There was a Japanese ghost story with a cursed lake or something, where long, ghostly arms would emerge from the misty water, bearing ladles - yes ladles - and would pour water into your boat until it sank, taking you with it.
Now that sounds like a hoot to most 'Muricans, but if the samurai TV shows are to be believed, most Japanese people back in the day didn't know how to swim. And imagine the arms looking like the pilobus fungus, and it becomes darned scary.
Hey wait, it's November! We should be talking about turkey, stuffing, and gravy!