Womb Cavern
| ||||||||||||||||
The Womb Cavern is part a network of underground caves and tunnels beneath Mount Hikami. The mountain was seen as the human body and the cave seen as the inside, where water (and gods) dwell, so it was called the Womb Cave. In the past, the cave was viewed as a sacred place, with shimenawa across the entrance, and entry was forbidden. Reliquaries containing the bodies of shrine maidens and failed Bridegrooms[1] were interred here.
The caves are said to span the entire breadth of the mountain, but are filled with water so that only some areas are accessible. Water from the caves flooded Hikami Tunnel during its construction, leading to it being abandoned.[2] The locked gate at the northeast of the Womb Cavern leads to the Shrine of the Ephemeral, but is sealed until the Final Drop. It appears that the unused Peony Plate Key was originally intended to open this gate, as the key's design matches the one on the lock, but ultimately this was left out of the final game.
Inspiration
The Womb Cavern was inspired by Hitoana (人穴), a large volcanic cave on Mount Fuji in which it is believed the kami of the mountain resides.[3]
References
- ↑ On Choosing a Bride, Fatal Frame V
- ↑ Hikami Tunnel, Official Website, 2015.
- ↑ Datamined game files use the marker HITOANA to refer to this area and items found there.