Datsue-ba
Buddhist deity
Datsueba (奪(だつ)衣婆(えば); lit. "old woman who strips clothes") is often depicted sitting by the Sanzu River (三(さん)途(ず)の川(かわ); lit. River of Three Crossings) in literary, visual, and religious depictions of the Buddhist underworld. Although Buddhist hell is imagined in a great number of texts and images ranging from places such as China, India, and Tibet, Datsueba appears to be unique to Japanese iterations of Buddhist hell. Throughout these depictions, Datsueba is broadly imagined and illustrated as an old, frightening ogress who takes the clothes from the deceased as they cross the Sanzu River.
Literary Depictions
The first mentions of Datsueba date back to eleventh-century Japanese scriptures and religious stories. The earliest of which is likely the Hokke genki, which was composed by Chingen the Tendai monk between 1040 and 1044. In "Renshū hōshi", one of the 129 tales within the Hokke genki, a Datsueba-like figure sits by the side of a river beneath a tree whose branches are draped in clothes. The woman is described as old and ugly, and demands Renshu, a Daigoji monk who died from illness, to strip off his clothes and cross the river. Similar iterations of this story can be found in other texts from this period, including Konjaku monogatari shū (Anthology of Tales from the Past) and the Kannon riyaku shū (Anthology of the Benefits of Kannon).
The public source identifies “Datsue-ba” as buddhist deity. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Datsue-ba, Buddhist and deity.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Datsue-ba”, the useful work is to connect “buddhist deity” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Feb 15, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q511574. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1040 and 1044.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Datsue-ba”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Datsue-ba primary sources, Datsue-ba archive and Datsue-ba research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Datsue-ba”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Datsue-ba” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.