Kiyohime

Attributes: Princess, Hannya, Jealousy, Passion, Love Lost

Kiyo is a broken hearted young woman that kills a monk because of her unrequinted love. She is one of the most famous antagonists in Japanese literature and an example of a Honnari-Hannya.

Honnari-Hannya is the most powerful stage of Hannya in which a woman turns into a serpent and can breathe fire as well as having the attributes of the two lower level hannya.

The story says that Kiyo as a young girl fell in love with a handsome young monk named Anchin who would stay at her family's manor on his yearly pilgrimage to Kumano. Kiyo was a troublesome girl and so the priest jokingly told her that if she behaved herself he would marry her when she came of age and take her to his home. Every year Kiyo would wait for his visit and remind him of his promise to her. When the year came that she was of age she reminded him again of his promise. He was surprised that she had taken him seriously all of this time and lied that he would upon his return take her with him. On his return he avoided the manor.

Upon hearing of Anchin's deception she was overcome with grief. She tracked him down and when confronted he pretended not to know her. Her grief turned to rage and she became a Hannya. She attacked the priest but he escaped across a river. This only fueled her rage and she became a Honnari-hannya. Anchin after crossing the river hid under the temple bell of Dojo-ji. Kiyo swam across the river and found him hiding under the bell. In a rage she breathed fire on the bell until the priest was roasted alive. Afterward she was so distraught she flung herself into the river and drowned.