A mother or a killer, the chīnouya's behavior varies depending on the child that approaches. In Okinawa, she lives in bodies of water near graveyards. If food offerings are left by the graves, she will take care of the deceased child's spirit if under the age of 6. However, if a living child approaches her water territory, she will quickly drown the child.
The chīnouya doesn't only reside in the water and can been seen on land. She appears as a naked woman with large breasts and very long hair. Various islands in Okinawa have their own versions of the chīnouya's behavior where she would go into houses and sweetly ask children to come to them, thus leading to their deaths. Another version of the chīnouya is almost like a grim reaper; she will stare at a child and say he or she will die within a week.
There isn't a lot of information about the chīnouya, which makes me question if she takes care of the spirits from the children she kills. Perhaps she's lonely and couldn't bear children of her own.
14+ hours of drawing