A theory has it that Yorimitsu's father MINAMOTO no Mitsunaka conspired with "oni" and "tsuchigumo," the above-mentioned local clans, to revolt against the Fujiwara clan, but on the occasion of Anna Incident, Mitsunaka betrayed the local clans to defend his own interests, so his son Yorimitsu and Shitenno began to be cursed by the ghosts of "oni" and "tsuchigumo."
一説では、頼光の父・源満仲は前述の土豪の鬼・土蜘蛛たちの一族と結託して藤原氏に反逆を企んだが、安和の変の際に一族を裏切って保身を図ったため、彼の息子である頼光と四天王が鬼、土蜘蛛といった妖怪たちから呪われるようになったともいう。