Yushkep

### Aliases

Yushkep, Yushkep-Kamui, Yaoskep, Yaoskep-Kamui, Ashketanne Mat, Ashketanne Mat-Kamui, Long Fingered Woman, Nusa-kor, Nusa-kor-Kamui, the Weaver, Yaoshikepu

## Physical Description

### Spirit of

Spiders, Death, the Underworld, Childbirth, Marriage, Inau, insects, Silk, Weaving

## Relatives

### Siblings

Cikap, Kandakoro, Chironnup, Hasinaw-uk, Hoyau, Huci, Kunnecup, Tokapcup, Pauchi, Kim-un, Repun

**Yushkep**, also known as **Nusa-kor** is the Ainu Kamui of Death.

## Overview

Despite their connection with death, Yushkep is seen as a benevolent Kamui. She has many different functions as a Kamui; such as delivering children and overseeing Pokna-Moshiri or the Afterlife. She has many assistants, many of whom are lesser insect Kamui.

## Appearance

Yushkep is most affiliated with spiders, because of this she is depicted as a woman with the body of a spider. Sometimes though she has spider traits mixed in on certain parts of her body, however the spider legs are the most common. These spider legs have also given rise to her name as the 'long fingered woman' as her fingers are sometimes said to be as long as her spider legs. She's said to wear beautiful clothes produced from her silk.

## Personality

Yushkep is kind and motherly to all beings who arrive in Pokna-Moshiri. However when provoked she can be extremely cunning and sadistic, despite this she dislikes having to show that side of her to others. In addition to her piety she is extremely protective, as those who threaten her husband, loved ones, and worshipers typically don't see the light of day.

## History

Before time began Kotan-kar created Yushkep along with the other original Kamui to govern the forces of the universe, Yushkep was born to oversee prospect of death and birth. Yushkep weaved together Pokna-Moshiri, a realm in which she could judge and oversee the eventual sea of dead souls. It was during this time that she was able to find Teinei-Pokna-Moshiri, the hell in which the Kunne-Kamui resided.

After the virtuous Kamui cemented their rule, Kotan-kar asked them to populate the earth with life. Yushkep first created the spider, then several other stinging insects. Eventually the first pregnant Kamui was about to give birth, worried that she wouldn't be able to safely deliver the child she stressed out, until she used her spider legs to reach inside her fellow Kamui and pull out the child. Because of this Yushkep was celebrated in Kamui-Kotan for her quick thinking.

While she was overseeing Pokna-Moshiri, Yushkep was approached by Poronitne, a Kunne-Kamui who wished to marry her, when she declined he went into a rage and said that he would come back and take her by force. When Poronitne eventually did return he was overrun by Yushkep's army of insect Kamui, who stung and stabbed him all across his body, when he tried to cowardly escape Yushkep killed him.

One day an innocent Ainu village was attacked by an invading army. As the army pillaged the village, the villagers asked their shaman to pray for help. Yushkep heard the villagers cry and traveled to the village. When she arrived she warned the army that if they didn't leave she would kill every last one of them. The head of the army attempted to swing his weapon through Yushkep's neck, however his blade shattered upon contact, and before he could cry out in pain, Yushkep used her thread to cut the man apart. The invading army attempted to take vengeance upon her for their leader, but just like him she cut them down.

## Myths and Legends

Nusa-kor is a Kamui who was identified as the messenger of the Kamui. Sometimes Nusa-kor was also depicted as the Kamui of death, however this aspect of Nusa-kor was the same as Yushkep, leading to the idea that the two are the same Deity, eventually synchronizing the two. Lending credence to this is Nusa-kor's lack of characterization, though in some myths Yushkep is described as sometimes aiding Nusa-kor in their underworld duties.

The Yaoshikepu is an evil shinto deity of spiders, Yaoshipeku is derived as a bastardization of Yushkep, as a form of insult.