demoness of the underworld; hag of Yomi
In Japanese mythology, a female demon or hag that inhabits Yomi (the land of the dead). Appears in the Kojiki myth of Izanagi's escape from the underworld.
When Izanagi fled from the land of Yomi, he was pursued by the Yomotsu-shikome.
The Yomotsu-shikome are fearsome demonesses that appear in the Kojiki.
Katakana spelling is common for mythological names; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling found in classical texts; rarely used in modern writing.
Rarely used kanji form.
From Old Japanese 黄泉つ醜女, in which 黄泉 is the underworld, つ is an attributive particle, and 醜女 means an ugly or fearsome woman.