side 虫 suggests a reptile or insect, and the right side 或 looks like a protective shell or enclosure. Picture a turtle-like creature with a hard shell, blending into a toad-like shape.
For ヨク, imagine a yoke (ヨク) placed on the mythical turtle-toad to control it. The yoke sounds like ヨク and ties to the creature's stubborn nature.