What is the shichihoda?
The shichihoda is a snake yokai said to have venom so deadly that its victims die before they can walk seven steps. It appears in Otogi Boko, a collection of supernatural tales by Asai Ryoi published in 1666.
The shichihoda in Otogi Boko
According to Otogi Boko, strange events in which snakes kept appearing one after another occurred at a house in Higashiyama, Kyoto. When the master dug under the floor, he found a tiny snake only about four sun (about 12 cm) long. It had a bright red body, four legs and horns, looking like a miniature dragon, and gave off a flame-like glow. This was the shichihoda, the venomous snake whose bite kills before you can walk seven steps.
Origin of the shichihoda
The name “seven-step snake” also appears in old Chinese tradition, and is thought to have been passed down as a name for deadly venomous snakes. Its dragon-like form, small yet terrifyingly powerful, has stirred people’s imaginations as a creature somewhere between the dragon and the snake.
