Smyers (1999) notes that the idea of the fox as seductress and the connection of the fox myths to Buddhism were introduced into Japanese folklore through similar Chinese stories, but she maintains that some fox stories contain elements unique to Japan. 1111) in Kobiki (or Kobi no ki ( 狐眉記, A record of fox spirits) ) introduced the story that the queen-consort Daji (Japanese pronunciation: Dakki) was really a nine-tailed fox that led to the destruction of the Yin/ Shang dynasty, having seduced its last monarch, King Zhou (Japanese: Chū-ō). Tamamo no Mae) also originates from China. The trope of the fox as femme fatale in Japanese literature (cf. A composite fashioned from the confluence of Tang dynasty wonder tales ( chuanqi genre, as exemplified by the Renshi zhuan) and earlier wonder tales ( Zhiguai genre) has also been proposed. 800), and the possibility has been suggested that this is a remake of the Chinese version. The tale bears close resemblance to the Tang dynasty Chinese story Renshi zhuan ('The Story of Lady Ren', c. The plotline involves a man who takes a wife, whose identity is later revealed to be a fox pretending to be a woman (cf. The earliest 'fox wife' ( kitsune nyōbo ( 狐女房) ) tale type (concerning a wife whose identity as fox is revealed after being frightened by the house pet dog ) occurs in Nihon Ryōiki, an anthology of Buddhist tales compiled around 822. These fox spirits were adopted into Japanese culture through merchants as kyūbi no kitsune ( 九尾の狐, lit. Chinese influence įolktales from China tell of fox spirits called húli jīng ( Chinese: 狐狸精) also named as nine-tailed fox ( Chinese: 九尾狐) that may have up to nine tails. And in 659, a fox bit off the end of a creeping vine plant held by the laborer (shrine construction worker), interpreted as an inauspicious omen foreshadowing the death of Empress Saimei the following year. In the year 657 a byakko or 'white fox' was reported to have been witnessed in Iwami Province, possibly a sign of good omen. In the Nihon Shoki (or Nihongi, compiled 720), the fox is mentioned twice, as omens. The oldest relationship between the Japanese people and the fox dates back to the Jomon period necklace made by piercing the canine teeth and jawbone of the fox. Origins A nine-tailed fox, from the Qing edition of the ancient text Classic of Mountains and Seas The moon on Musashi Plain (fox) by Yoshitoshi 'tube fox, pipe fox') because they were believed to be so small, or become so small as to fit inside a tube. The familiar may also be known as the kuda-gitsune ( 管狐, lit. In some cases, the fox or fox-spirit summoned is called the osaki. The yamabushi or lay monks training in the wild have the reputation of using kiko ( 気狐, lit. There are also legends of the kitsune being used as familiars to do the biddings of their masters, called kitsune-mochi or 'fox-possessors'. The kitsune exhibit the ability of bakeru or transforming its shape and appearance, and bakasu, capable of trickery or bewitching these terms are related to the generic term bakemono meaning 'spectre' or 'goblin', and such capabilities were also ascribed to badgers (actually tanuki or raccoon dog) and occasionally to cats (cf. The kitsune has been labeled as a 'witch animal' (presumably due to its 'bewitching') by one scholar, who also qualifies the supernatural foxes as being 'goblin foxes' or 'fox spirits'. Because of their potential power and influence, some people make sacrifices to them as to a deity.

The more tails a kitsune has-they may have as many as nine-the older, wiser, and more powerful it is. This role has reinforced the fox's supernatural significance. Kitsune have become closely associated with Inari, a Shinto kami or spirit, and serve as its messengers. While some folktales speak of kitsune employing this ability to trick others-as foxes in folklore often do-other stories portray them as faithful guardians, friends, and lovers.įoxes and humans lived close together in ancient Japan this companionship gave rise to legends about the creatures.

According to folklore, the kitsune-foxes (or perhaps the 'fox spirits') can bewitch people, just like the tanuki they have the ability to shapeshift into human or other forms, and to trick or fool human beings. In Japanese folklore, kitsune ( 狐, きつね, IPA: ⓘ) are foxes that possess paranormal abilities that increase as they get older and wiser. A nine-tailed fox spirit ( kyūbi no kitsune) scaring Prince Hanzoku print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Edo period, 19th century For other uses, see Kitsune (disambiguation). This article is about the Japanese word for the fox.

Kami japanese folklore