noun
whirlwind cut; vacuum cut in the skin
Refers to a real meteorological phenomenon where a small whirlwind creates a partial vacuum, causing a sharp, painless cut on the skin. Often explained as the work of the mythical 鎌鼬.
山道で突然かまいたちにあったように、手に切り傷ができていた。
On the mountain path, I suddenly got a cut on my hand as if from a whirlwind cut.
noun
mythical weasel-like creature riding whirlwinds
In Japanese folklore, a trio of weasel-like yōkai that ride on whirlwinds, with the first knocking the victim down, the second cutting with a sickle, and the third applying medicine so the wound is painless and bloodless.
鎌鼬は、旋風に乗って現れ、人に痛みのない傷をつける妖怪だ。
The kamaitachi is a yōkai that appears riding a whirlwind and inflicts painless wounds on people.
Compound of 鎌 (kama, 'sickle') and 鼬 (itachi, 'weasel'), referring to the folkloric creature that cuts like a sickle. The exact origin of the legend is uncertain, but it is often linked to the real phenomenon of painless cuts caused by whirlwinds.